Multi-grip bowling ball

Abstract

A bowling ball including a grip for a player's hand, with the grip including an elongated finger slot for receiving all four of the player's fingers. The bowling ball may be made of a resilient yielding material which aids the player gripping the ball. A method of making a bowling ball with a plurality of grips, with at least some of the grips including an elongated finger slot for receiving all four of a player's fingers, including making the ball of a resilient yielding material which aids the player gripping the ball.

1 . A bowling ball comprising: 
 an exterior surface and an interior material;    a first elongated finger slot and a thumbhole positioned adjacent the finger slot cooperating to define a grip, the finger slot and the thumb hole each extending through the exterior surface and into the interior material;    the finger slot sized to receive all four fingers of a player's hand, and the thumb hole sized to receive the player's thumb;    the interior material yielding under pressure that may exerted by the player's fingers inserted within the finger slot and the player's thumb within the at least one thumbhole.    
   
   
       2 . The bowling ball of  claim 1 , further comprising a pair of thumbholes positioned adjacent to and on opposite sides of the finger slot, each thumb hole cooperating with the finger slot to define a grip.  
   
   
       3 . The bowling ball of  claim 1 , the thumbholes comprising a first thumb hole and a second thumb hole, the first and second thumb holes cooperating with the finger slot to define first and second grips the first and second thumbholes positioned at different distances from the finger slot, and each of the thumbholes defining a different diameter.  
   
   
       4 . The bowling ball of  claim 3 , wherein the first and second grips are on a first side of the ball, the ball including a second side and further comprising a second finger slot with a third thumb hole and a fourth thumb hole positioned adjacent the second finger slot on the second side, the third and fourth thumb holes on the second side of the ball cooperating with the second finger slot to define a third grip and a fourth grip on the second side of the ball, the third and fourth thumb holes located at different distances from the second finger slot and at different distances than the first and second thumb holes are located from the first finger slot, and the third and fourth thumb holes defining different diameters than each other and different diameters than the first and second thumb holes.  
   
   
       5 . The bowling ball of  claim 4 , wherein the finger slot of the first side and the second finger slot of the second side are positioned opposite from each other on the exterior of the ball.  
   
   
       6 . The bowling ball of  claim 1 , further comprising a second finger slot opposite the first finger slot with a thumb hole positioned adjacent the second finger slot cooperating to define a grip.  
   
   
       7 . A bowling ball comprising: 
 an exterior surface and an interior material;    an elongated finger slot and a thumbhole positioned adjacent the finger slot cooperating to define a grip, the finger slot and the thumb hole each extending through the exterior surface and into the interior material;    the finger slot sized to receive all four fingers of a player's hand, and the thumb hole sized to receive the player's thumb;    the interior material yielding under pressure that may exerted by the player's fingers inserted within the finger slot and the player's thumb within the at least one thumbhole;    wherein the finger slot includes sloping side walls defining an opening which is wider adjacent the exterior of the ball and narrower within the interior of the ball.    
   
   
       8 . The bowling ball of  claim 1 , wherein the thumb hole is generally circular in shape and includes a generally straight side wall extending from the exterior into the interior of the ball.  
   
   
       9 . A method of forming a plurality of grips for a bowling ball, the method comprising: 
 providing a bowling ball with an exterior surface material and an interior material;    positioning a first elongated finger slot on the exterior surface of the bowling ball, the finger slot extending into the interior material of the bowling ball, the finger slot including a side wall in the interior material and sized to receive all four fingers of a player's hand;    positioning two thumb holes on the exterior surface, one each on either side of the elongated finger slot, the thumb holes extending into the interior material of the bowling ball, each thumb hole including a side wall in the interior material and sized to receive a thumb of the player's hand, the thumb holes each defining a different diameter and each located at a different distance from the finger slot;    wherein each of the thumb holes cooperates with the finger slot to define a grip, and wherein the interior material on the side walls of the finger slot and the thumbholes is resilient and yields to pressure exerted by the player's fingers and thumb within the finger slot and one of the thumb holes, respectively.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising positioning a second finger slot on a second side of the bowling ball opposite the finger slot, and positioning two thumb holes on the exterior surface, one each on either side of the second finger slot, the second finger slot and each of the thumb holes cooperating to define first and second grips on the second side of the bowling ball, with the finger slot and thumb holes extending into the interior material, the thumb holes adjacent the second finger slot each defining a diameter different from each other and different from the thumb holes adjacent the first finger slot, and the thumb holes adjacent the second finger slot each located at a different distance from the finger slot and at different distance than the thumb holes adjacent the finger slot.  
   
   
       11 . A bowling ball for use by a bowler, the bowling ball comprising: 
 an exterior surface material and an interior material;    an elongated first finger slot and a pair of thumb holes positioned adjacent the finger slot and on opposite sides of the finger slot, each thumb hole and the finger slot cooperating to define a grip, the finger slot and the thumb holes each extending through the exterior surface material and into the interior material; the finger slot sized to receive two or more fingers of a player's hand, and each thumb hole sized to receive the player's thumb, the thumb holes each sized to receive a different sized thumb and located at different distances from the finger slot;    the interior material being softer than the exterior surface material and capable of yielding under pressure that may exerted by the player's fingers inserted within the finger slot.    
   
   
       12 . The bowling ball of  claim 11 , further comprising a second finger slot opposite the first finger slot, and a second pair of thumb holes positioned adjacent to and on opposite sides of the second finger slot, the finger slot and the thumb holes each extending through the exterior surface and into the interior material, the second finger slot sized to receive two or more fingers of the player's hand, and each thumb hole sized to receive the player's thumb, the thumb holes adjacent the second slot each sized to receive a different sized thumb and located at different distances from the second finger slot.  
   
   
       13 . The bowling ball of  claim 12 , wherein each of the thumb holes defines a different diameter and each is located at a different distance from its adjacent finger slot.  
   
   
       14 . The bowling ball of  claim 13 , further comprising each thumb hole being marked with indicia corresponding to the size of the thumb hole.  
   
   
       15 . The bowling ball of  claim 14 , wherein each thumb hole is color coded.  
   
   
       16 . The bowling ball of  claim 4 , further comprising each thumb hole being marked with indicia corresponding to the size of the thumb hole.  
   
   
       17 . The bowing ball of  claim 4 , wherein each thumb hole is color coded.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising marking each of the thumb holes with indicia corresponding to the size of the thumb hole.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein each thumb hole is color coded.