Amature, many people have this problem, where they start off with the thumb at it's largest, then it shrinks as they bowl, and have to take tape out to start, then add it as they go along.

I have been bowling since I was about 6. When I was in college, I bowled anywhere from 50 to 100 games a week. The only difference between my thumbs is the size. If you compare my thumbs, you can tell my right thumb is bigger. That's it.

I alway have them do my thumb hole about a 32nd too big. Then, I can add my piece of tape in the front. I will normally bowl a game or 2 before they do it too just so that my thumb is slightly swollen (if they are taking a new measurement). That way, I don't have a really tight thumb.

I figured I should post this question here so..;

I have kind of problem with thumb fit. I have had the skin broken so far from two places and it's the exact same places which I had when I bowled right handed, but now there are calluses. Although, my skin hasnt formed those yet to my left thumb.

The places where the skin is ripped are on the left side of the first knuckle, and right at the bottom of the very first joint where thumb joins the hand. And the later part is on the "inner" side of the hand.

What does this tell you? I have had the thumb hole beveled, and it doesn't hurt as much as before, but I still have to use that protecting tape everytime when I bowl. But I don't know what I should do with the other one which is on the side of the second knuckle.

And just as a reminder, it's the left hand, not right

And I'm talking like 3 pieces of tape probably, that's crazy. And I have a feeling my thumb is so weird. Put it like this(I haven't tried it though but based on experience I think this is how it would go): I tape Two pieces of tape out, and for now I'm fine. Maybe I'll add another piece in later due to shrinking. The next day, still can't get in past the knuckle, tape my last two pieces out and I'm okay. The next day I have nothing to decrease the size of the hole with. I think my thumb swells more and more every day or something. It's not realistic(at least to me) that I'd have to make the hole bigger and bigger every day until I can't remove anymore tape.

Is that usually the case with people that swell first, then shrink? Or are they more consistent and are able to just add and remove the same amount of tape every day?

Is the first rip on the back of the knuckle? If so it sounds like you're bending your thumb and squeezing the ball.

Nope.

As I stated, on the side of the first knuckle. When you put your thumb upwards, so that the nail is facing you, its on the left side of the thumb, on second knuckle.

EDIT; Sorry for the messy posts, my use of english gets worse every hour when going later into the night...

So I had PBAX League tonight, and I got two more balls redrilled in the thumb for the correct span. This time with 3/4 forward. When I bowled with it before the league, I didn't hang up or anything but the bottom of the hole was a bit small so that the sides of my thumb were rubbing. This made my thumb have slight pain but when I squeezed it, the left side felt like there as a stabbing pain. This was after two games.

I got the hole sanded a bit in that area, re-taped up, and I started league. I put some patch tape on the left side of my thumb to protect it, although the pain was still there. Around the second game I had some blood staining through the tape so I think that's what the stabbing pain was indicating. Later the tape had sort of ripped and just under it so had my skin. By the time I was done with league and taking the tape off I was also about to rip some skin(if I bowlled a little bit more) off the right side of my thumb just past the knuckle(towards the joint). Here's a pic of how I ripped my left side

http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/2791/dsc00029fo0.jpg

If you ask me this is beyond ridiculous. I've never ripped that much off before, maybe half that, but it shouldn't be happening at all. Did more forward pitch do this to me or what? I don't think I was squeezing more than I was before, maybe even a tad less.

Amateur, this is all wrong. You shouldn't have anything like this. The only thing I can think of is are you sure you are NOT bending your thumb while it is in the hole? Show this to your driller, and see what his suggestion is.

Forward pitch shouldn't do that I don't think. There's something else going on. Are you positive you don't bend your thumb? When you put your hand in the ball, arch your thumb backwards so that your thumb nail touches the back of the hole. Also, what is your lateral pitch?

Amature, it looks as though you are twisting the ball off your hand. You need to stop trying to hook the ball, just keep your hand in position and let it roll off your hand with your thumb straight. If you start turning your hand while the thumb is still in the hole it will twist against the skin and wear a blister like the one you have.

You may also have too much right lateral or left lateral pitch. You can tell if it is too much right lateral pitch by if it rubs during the swing, or if too much left lateral by if it rubs as the thumb exits the hole.

The thumb should never rub against the hole like that regardless of how it is drilled, so make sure it is not you flicking your wrist on the release and twisting the ball off your hand.