I've talked a little bit with Erin through emails about this but now I also want opinions from CoachJim, cgeorg, etc.

The other day me and my driller took my ball that has 1/8 forward thumb pitch(my others have 1/8 reverse) and redrilled another thumb slug, but this time we did it with less bevel. We did this because I had read about there being a lock effect between the top edge of the thumb hole and the base of the thumb when its done correctly.

That said, I personally don't feel the locking effect, but my hand does indeed hold on to the ball a bit better on its own. The problem now, though, is that my thumb is in moderate pain from just one game. Also, the ball slips down a little bit like it wants to come off(which I think is causing the pain), but it won't, and when I'm ready to release, it hangs. I definitely don't think the hole is too small because one less piece of tape DOES make the ball fall off my hand.

So what do you guys make of this? Do I need to keep the less bevel but back up to 0 again, maybe 1/8 reverse? I'll have you know that with the less bevel, a spot on the back of my thumb between the joint and knuckle gets rubbed and torn(it almost did after the one game I bowled). Would it be okay to bevel just the back part to prevent this or would it affect my grip?

Is your span correct? If its too long then the forward pitch and less bevel will make it very hard to get off your hand, especially if the hole is on the tight side. If it is correct then either less bevel, or moving the pitch back some would probably be needed. I could be wrong though, it wouldn't be the first time. I'm sure others with a little more experience and knowledge on the subject can give you a more definite answer.

Incorrect span could be one issue.. you could still be squeezing the ball and not know it as well. The vast majority of people who still use to much hand pressure don't know that they do.

Where exactly is the pain on your thumb? If it's at the base I'd bet it's either span or squeezing.

I have reverse pitch and plenty of bevel, and haven't had trouble with getting out of the ball, or grabbing at it. Could be because I stay under the ball quite a bit, but this is actually one thing I haven't struggled with.

I would have to agree with Cal and Lefty, it sounds like the span is too long, you can tell if your span is correct by placing your thumb in the ball and laying your fingers across the holes. The leading edge (side closest to the thumb) of the finger hole should be no longer than half way between the first and second knuckle of the middle and ring finger without stretching your hand, it should be relaxed. It can be a little shorter than that, but not shorter than one quarter from the second knuckle.

If the thumb is tight, and it still feels like it is slipping off your thumb then you want to go forward, not reverse, reverse would make this much worse. Try going to 3/8" forward and see if that feels better, just don't squeeze the thumb or you will throw it through the ceiling.

Any type of rubbing between your thumb and the back of the knuckle is telling me that you are squeezing the ball to keep it from falling off your hand. If your thumb is shorter than 2" you will need more forward pitch than most, I have a 2" long thumb and am at 1/2" forward. If your thumb is longer you may not have to go as far forward as I am, but from the sounds of it you need to be at least 3/8" forward, and maybe farther forward than that.

No pain on the base of my thumb, it's the sides(mostly the left, I've torn my thumb there about 5 times within the 6 years I've bowled).

I don't know if that span test works for me. It doesn't feel stretched and I have no injuries of any sort relating to it. My driller tells me if I make it shorter I'll have to squeeze more. He also told me about a guy that had a shorter span with more forward pitch, which worked okay until the guy went to a more humid area. For reference though, my span is measured at 4 3/8" from both fingers to thumb. When I do the span test the leading edge is about halfway between the knuckles on my middle finger. On my Ring finger the leading edge is at my crease of the first knuckle.

My coach/driller watched me throw the ball after he drilled that new slug and he said it looked like I was trying to just get rid of the ball more than anything, kinda like "ew get off me." So I don't think I'm applying too much pressure when my subconsious knows it's hard to get the ball to let go, even though it slips a little on the backswing.

That leads me to a question. Is any form of gripping supposed to take place? Meaning, is it okay to grip as long as you're not bending the knuckle(i.e. with the pad/base of thumb)? I've been thinking, how is it possible, if you aren't gripping at all, that you don't lose the ball on the backswing but yet you get a clean release? That makes little sense to me.

Anyways, back to the thumb and pitches. I tore the left side of my thumb in league today using one of my balls which has 0 vertical pitch and I think 1/8 right. This one has plenty of bevel like all my other stuff(except the one I was throwing the other day). It was hard to get my thumb in the ball yet still had to squeeze in some way.

By the way the tearing on the back my my thumb hole, I think, is due to a sort of notch that wasn't buzzed/beveled out of the back of the hole in the ball that did it to me. None of my other equipment tears me like that, and I have to squeeze them so squeezing shouldn't be the reason for it. My thumb is 2 1/8" by the way.

By the way, I'm not trying to throw your suggestions to the ground or anything. I'm just trying to answer your questions while sharing my experiences with you so that you know pretty much everything you need to. I would hate to do something like plug and redrill for span change, and have it be for nothing, so I'm trying to make sure what I decide to do is right. So now let me know what you think.

P.S. Would you guys like to see pics of my thumb to see exact rub spots, and maybe pics of my thumb holes to show my bevel differences?

It sounds like your ring finger span is too long which is torquing your thumb in the ball which makes it twist as it comes off your hand. Try shortening the ring finger span so it fits properly and see if that helps, past that it may be how you are releasing the ball. Also try less bevel in the thumb, this will allow the ball to lock onto the ball without squeezing.

You know, that makes a lot of sense. I'll admit I don't release the ball properly. But I do it in a way that I'm not a spinner and I get proper roll on the ball. Then again, if my release actually isn't the issue, then it's probable the span coupled with the fact that I have to squeeze.

But the ball that ripped my thumb on the side has a slightly shorter span because it's older(maybe 1/8 shorter), and like I said it was hard to get my thumb in(which eventually caused pain after 3+ games) and yet still had to squeeze to hang on. So size/shape must have been a factor this time as well.

In regards to less bevel, we tried that on the 1/8 forward ball, which like I said hangs now. And it tears the back of my thumb from rubbing, which I'm thinking just means it needs to be beveled in that area of the back of the hole but not the front. Beyond that I may just need to be at 0 vertical pitch and keep the less bevel in the front. Either that, or I could need to go to like 3/8 forward like you said but things don't seem to indicate I need to go there(unless things change if I shorten my span).

Where on the back of your thumb does it tear?



Your thumb doesn't touch the back edge of the hole. Or at least it shouldn't.

I will get crushed for this comment but here goes anyways:

I do not believe that anybody actually applies ZERO pressure or grip to a bowling ball. That being said, you don't need to squeeze the heck out of the ball either. With a good tight fit, the pressure needed to hold a can of soup is about all you need.

Grab a football and throw an underhanded spiral, you can do that without using much grip pressure, and that is the same basic motion of a bowling release.

It is very important to fix this problem right away though, because excessive gripping of the ball and improper fit will lead to tendon and nerve damage in the webbing of your thumb.