Jason Belmonte and Two-Handed Bowling

Jason Belmonte is the best-known two-handed bowler in the world. The Australian from Orange, New South Wales, joined the PBA Tour in 2008 with a style that many traditionalists doubted at the time. Today he holds the record for PBA major titles, and two-handed bowling has become a familiar sight in bowling centers around the world.

Who is Jason Belmonte?

Belmonte was born in 1983 in Orange, New South Wales. His father opened a bowling center there when Jason was a toddler. By his own account, he first rolled a ball at around 18 months old. The ball was too heavy for one hand, so he pushed it with two, and the habit stuck. He tried the one-handed style as a child but went back to two hands.

In 2008 he joined the PBA Tour and was named Rookie of the Year for the 2008–09 season.

Jason Belmonte's titles and records

• 32 PBA Tour titles, including 15 major titles, the all-time record for majors
• Seven PBA Player of the Year awards (2012–13, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022), tied with Walter Ray Williams Jr. for the most in PBA history
• Super Slam: one of only two players to have won all five PBA majors
• Record holder for USBC Masters titles (four), Tournament of Champions titles (four) and Players Championship titles (three)

The five PBA majors are the U.S. Open, the USBC Masters, the PBA Players Championship, the PBA Tournament of Champions and the PBA World Championship.

How the two-handed technique works

Belmonte bowls without his thumb in the ball: only two fingers go into the ball, and his other hand supports it through the approach and the swing. The two-handed style developed from the one-handed, thumbless technique. Without a thumb in the ball, the fingers can put more rotation on it, while the second hand still gives the ball support.

Why two hands create more revolutions

More revolutions mean more hook potential: the ball grips the lane more strongly on the drier back end and can enter the pocket at a steeper angle. That is the main advantage of the two-handed style. It also demands a lot of timing and body control, because the whole approach is built around this delivery.

How different release techniques shape the ball's path is explained in our guide to release techniques from beginner to pro.

Belmonte's influence on the sport

Belmonte was not the only early two-hander. Finland's Osku Palermaa also bowled two-handed on an international level. But Belmonte was among the first to gain worldwide recognition with the style, and his success showed that it can compete at the highest level.

Today there are well-known two-handers on the PBA Tour, including Anthony Simonsen and Kyle Troup from the USA and Jesper Svensson from Sweden. Among young bowlers the style has become common: according to a 2018 report in Bowlers Journal International, around one in five participants at the USBC Junior Gold Championships used the two-handed approach.

Two hands, one foundation

Whether you bowl with one hand or two, your delivery starts with the approach. A consistent slide on the last step helps your timing. Bowling shoes from BOWLIO are made of genuine leather, with a full-length leather slide sole under both shoes, so they suit left- and right-handed bowlers, from beginners to professionals.