When bowling, people have always wanted to find more and more ways to increase their average game style. It is where bowling tapes come in.
Bowling maybe an easy game, but bowlers often use bowling tapes to help them up to their game when it comes to professional leagues. With the help of a bowling tape applied to your fingers, you can avoid rashes and irritation.
If you’re reading this article, you are probably curious to learn what a bowling tape is and how it can help you. Let’s get started, shall we?
What Are Bowling Tapes?
If you are someone who has been playing bowling for a while, you may have noticed that your fingers (especially your thumb) have a few rashes around them. It is mainly because of the irritation when you hold the ball by inserting the finger in the holes.
A bowling tape is a very vital tool that will help you avoid these rashes and keep your fingers safe from injury. It can keep the fingers safe from bruising and any abrasions.
People who bowl frequently have also noticed that their fingers often tend to swell up. When this happens, the person will have better control over their shots as their finger fits perfectly into the holes.
It is why people have a good warm-up session before the game. Warming up helps the finger swell, gives a comfy fit in these holes, and provides the player with reasonable control. It may seem beneficial to the game, but it is not ideally suitable for the fingers.
Bowling tapes also help the player with this. When a player wears bowling tape, it creates an extra layer of padding that acts like a swell and gives the exact comfortable fit in the holes. It helps to eliminate the dangers of any actual swelling and damage of the fingers.
It helps the player get more control of the more, thereby allowing more precise shots!
Why Is A Bowling Tape A Mandatory Tool?
The reason why a good bowling tape is a must in every player’s bag is that it helps in protecting the fingers.
As mentioned before, regular bowling without bowling tapes can damage the fingers in so many ways. It can cause irritation, rashes, abrasions, and bruising. By wearing bowling tape, you will be protecting yourself against these hazards.
Additionally, they also add comfort by creating a snuggle fit when you hold the bowling ball with the holes. This way, you will also be safe from any potential swelling.
What Are The Different Types Of Bowling Tapes?
Not everyone who plays bowling has a similar hand. For this reason, bowling tapes come in a variety of different styles, sizes, and colors.
They are very inclusive, which allows a broad range of people to use these tapes without damaging their fingers safely.
White Bowling Tape
The white bowling tape (also known as grid tape or textured bowling tape) is the tape for the thumb hole in the front of the bowling ball. There’s a reason why it’s called grid tape. It is because it gives the player more grip and support to hold the bowling ball.
It provides the player with the right amount of grip and will not hold on to the fingers tightly. Instead, it gives the player a very comfortable fit.
As mentioned earlier, these tapes are also known as textured bowling tapes because they come in various textures. These textures can either offer a player a high or low level of grip.
These tapes are the most popular type because they can easily fit with hands of different shapes and sizes. They also come in various colors, which can be very useful if you’re playing with a team and following specific color coordination. It makes them very versatile.
A lot of sporting gear companies manufacture these White Bowling Tapes. Each bowling tape can differ in its material, quality, thickness, and comfort based on the brand. The best way to purchase one that is suitable for you is by trying them on.
Slick Bowling Tape
As the name suggests, the Slick Bowling Tape is exceptionally smooth compared to the White Bowling Tape. They also do not provide the player with a lot of grips. But that’s because their use is not for the thumb hole.
Slick Bowling Tapes are for the finger holes at the back of the bowling ball. A good grip may sound great, but when it comes to the holes at the back, a slightly less grip is what is preferred.
Like the White Bowling Tapes, the Slick Bowling Tapes also have different variations as different companies manufacture them. The best way to choose one that is best suited for your fingers is by the method of trial and error.
While you are experimenting, keep in mind to check if the tape sticks to the skin on your fingers. Usually, an excellent Slick Bowling Tape must easily slide away from the finger without any issues.
When it sticks on the skin, it may lead to other complications that could be dangerous to you.
One effective alternative to the Slick Bowling Tape, an electric tape, may work just fine. The typical use of electric tape is for a replacement to the actual bowling tape. It may work fine as a temporary fix, but it may not work as well in the long run.
Hence, it’s best to purchase a Slick Bowling Tape.
Protective Bowling Tape
Unlike the Slick and the White Bowling Tape, where they are just for the bowling ball, the Protective Bowling Tape is slightly different. How? Instead of being used on the actual ball, this tape is for the hands of the player.
The Protective Bowling Tape is the most effective of the three types as they help in protecting the player’s hands from any swelling and keeps the hands protected from any scarring or bruising.
These tapes are generally in different lengths that have already been cut or come as a long roll. Here, you can use the required amount of tape without it being too much or too little.
Whichever style you go for, the best way to use this would be to begin precisely at the thumbnail and wrap it until the player’s biggest knuckle. It will help to secure the tape in place without falling off or unnecessarily rolling up.
A Protective Bowling Tape, when used individually, does not help shield and protect the hand as much. However, combined and used together with the White Bowling Tape or the Slick Bowling Tape, it can be highly beneficial to any player.
How Should The Bowling Tape Be Used?
Those who are just beginning to learn bowling may also be slightly difficult to wear the bowling tape. But don’t worry! We’ve got you covered here as well. Keep reading!
Step 1: Note The Points
The most common misconception in this step is marking right in the center of their thumb hole in the bowling ball. However, this is not the most effective way to note down the points.
If you have a marker pen, now is the best time to use it. Using the marker pen, note down the center points of both the fingers and your thumb. Keep in mind to note the ends of both sides of the bowling ball.
While the ink is still wet, quickly run the fingers and thumbs along the bowling ball holes and check to see if the ink has transferred correctly. These markings will help you identify how your actual grip is on the ball.
Step 2: Put Together Your Bowling Tape
This step might probably sound like the easiest step of all, but that’s hardly ever the case. It requires a lot of patience and practice.
The first thing you need to do is remove the back of the bowling tape. Remember to always begin by peeling the bottom first and then moving upwards. It is best to start at the bottom to help avoid damage to the top part. This top part will face a lot of stress while playing, and hence, this needs to remain intact while peeling.
After peeling comes the pasting. This step requires a lot of accuracy and concentration as wrong placement can affect the condition of your hands. Start by sticking tape on a device or a tool. Using an instrument will help you avoid any stains that may loosen the grip of the tape.
Step 3: Sticking Your Bowling Tape
It is a crucial step, so make sure you use the markings made earlier as a guide. By following this, you can easily paste the bowling tape into the holes of the bowling ball.
It will give a very comfortable grip and keep your fingers safe.
Step 4: Inspect The Comfy Fit Of Your Tape
Once you have completed the steps mentioned above, try and hold the bowling ball. Check them to see if they give you a comfortable, snuggly fit without applying too much pressure.
If it helps your fingers sit comfortably, it’s a go time!
Wrapping Up
Bowling tapes are the most commonly used accessories in bowling but are unappreciated. Even though they may look like just an ordinary adhesive, they can do so much for a player.
A good bowling tape will help keep the hands and fingers-free of any abrasions or rashes and give a good grip while holding the ball. It helps improve the game’s overall style and allows the player to win more scores for the team.
There are plenty of options available in the market today. The best way to buy one that fits you perfectly is through experimentation. It will give you an idea of how the tape feels while playing and will also aid you in providing a smoother, more straightforward game!