Walk into any center today and you'll see bowlers using both hands or skipping the thumb hole entirely. These styles, once fringe, now dominate the conversation — because they unlock rev rates traditional grips can't easily reach.
What they are
No-thumb bowling inserts only the fingers, leaving the thumb out of the ball. Two-handed bowling is usually a no-thumb style where the non-bowling hand supports and helps power the ball through the swing, releasing as the bowling hand delivers. Despite the name, the ball still leaves one hand — the second hand is a guide and an engine, not a second thrower.
Why they generate so many revs
Removing the thumb lets the fingers stay in the ball longer and impart far more rotation at release, and the supporting hand (in the two-handed style) adds leverage and a longer, more powerful swing. The result is naturally very high rev rates — often well beyond what a conventional one-handed bowler produces — which creates aggressive, high-hooking ball motion.
Pros
- Very high rev rates and strong hook potential.
- Less thumb-related grip tension and 'hanging up.'
- Often easier on some bowlers' wrists and thumbs.
- Big entry angles that can boost carry.
Cons
- Can be harder to control on dry or sharply transitioning lanes.
- Heavier on the legs, back and core — it's physically demanding.
- Shooting straight spares (especially corners) can be trickier with so much hook.
- The two-handed approach takes real practice to time correctly.
How it reshaped the sport
The rise of high-rev two-handed and no-thumb players changed lane conditioning, equipment design, and even how the sport is coached. Whether you adopt the style or not, understanding it helps you read modern bowling. If you're curious, many bowlers experiment no-thumb first (it requires no equipment change beyond a comfortable fit) before committing to the full two-handed delivery.
Nothing in the USBC equipment rules forbids keeping the thumb out of the ball, and the manual spells out what a no-thumb ball must carry: “If a bowler does not have a thumb hole, there must be a scribed or engraved ‘+’ near the center of the palm to indicate the grip orientation. The ball must be delivered in the marked orientation (i.e., palm must cover the ‘+’).” The same section bans balance holes outright and limits vent holes to one per gripping hole, no more than a quarter inch across. So a two-hander’s ball is drilled for two or three fingers, marked with a plus, and otherwise subject to the same weight, hardness and core limits as everyone else’s.
For years the style was dismissed as a novelty. That ended with results. On 10 February 2019, Australian two-hander Jason Belmonte won his third PBA Tournament of Champions, his 10th major, which USBC reported as “tying him with Hall of Famers Pete Weber and the late Earl Anthony for first on the all-time major titles list”; it was his 19th career tour title. A two-handed bowler sharing the all-time majors record with two of the sport’s one-handed legends is the point at which the style stopped being a curiosity.
The claim for two-handed bowling is rev rate without a stressed wrist. You can put a number on it: film a shot in slow motion, put a strip of tape on the ball, and count the turns with our ball speed and rev rate tool. Compare a one-handed and a two-handed shot from the same lane and the difference in rpm is usually obvious within two or three frames. The rev rate page explains what to do with the number.
