Great little bowling gem! I have very little knowledge about bowling balls and bowling but they took time to help me understand what to look for and what is actually important for what I wanted to do with my games. I brought a ball I bought online and they told me lots of information about the ball and the drill holes. I did not do work on that ball but will be coming back to get a ball and bag for my son. They do not upsell you. Just get you what you need. read more

Went in looking for a beginners ball, staff recommended at Brunswick Rhino. Was able to get measurements and same day drilling in 30 min! Fantastic service! read more

R & D Strike Zone Bowling Pro Shop - Sporting Goods Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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Great Place for Bowling items and the owners are very friendly Knowledgeable and professional. I went there to buy a bowling ball and bag that a friend recommended ( Cowboy Jack ) yes a Real Deal Cowboy that can bowl really good. I'm left handed and the bowling balls at the bowling alley are too heavy and the holes are not a good fit for me. So I got my hand and fingers measured and they had a ball in stock that was the right weight (10lbs) I wanted it and made the purchase and asked when it would be ready for pick up because they needed to drill the holes for my finger size and hand. The owner said if I wanted to wait 20 minutes I could get it same day. I waited and the Cowboy I was with told me to buy a bag and I did so I got everything I needed same day. What a Find a family owned business so detailed to customers. Note: The following week my score went up 90 pins ( I'm a beginner) and that was awesome. I'm very happy with my purchase. I will be back for anything bowling and will recommend R&D to anyone interested. Thank You for Reading. Reviews help Consumers. And Thank You Cowboy Jack. read more

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Good: service is fast Bad: when drilling, they did nt ask how I like to hook my ball. They just drill to what the standard ball drill. And when I ask about the layout, they can't even provide me an accurate answer. read more

They were excellent and very accommodating. We went here to get my mom her own bowling ball. She is not as strong as she used to be so we got her a lighter one which is at times difficult to find at the bowling alleys. The cost was also very reasonable and of good quality. She had a custom fit for her fingers which made playing bowling really easy and enjoyable for her. They were very efficient as well and very friendly. read more

Very friendly people and amazing service. As a noob, I didn't know what to even get but gave they gave me great recommendations and information on other items and what they do. read more

I had to fill, redrill and replace finger tips and R&D is one of those local pro shop that doesn't charge an arm and a leg. Their prices was very fair in the Bay Area. Only drawback is their store hours which is very short weekly. read more

This is a tiny little hidden gem pro shop for bowlers located at the end of a tiny strip mall in Castro Valley near the Castro Village Bowl. The owners are some of the sweetest people you'll meet. Came here couple months ago just to get insight, info, and knowledge about bowling because I wanted to get into it. They were able to answer all of my questions, things like "What ball weight should I choose", "Fingertip grip vs conventional grip", etc. About 2 months later, I popped back in here with my 1st ever reactive ball, Brunswick Rhino Magenta, in 14 pounds. They were able to get my fitment and drill my ball for a pretty great price, got it done within 30 minutes. Went and tested it out another day. My thumb had sticking issues on my first ever session, so I went back and they went ahead and helped me sand down the thumb hole a little bit, and also taught me techniques and thumb positioning when it comes to getting your thumb to come out that hole. My 2nd session went a tiny bit better but still a lot of sticking, but I eventually got my technique down and got used to the ball, so now it doesn't stick unless my thumb swells really bad(which I got slide resin bag for that). A great place to come to for all your bowling needs. Highly recommend. read more

Wow. What a find. The owners are so nice and helpful. Got my new ball drilled. $50 seemed worth it for the professional measuring. They have a nice selection of balls and bags too. I highly recommend. read more

I recently picked up bowling as a new hobby so I inquired about the alley's league and pro shop. R & D was suggested so I bought a ball online since they didn't have my preferred ball and color, then went in to get it drilled. They have a huge selection but unfortunately didn't have the one I wanted. I called before going in to inquire about the drilling and the owner was available. Upon entering, the owner didn't have the friendliest demeanor and the whole process felt like a transaction. Even when I mentioned I'm a new bowler and asked for tips, there wasn't much conversation (maybe I went there on a bad day; we all have those). The owner asked what style of bowler I was (no thumb) and sized my fingers. He didn't really ask about how far my fingers would be apart or how I held or revved the ball, but I'm assuming he already knew from years of experience. After sizing, he told me to come back in 1.5 hours. When I got my ball back, he opened the box and it still had drilling dust on the holes like he just drilled it and just put it back in without wiping it down. Like I mentioned before, this service felt like a transaction and didn't feel welcoming. This was my first time buying a ball, getting it drilled and actually going into a pro shop for myself. I'm not sure if all pro shops are like this, but the vibe didn't feel good. I recommend this shop if you know what you need and are in the area, but maybe I caught the owner on a bad day. They did the job so I give this place a 4. read more

Staff are friendly, courteous, competent and knowledgeable. As an adult recently returning to bowlin, I couldn't have found better advice and support. I was referred to R&D by a friend who is an experienced bowler. My friend who is an R&D customer gave them his "thumbs up " and told me that "you can't go wrong at R & D. My friend was right and I'm now thinking about purchasing my own bowling ball. When I do I will go straight to R & D to buy my bowling ball. read more

My partner and I bought our first bowling ball here as a recommendation. What a great recommendation it was! The owners were friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful! We got our balls drilled and ready for pick up the same day. We will definitely be back. read more

My mother gave me one of her bowling balls and I took it here to get the holes re-drilled. I was happy with the service and the drilling came out great. I used Google map to find the shop. It's not really hard to find right off Castro Valley Blvd., a stone's throw from the Redwood Rd. intersection. I'm sure I'll be here again as I get more into bowling. The owner is welcoming and does a great job. read more

