Walk into any pro shop and you’ll see walls of accessories—tapes, cleaners, grip aids, tools, towels, inserts, and more. Some are essential. Some are helpful. And some are simply convenience items that won’t move the needle on your average.
If you’re serious about improving your performance, the key is understanding which accessories directly impact ball reaction, release consistency, and control—and which ones are nice to have but won’t fundamentally change your game.
Below, we’ll focus on five accessories that genuinely improve performance, explain why they matter, and clarify where bowlers sometimes overestimate their impact.
The Accessories That Actually Improve Performance
1. Towel or Shammy: The Foundation of Consistency
If you had to pick one accessory that impacts performance every single frame, it’s this one.
Lane oil is constantly transferring from the surface to your bowling ball. As oil builds up, it reduces surface friction and changes how your ball reads the lane. Even slight oil buildup can:
Push your breakpoint further downlane
Soften backend motion
Create over/under reaction
Reduce carry
A quality towel or leather shammy removes oil between shots, helping maintain the ball’s intended reaction. This is especially critical on fresh oil or when transition begins. The more consistent your surface, the more predictable your motion.
This isn’t about superstition—it’s physics. Oil changes friction. Friction changes motion. Controlling oil equals controlling performance.
If you’re not wiping your ball every shot, you’re guessing more than you need to.
2. Liquid Ball Cleaner: Protecting Long-Term Performance
While a towel controls oil between shots, a liquid ball cleaner protects performance over time.
Reactive coverstocks absorb oil. Without proper cleaning after each session, oil penetrates the pores of the coverstock and dulls its ability to grip the lane. That leads to:
Reduced hook potential
Earlier burnout
Loss of continuation
Inconsistent reaction
Using an approved liquid cleaner after bowling helps extract surface oil before it sets in. This maintains traction, preserves the factory reaction longer, and extends the life of the ball.
Clean equipment doesn’t just look better—it reacts more consistently and predictably over weeks and months. If you’re investing in performance balls, protecting that performance is essential.
3. Thumbhole Tape: Fine-Tuning Your Release
Few accessories impact release consistency more directly than thumbhole tape.
Thumb fit changes constantly. Swelling, humidity, temperature, and lane environment all affect how your thumb fits inside the ball. Even a slightly loose fit can cause:
Grip pressure changes
Early or late release
Missed targets
Inconsistent rev rate
Thumbhole tape allows you to micro-adjust fit throughout a session. Adding tape tightens feel. Removing it loosens feel. That control over fit gives you control over timing and release.
For competitive bowlers especially, consistent fit equals consistent release. And consistent release equals better scoring.
This is not just comfort—it’s precision.
4. Grip Bag or Rosin: Managing Moisture, Managing Confidence
Grip aids are often misunderstood. They’re not about adding extra power—they’re about removing uncertainty.
Sweaty or overly dry hands both disrupt feel. When moisture builds up, the thumb can stick or hang. When hands are too dry, grip pressure can increase unconsciously. Both situations create tension, and tension reduces repeatability.
A grip bag or rosin helps regulate moisture, allowing:
A smoother release
Consistent grip pressure
Reduced over-gripping
Increased confidence at the line
Confidence is performance. If you’re thinking about your hand instead of your target, you’re already behind.
Grip aids remove distractions and let you focus on execution.
5. Finger Inserts: Comfort, Control, and Repeatability
Finger inserts are one of the most overlooked performance upgrades.
Proper inserts improve:
Comfort
Grip security
Feel at release
Rev consistency
Without inserts, finger holes can feel inconsistent or rough, especially over time. Inserts create a uniform surface that promotes cleaner exits and improved feel through the shot.
For higher rev players, inserts help maintain control. For lower rev or speed-dominant players, they help create better lift without added effort.
They also reduce strain and fatigue, which matters during long league nights or tournament blocks.
Small change. Big difference.
What Doesn’t Truly “Improve” Performance
Now for the honest part. Some accessories are helpful—but they won’t directly improve your ball reaction or scoring ability. Items like:
Decorative gear
Specialty gadgets that don’t affect fit or surface
Redundant storage upgrades
These might improve organization, comfort or aesthetics, but they won’t change ball motion or release consistency.
Performance improvement comes from:
Controlling oil
Maintaining surface
Managing fit
Managing moisture
Improving feel
The Big Takeaway
Bowling is a game of small margins. One missed spare, one overreaction, one late release—that’s often the difference between a 205 and a 225.
The five accessories above directly impact those margins.
A towel or shammy maintains reaction.
A liquid cleaner protects long-term traction.
Thumbhole tape controls fit.
Grip aids control moisture and tension.
Finger inserts improve feel and repeatability.
None of them replace skill. But all of them remove variables. And in bowling, reducing variables is how you increase consistency.
If you’re looking to improve performance without buying another bowling ball, start with the gear that supports every shot. Small upgrades, used correctly, create real results—frame after frame.
