Guest Author - Gary King

I wonder how many people bowling out there who use inserts in the finger holes of their ball have ever taken the time to inspect them for wear? Many people I have spoken to actually have not paid that much attention and have assumed the inserts are okay.

You need to take a close look at the inserts in your ball and to inspect them for wear. Check the fit and see how tight they are. You might be surprised when you find that while you assumed they were okay and were not wearing that much, that the fit is not that tight.

You may not realize exactly how much your bowling scores can suffer if your bowling ball inserts are worn or wearing. I have read pros and cons about how many games you can bowl before they start to wear to the point you need to think of replacing them. In my case, it may be a little longer because I have a system of cleaning them which helps to extend their life and keep them looking better longer.

I went to a second-hand store one day a long time ago and found an old bowling bag. I bought it for a couple of bucks and then I took the ball holder out of the bottom to use at home for my ball cleaning segments. I clean my bowling balls every time before I go bowling. This cleaning procedure involves using a large Phillips screwdriver and a rag with rubbing alcohol on it. I run the rag up and down in the finger holes and the thumbhole to clean them good, then do the same thing with a dry rag to dry them out. I follow that all up by using ball cleaner on the exterior of my ball.

I do not understand how some people can bowl as much as they do and then tell me they never clean their ball. And when you look at their ball, and the inserts if they use inserts, you will see the difference because the inserts usually are filthy dirty.

I recommend everyone who does not do so, to create and maintain a ball cleaning procedure. Not only will it give you a better chance of bowling better, but it will be a lot more healthy as well.

I wonder how many of you have ever had your ball resurfaced? How many of you realize the difference it can make? A bowling ball, believe it or not, can lose some power and begin to react a lot weaker after many games of use. Like a tire on a vehicle which wears from use, your bowling ball will also wear from use. You will realize just how much difference it can make once you take your ball to a pro shop and have it resurfaced. You will probably keep asking yourself why you did not do it before.

Check your bowling ball and inserts for wear today. You might be surprised exactly how much both have worn. You can get some idea by going to a pro shop and comparing new inserts with the ones you have in your ball. The way the new ones fit compared to the ones you have in your ball right now may be of great surprise to you. You may be shocked to find exactly how much they have worn.

You never know when something like new inserts or a resurfaced ball can lead to an unexpected reward--like maybe a 300 game. And if you do not believe it can happen, think again. It has happened to people who never believed they had a chance of ever bowling a 300 game. So increase your chances and check your inserts and your ball for wear.