It was my first time going to there to get my bowling ball drill that I got for my graduation gift read more

R & D Strike Zone Bowling Pro Shop - My bowing ball - Sporting Goods Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Very knowledgeable and friendly. The guy gave me very good advice on what type of ball to buy. After a couple of months I came back in to get the holes adjusted and he took care of it with no problem. I will definitely use and recommend this place. I bought a ball, shoes, bag and cleaning supplies. read more

Excellent service and incredibly helpful service. We were assisted thru every aspect of buying a new ball and we are thrilled with the results. read more

When I tell you that this is the go to place, this is LITERALLY the go to place for all your bowling needs! The customer service here is so amazing! I bought my boyfriend a surprise reactive bowling ball & he loved it! We came back & he ended up buying ANOTHER reactive bowling ball! Let me tell you, the owner waited until we got there, before he closed up shop for the day! read more

I had a great experience at R & D Strike Zone Pro Shop. When I first went there I was looking for a bowling alley but come to realize it is its one dedicated business in a strip of local commerce. The service was excellent and the owners took a lot of time to match the drilling of my previous ball. It took about an hour to complete the drilling and engraving but it was truly worth it! Looking forward to doing business again with them! read more

Hands down the ultimate bowling store. You can get all your bowling ball needs here. They have all the Bay Area teams logo balls and custom curve balls. All kinds of weights and they do custom 3 hole plug fingers. Richard the owner was very helpful. Guided me to the right bowling ball and shoes, gloves with wrist all-in one. Fits like a charm. And he customized exactly to my fingers. This is the spot for anyone who wants to get into bowling and taking it to the next level. I'll be back fosure to get another bowling ball to bowl straight . But for now I'm doing all curve throws boy! Lol. Thanks for having this bowling store open in the Bay Area. It's a hidden gem for true bowlers. Very satisfied of coming here. You will be too. You don't find these kind of stores anywhere. Awesome Place! Thank you R&D Strikezone . I'm be bowling strikes all day !!!! Yippie!!! Thank you !!!!! read more

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First time getting back into bowling in the Bay Area and I was in need of a new bowling ball and shoes. R&D was so helpful at getting me properly equipped to join the local bowling league! I walked in on a Saturday and was hoping to walk out with everything in one visit. They fitted me and drilled the holes while I waited in front area. After they drilled the holes, they had me practice some releases and they even gave me pointers on how to better hold my ball. Thank you thank you for helping me get back into the alley feeling more confident than ever! read more

What this shop lacks in size it makes up for in great big customer service! The owner is super helpful and quick to make recommendations. Great selection of items and competitive prices. I took my son here to get his first bowling ball and bowling shoes and picked up a pair of shoes for myself. Convenient location near the Castro Village bowl. Highly recommend this place if you are in need of anything for your game and don't want to break the bank. read more

It was a little tricky to find but once I found the place everything was great. He was very patient with me while I decided what weight ball I was comfortable. He custom drilled the ball and said if I wasn't comfortable with it to just bring it back and he'll make the changes. I highly recommend this place if your in need of any bowling equipment. read more

The owner of the store is patient and is great at offering suggestions based on what you need for bowling. There's a variety of equipment you can purchase at the store as well. read more

Small little store, but filled with all the things needed for basic entry level players, like myself. The owner was just patient enough, and filled with a load of knowledge about the sport. Reasonably priced throughout the store and never felt like I was being "pitched" to. The product sells itself! Thanks for a great experience and a new ball (and my first one at that)! We drove from the peninsula to the store and will absolutely be doing it again! read more

Drove out from Silicon Valley to this pro shop because I wanted to increase the weight of my bowling ball and get it drilled out by a master. The last one I got was not fitted right and my average has started to decrease based on how the ball cuts in the pocket. I was greeted right away by one of the owners when I got in and they helped explain to me what kind of ball would work for the line on the lanes I wanted to use. They drilled out the ball for me on the spot and I took it home the same day. They also told me I could come back for touch ups if it wasn't to my liking. What? Customer service? I can't believe it! Nice people, great pro shop! read more

Great shop ! The owner is super nice and very helpful on how to choose a ball, he helped me and my buddy get fitted for a new ball in no time, not to mention he has very good prices and will order whatever you need ! If I could I'd give him 10stars (he's located in the back of the old Dino's parking lot now known as jps sports bar read more

I had a few balls to drill and I had no idea how I should get them drilled in order to maximize my game. I'll cut right to the chase - Richard not only gave me some GREAT tips, but I just bowled a 620 series (I usually average 450 lately) with my new bowling balls. Fair price, great workmanship, HIGHLY suggest!!!! read more

Tiny shop hidden in a weird strip mall-ish office plaza next to Norman's in Castro Valley, just a few blocks from castro village. Good selection of pro shop paraphernalia and nice low-key vibe, even have a decent selection of used balls, but what sets this apart is it's a small shop with good attention to detail and fair up-front pricing, with accurate estimates of turnaround time. Definitely the quintessence of mom and pop shop. read more

I had come here with intentions of purchasing a bowling ball and left with shoes. I found out they could not order the ball i wanted due to it was an older model and no longer on the catalog. That's not a big deal seeing as i could just order it online myself. Richard(owner) was very friendly and did not try to sell me on anything. This pro shop is also within walking distance from the Castro valley village bowl. All in all i will be purchasing a ball(now that I have decided haha) and having it drilled here. read more