Good day.

My wife bowls with a conventional grip ball and avgs. approx 165 but she is
always saying she wishes she possessed more ball movement.  She is a creature of habit and does not welcome change very easily.  Question: how difficult do
you think it would be to convert her to a semi finger grip.

Thanks in advance for your responses.

Get her a lesson, technique will go a lot further than a new grip that she won't like.
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Nick Smith ... A.K.A. Les Badderâ„¢
Brunswick -=- PBA 03-07
http://www.BrunsNick.com
http://www.AskTheBowler.com
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Friends don't let friends drink the Kool-Aid!

The semi grip has your fingers placed in the ball between the second and third knuckles out, meaning the knuckle next to your nail and the next one.  You can see how that may cause pain at least, right?

No, I don't think any pros use that grip, certainly not anymore.

I’m against semi-finger grips for the same reason as spinner031, the hand is not designed to have stress between the knuckles. Plus it is tough to put the fingers in the same amount every time.

If you change go with a relaxed finger tip fit. It is what the majority of pro’s use and is actually less stressful on the hand than a conventional grip if properly fitted.  

From a female who did go from Conventional to Semi-fingertip to Fingertip. (It was 24 or 25 years ago, but I recall it vividly.)

I did not trust myself to be able to hold on to the ball with fingertip.  My pro shop guy really wanted to see me move up to fingertip.  As a compromise, we agreed on semi.  To be very honest, it wasn't long and I was only putting the fingers in to the first knuckle.  Semi is not comfortable and does not allow any better gripping.

My suggestion is to get a used ball and have it drilled full finger tip for her to try.  Make sure she relaxes the thumb, another problem I had making the transition.  I was afraid I'd drop the ball and gripped so tight with the thumb it wasn't coming off.  A teammate had me hold the ball at my side and relax the thumb to show me it would not just drop off.  After that I was fine.

I hope this helps in making the decision.
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USBC Bronze Coach

"I cannot change the direction of the wind but I can adjust my sails to reach my destination." Jimmy Dean
Quaker 10/93 - 4/07
Quaker

Changing a woman to full finger tip, would one suggest dropping in weight ?
Currently throwing 15 lbs without a problem, with new grip I was thinking if
lighter weight would be the way to go?  Any opinions.

My thoughts about semifingertip.  Back in the day, fingertip grips were measured all the way to the joint.  Most bowlers couldn't control the ball with that wide a span, and much joint damage resulted.  Bowlers had their balls measured and drilled semifingertip, with the span midway between the two joints and the holes drilled large enough to insert them that far.  But most of them only put the fingertips in, thus leading to today's "relaxed fingertip" grip.  It's the old semi grip with the holes only large enough for the tips to be inserted.  --  JohnP