If you've searched for "vacuum grips" or "vacu grips" for a bowling ball, you've probably found very little. There's a reason. No mainstream finger insert holds your finger with suction. The phrase usually points to one of two real things: the finger and thumb inserts sold by brands like VISE and Turbo, or the vacuum vise a pro shop uses to clamp a ball while drilling it.
Grip inserts: what most people are looking for
Finger inserts are rubber or urethane sleeves glued into the finger holes. A thumb slug is a hard tube fitted into the thumb hole. Together they control how the ball feels in your hand. They don't create a seal. They work by fit and by surface texture.
- Inserts come in different firmness levels and shapes (oval, "power lift" and others). A softer insert grips more, a firmer one releases more cleanly.
- Thumb slugs give the thumb a consistent surface and can be swapped as they wear.
- Tape (often called bowler's tape) goes inside the thumb hole to fine-tune the fit as your thumb swells and shrinks during a session.
VISE is one of the best-known insert brands, which is likely where some "vise grips" and "vacuum grips" searches come from. The VISE grips guide and thumb slug guide cover them in detail.
The vacuum vise: the real vacuum in bowling
Pro shops hold bowling balls in place with a vise while they drill, plug or resurface them. Some use a vacuum vise or vacuum chuck, which holds the ball against a cup by suction instead of mechanical jaws. Several patents for vacuum vises for bowling balls were filed in the 1990s. It's shop equipment, not something a bowler uses during a game.
Why a suction grip wouldn't help
A good release depends on the thumb leaving the ball cleanly, then the fingers lifting through. Anything that makes the thumb "stick" tends to cause a late, jerky release, dropped shots and blisters. Bowlers who feel they need more hold almost always need a better fit: a pitch adjustment, a different span or a softer insert. That's a five-minute job for a pro shop operator.
If your grip feels insecure
- Check the thumb hole first. A loose thumb makes you squeeze, and squeezing ruins the release. Add or remove tape before every few games.
- Try softer finger inserts if your fingers slip out early.
- Use a rosin bag or grip sack for sweaty hands. It's legal and works better than any gadget.
- If the span hasn't been checked in years, have it measured. Hands change.