Well if I can get it cheaper and have it be more effective than just using tape that'd be good. But if the hardware stores have it too I imagine that would be the better stuff. Is this product thicker, rougher, etc than Hada Patch that would make it almost as good an option as the carpet? By the way, is this velcro stuff and Magic Carpet able to survive a hot water bath or would they need to be replaced? I know white tape does but these I'm not sure about.

You really don't want to put that stuff in your thumb hole. The adhesive that is used on that stuff will make a mess of your thumb hole.

Is that because it's not specifically designed for bowling? Either way, if I always use it the mess it leaves behind isn't a huge issue as long as any pieces I replace the previous one with is in the exact same place. But if I decide I don't like it that can be a problem since I'll have to deal with it then.

Ron C's Magic Carpet is like a godsend for me, but it's quite expensive at $2 a piece. I guess if anything works almost as good as that for cheaper, and the price is residue after removal, I just may have to pay it.

Amateur, that $2 piece should last several months though. The adhesive is quite good, the carpet holds up - 3 months, at the least, should be easily achieved.

Yes, you should be able to use the magic carpet for quite a while. I use the hadda patch tape and a $16 roll lasts me a whole year.

Yeah, that's true, it would last a while. But I'm not sure if it will survive a hot water bath. The water might make the material on the carpet not as effective for some reason. Any opinions on this?

Lefty, do you use the hada patch for grip/feel purposes, protection, or both? Also what is your span and thumb pitch?

You should cover your holes when you perform a hot water bath - the damage to the tape would be negligible compared to the damage done to the bowl if you allowed water to seep into the filler material and core.

Water still gets in when I tape them up anyways, plus then I have to deal with sticky residue from the tape depending on the kind I use. If too much water gets to the core, will the ball eventually crack or something?

Amature you are going to have to take the tape out of the ball when you do a hot water bath, if the tape gets wet it is ruined. If you get moisture on your thumb it will hang up in the hole.

You should do a hot water bath every 40 to 50 games which is about how long the tape should be replaced anyway. The carpet would last longer, but the tape turns green at about that time and needs to be replaced anyway. The magic carpet can be stuck to a tape back and reused some times.

Edit: Definitely tape the holes before doing the hot water bath. If water gets into the core then gets cold or hot it will expand or shrink the core faster than the cover and crack the coverstock or become separated from it.

I use the hadda patch for a consistent release. The back of my thumb would get tacky and I'd have problems hanging in the ball.

My span is 4 3/4 and I have 1/8th reverse. I'm probably going to move it to 0. My thumb is also about 2 1/2 inches long.