Cost To Drill A Bowling Ball - 3 Tips To Save Money

Drilling a bowling ball with a proper grip makes a great impact on your game and it’s obvious to know the cost to drill a bowling ball that fits your budget.

Sometimes, the cost of drilling may increase from your actual bowling ball price. You can get a good deal if you have a proper understanding of what kind of drilling you need or how you can save money while drilling.

This guide contains all the ingredients that will solve all your queries either you should need to go with pre-drilling options provided by bowling companies or custom drilling from the local pro shops.

What Are The Different Drilling Options And Cost To Drill A Bowling Ball?

There are two main options before or after purchasing the bowling ball and it totally depends on you what kind of bowler you’re either a recreational player or an advanced player.

Basic Drilling

When you purchase a bowling ball either you go online or any local store there is also an option to go with pre-drilling.

Now, the charges will only apply when you drill a bowling ball other than that place where you bought it. The charges would vary depending on the service provider, however, the range of cost for basic drilling is something between $20 to $50.

Basic drilling is done according to the average measurement for span and thumb holes and you can say it is a conventional layout with limitations.

The only thing you need to understand is when you need to go with basic drilling.

This service is recommended for beginner bowlers who just started their bowling journey or casual bowlers that only play the game for fun or spend their free time.

Usually, new bowlers are recommended to play with a Polyester/plastic bowling ball which is comparatively cheaper and beginner-friendly. Now, if you go with other drilling options like custom then the cost may be equal to your bowling ball price. Always think on the other side and make a decision about what you should need in the current situation.

Custom Drilling

Another option that you can avail of is custom drilling which is recommended for advanced bowlers who play to compete in bowling.

Custom drilling is costly compared to basic drilling but it provides you maximum facilities to fit the bowling ball according to your hand grip. Again, the cost for custom drilling varies however the range after analyzing different service provider prices lies between $50 to $70 for finger inserts, thumb slug, and switch grips.

If you have your own bowling ball and want to maximize your maximum bowling strike or give a curve to the bowling ball then obviously spending on custom drilling is worth it.

How Much Do Pro Shops Charge To Drill A Bowling Ball?

Whether you go with online drilling or done from a local pro shop or any sports goods store, the cost to drill a bowling ball will be different.

The cost to drill a bowling ball by pro shops is between $20 to $70 depending on what kind of drilling layout you want on your bowling ball.

What Factors Affect The Cost Of Drilling A Bowling Ball?

The Pro shop or any drilling service provider’s costs depends on several factors that can affect the cost to drill a bowling ball which follows:

Bowling Ball Material

Every bowling ball is made from different materials which are divided into 3 layers: Coverstock, Fillers, and weight blocks.

Coverstock is the visible part of the bowling ball, filler, and weight block that differentiate the bowling ball rolling capabilities and there are furthermore types of these specific parts.

Long story: short, every material of a bowling ball also affects the cost, for example, you bought a plastic bowling ball that is usually in the range of $50-80 considering it is an entry-level bowling ball. If you go with custom drilling with a plastic bowling ball then the cost may be the same as the ball.

Drilling Layout

Every bowler prefers a different grip layout depending on their gameplay or where they feel comfortable.

There are two exceptional bowling layouts done by bowlers conventional and fingertip layouts.

In a conventional grip, You just put your thumb and insert your middle and ring fingers into their holes until the second joint of fingers. This kind of grip is higher than others and the charges may be slightly double compared to basic drilling.

The fingertip grip or layout covers all the fingers and according to many bowlers’ statements that they feel a comfortable and accurate grip on the bowling ball and the cost of fingertip grip is twice the cost of basic drilling.

Drilling Service Provider

The cost is also affected by whom you deal with drilling a bowling ball and each drilling service provider at slightly different prices.

If you go with local pro shops or any sports goods store that also provides drilling service, you can ask them separately from each, however, if you go with an online drilling service, the following are some of the service providers that have different ranges of cost to drill a bowling ball.

Sporting goods drill free of cost if you buy the bowling ball directly from them.
Bowlingball.com charges $30 to $50 for basic and $50 to $70 for custom
CheapBowling ball charges $20 to $40

Details of Bowling Ball Drilling and Process

Drilling a bowling ball involves a simple process and they will use a device to measure your hand to ensure that your hand should fit in the holes comfortably.

A drilling service provider will ask several questions about the drilling layout whether you want conventional grip, fingertip, or basic drilling. This feedback from you will ensure your perfect finger placement and also store them for future drilling services of bowling balls.

Extra Drilling Cost

The process of drilling a bowling ball with accuracy and any carelessness will lead to a crack in the bowling ball.

Due to different materials used in the ball, there are chances that the bowling ball may crack, however there drilling protection service is always provided by the pro shop while drilling the bowling ball.

There are rare chances that they provide free drilling protection, however, if you go with drilling protection, it will cost you around $5 to $10 which is also called insurance for the bowling ball.

Save The Money By Following These Tips

You can save a good amount if you drill a bowling ball from the same store or company where you bought the bowling ball.

There are several pro shops or drilling service providers that have a slightly decent margin of charging the drilling of a bowling ball. You can find a local or online, usually, they mention the price of drilling on their price and you can reach them that have lower charges.

Conclusion

The cost to drill a bowling ball highly depends on several factors: it can be custom or basic drilling or the service providers you interact with it. Following is a quick overview of the cost to drill a bowling ball.

Basic drilling will cost you around $20 to $50.
Custom drilling charges are $50-70 where you will get thumb fit, fingers insert, etc
10-20$ for upgrading fingers inserts and thumb snugs
5 to 10$ for drilling protection