Does anyone know why the oil Track on my ball would go over my thumb hole? I know that this is not normal and I would appreciate anyone's input on how to correct this problem. Thanks everyone.

Tracking over the thumb hole can be caused by a few different things. Two of the most common are the way the ball is drilled (balance) and the bowler's release. You might try releasing the ball using differt hand positions. Also, some balls, because of their balance/coverstock, are better suited to more or less oily lane conditions.

In response to the question as to what causes the tracking over the thumb hole, I pretty much agree with SteveB's answer. I tend to believe that it most often happens as
the results of your release. I believe that you would find that if you release the ball
off the back of your hand causing it to have somewhat of a backward rotation that it could cause the ball to Track over the thumb hole. releasng the ball so it comes off the back of the hand and off the finger tips puts the thumb hole at the 6 o'clock position at release and may cause the ball to rotate right over the thumb hole. Thst's my opinion.

Dear streakymike,

A ball that tracks over the thumb hole is usually the result of the release. If there is little hand rotation or wrist **** throught the release, the ball will tend to Track high(on or near the thumb). To try to get the hand rotation without much effort, keep your pinky right next to your ring finger and spread your index finger away from your middle finger some and see if you naturally move the Track.
If that doesn't work, see where your hand is during your swing, and where it is at the release point in relation to the ball. A semi-roller is accomplished by keeping the hand behind, or slightly inside the ball going into the release and turning the hand slightly toward the outside of the back of the ball at the release, which should have the thumb coming out of the ball at or slightly before the sliding ankle.
If you can visualize a clock face under the ball with 12 o'clock pointing toward the pins and 6 o'clock back toward the settee, you can use these for a righty. The hand should start with the thumb in the 12 o'clock position and move toward the 10-11 o'clock position at release with the fingers starting at 6 o'clock and ending up in the 4-5 o'clock position.
Some people try to keep their hand in one position through the entire swing, but if you can rotate your hand without over-rotating(spinning the ball) you can be more effective in changing your roll and getting more power in the back end.
Don't forget about the other basics, though. Keep your shoulder relaxed, along with your thumb, while keeping your wrist and fingers firm. If you have trouble feeling where your hand is, have a friend watch, or get a video camera. Hope this helps.

Mike, I used to have the same problem, and an old pro taught me to curl my pinky up against the ball. It felt very awkward at first, but after a few games it was quite natural, and gives my ball (Ebonite Turbo) quite a powerful finish. My oil Track is now a narrow circle about an inch away from the thumb hole. On dry lanes, simply straighten you pinky out to flatten out the trajectory. Hope this helps you, it bumped my average up from 179 to 195.

Just thought I'd have this old thread updated since it is a good one. I've always wondered how the ball ends up rolling over the thumb hole and thumping down the lanes.

coachjim is pretty good at telling you how Track works. he's posted a couple of sites that help you with your Track and release. he can explain a lot on it.

RLD digs up another dead body from the past.

There are several things that cause the ball to Track over the thumb:

1. Releasing the ball with the fingers not rotating counter clock wise, either lifting straight, or slightly clockwise (full roller) is the most common.

2. The pin being too close to the vertical axis line causing the bow tie to raise up and the ball to flare over the thumb. Mo Pinel recommends not going closer than 20 degrees or 1 1/2" from the val unless you are a pro level bowler with a very consistent release then you can go to 10 degrees.

3. High Track bowler with a high rg ball with low differential will bring the flare closer to the fingers and thumb and catch the thumb if the bowler's Track is high enough.

4. Drilling the ball with a full roller drilling if the bowler doesn't throw a full roller will sometimes cause the ball to back flare over the thumb or finger holes.

5. Drilling the ball with the mass bias in the Track will sometimes cause the ball to back flare over the holes.

So the ball tracks from the bottom up then? If that is the case that explains so much then. I have been killing myself trying to stop this from happening on my ball. My oil tracks are run from right at the finger/thumb hole down about 6 inches, but if the ball actually tracks from the bottom up then there probably is not much I can do about it.

Thanks.

Maybe I should just change my name to the "Grave Digger." Thanks for the update, CoachJim!