I bought some the other week and put it into 2 balls. I figured I would have to open up the holes even more, since I had a really snug feel, but I decided not to use it. I got the thumb holes to fit perfect with the right amount of tape on the sides of the hole and also on the back of my thumb, that I didn't want to open up the holes even more. I figured that if the magic carpet didn't work for me, then I would be stuck with bigger thumb holes.

Yeah it says about the thickness of 4 pieces of tape, and that is exactly what I use most of the time, 2 front 2 rear may need to open a bit.

I wonder how long it will take to get here? I have 6 weeks until State tourney would love to practice with it and see how it goes

It only takes a few days for the order to arrive once you get an e-mail that the order has been processed. I ordered on a Monday or Tuesday, had it before the weekend.

It isn't the exact same but these two things do the same thing as the magic carpet.. maybe not as well.. depends on your liking...

You can try the loop side of some velcro...It pretty much does the same thing as the magic carpet.. isn't directional though..

I have also got some shoe foam from CVS, longs, walmart and cut out a tape sized piece.. put it in the hole then put a piece of black tape on it.. this creates a nice snug cushion that will provide grip on your thumb without hanging up.. works well for thumbs that tend to swell and not be a consistent size throughout the night or bowling session..

I used the Magic Carpet for the first time yesterday. I'm not that experienced, but I felt that I could relax my hand much more than usual without worrying about the ball flying off at the wrong time. It did irritate my thumb a little. Overall I'm happy with it.

I'm wondering if the MC could be used on the grip side as well. Even with the MC, I have 4 pieces of white tape on the front and 2 under the MC in the back. I was thinking that having a MC on both sides would allow the thumb hole to adapt to my thumb more and maybe eliminate any need to add or remove tape over time.

My thumb is oval, double-jointed, has a knot of a knuckle, and the tip curves up slightly. The thumb hole is huge and round. According to Ron C., having 3-5 pieces of white tape on the front is good because it allows air to flow and leaves room for adjustment. Needing 9-10 pieces just seems wrong! heh Using one MC reduces the amount of tape that I need by about three. (Maybe an oval hole would help?)

BTW, my order did arrive quickly.

I kinda want to try Magic Carpet again, but I don't because I will need to open up my thumb hole and I'm not too sure I will like it. Plus, I almost feel as if it's more of a bandaid than a cure to not having a fit where you can relax your hand more. I'm not sure if it's dumb not to use it based on principle like that but it's how I think of it.

You could try it on the front side, but I think you'd come flying out of the ball so fast the spectators would have to scatter;)

It should settle down for your thumb after a bit.

aoiten, an oval thumb hole drilled for you would definitely reduce the amount of tape needed.

Does MC make it feel like the ball is stuck on your thumb but it still comes off quickly at release for you guys? I vaguely remember my experience with it but I think that's the feeling I had.

I used Magic Carpet for about 6 months. In short, it does help snug up a thumb hole, but it caused so much irritation that a callous started to form on the back of my thumb.

Instead, now I use a Row-Del strip on the front, and I rarely have to fiddle with any other tape. And, no callouses.

I used Magic Carpet for awhile, but I now prefer the tape that you apply directly to the back of your thumb. It just feels better for me. It come in three colors, each a little different in texture, biege is smoothest and quickest release , purple smooth with a little texture and green the most texture.
I'll use the biege when my thumb is swollen, or its hot in the center.