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Author Topic: Dropped ring finger  (Read 9319 times)

scrub49

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Dropped ring finger
« on: November 26, 2013, 03:44:54 PM »
What effect does an dropped ring finger have on your ball roll. Last week I took Gizmo, JustRico, and StrikeKing advice shorten span my driller done a dropped ring finger shot scores of 236-300-206.

 

Gizmo823

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Re: Dropped ring finger
« Reply #1 on: November 27, 2013, 08:03:12 AM »
Well, aside from comfort issues, it increases the influence of your middle finger, and can change the way you throw the ball slightly.  But in your case, I'd say comfort and a better fit is what the deal is. 
What would you be if you were attached to another object by an inclined plane, wrapped helically around an axis?

scrub49

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Re: Dropped ring finger
« Reply #2 on: November 27, 2013, 08:40:34 AM »
Thanks my middle finger was giving me some problem and when I tried to correct it in other ways I would lose the feel of the ring finger. My first driller ( 37 years ago ) suggested that  I keep my fingers even or drop it 1/32 to 1/16.

Johnnybbaby

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Re: Dropped ring finger
« Reply #3 on: November 27, 2013, 11:21:49 AM »
I went to a Sarge Easter grip for about a year.  One thing I noticed is that it brought my track up higher (closer to fingers) which produced slightly less back end reaction but stronger roll.

strikeking

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Re: Dropped ring finger
« Reply #4 on: November 27, 2013, 02:36:54 PM »
Most (not all) bowlers have a shorter span in the ring finger. The idea that the ring finger should be  longer then the middle finger is a hold over from the days of a "conventional" grip where the ring finger really is longer to the first joint from the thumb. A good driller will check BOTH fingers for the correct span. Here is another thing to try. There is a grip drilling called the "off-set" that also eases the finger strain. It requires 3 separate center lines to lay out the span. It was first devised by Robert Strickland. It basically off-sets the thumb so that the right edge of the thumb hole is on the center line of the grip instead of dead center of the grip. This places the thumb more in line with the middle finger It also requires another center line for the ring finger that is in line with the off-set thumb hole. This seems to let the ball rest more in the palm of the hand.
Strikeking

scrub49

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Re: Dropped ring finger
« Reply #5 on: November 27, 2013, 03:11:54 PM »
I remember Robert Strickland from his days in DFW area, now that you mention it I was told years ago that I needed 1/16 offset but at that time not many drillers believe in it, they say numbers or just numbers. I also remember my team captain in a match point league would let me use one his ball, he had 1/8 off-set it felt really good I may try it again just to see how it feels.

JohnP

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Re: Dropped ring finger
« Reply #6 on: November 27, 2013, 07:31:50 PM »
Quote
Most (not all) bowlers have a shorter span in the ring finger.

I have to disagree with this statement.  I measure on a Jayhawk-style (AMF version) measuring ball and set spans at the center of the distance between the first and second finger joints.  At least 80% of my customers have longer RF spans than MF spans.  --  JohnP

Aloarjr810

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Re: Dropped ring finger
« Reply #7 on: November 27, 2013, 08:36:20 PM »
Quote
Most (not all) bowlers have a shorter span in the ring finger.

I have to disagree with this statement.  I measure on a Jayhawk-style (AMF version) measuring ball and set spans at the center of the distance between the first and second finger joints.  At least 80% of my customers have longer RF spans than MF spans.  --  JohnP

In the Bill Taylor book Fitting and Drilling a bowling ball, he mentions about the RF span being longer.

"When the first joint lines are in alignment the actual span difference, on the ball, should be 5/16ths inches longer on the ring finger................................When the ring finger line is 5/16ths below the center finger line, the difference on the ball should be zero"

or said this way

"Most peoples middle finger "span" is shorter than the ring finger span! Even though the middle finger is longer. The breakeven point is when the middle finger is 5/16” longer than the ring finger according to Bill Taylor."

Another thing I seen about the ring finger span usually being longer It was

"Because of the distance from your thumb to your ring finger, is greater than the distance from the middle finger to the thumb.

Just look at the palm of your hand, your thumb is farther away from your ring finger. Than it is from the middle finger. "
« Last Edit: November 27, 2013, 08:54:37 PM by Aloarjr810 »
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strikeking

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Re: Dropped ring finger
« Reply #8 on: November 27, 2013, 09:02:20 PM »
To prove the ring finger is USUALLY shorter than the middle finger, lay your hand on the ball comfortably with your thumb in the ball in a comfortable position. nine times out of ten you will see that the ring finger crease is not as far past the hole as the middle finger.  If the creases are not in equal dimensions past the hole, the span is incorrect and one finger is going to take more strain than the other. I have literally checked hundreds of grips, and the majority of them have the ring finger span too long.  This the major cause of finger strain.  If you can get a copy of Robert Strickland's book, read it.
Strikeking

itsallaboutme

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Re: Dropped ring finger
« Reply #9 on: November 28, 2013, 07:13:42 AM »
Just because a person's ring finger span is too long does not necessarily mean the ring finger span should be shorter than the middle finger.  The reason a lot of people have ring finger spans too long is it is very easy to measure that finger too long when using a BT Fitter.  You can't lay the hand out on the edge of the fitter with the ring finger like you can with the middle finger.  If you do the span ends up too long. 

The only problem with the 5/16ths rule is it doesn't take the shape of the hand into consideration.  There will be a big difference between a guy with a wide hand and a thumb that looks like it comes out of the side of his hand and a lady with a narrow hand and a thumb that looks like it come out of the middle of her palm.

The Bowling Pariah

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Re: Dropped ring finger
« Reply #10 on: November 28, 2013, 09:35:06 AM »
 There has got to be literally hundreds of ways of drilling a bowling ball. Offset thumb, CLT, Sarge Easter, Bates Grip, Tri Grip, etc........ and the list goes on.

 I believe that, almost like snowflakes, no two human hands are alike. That means that trying to drill holes in a 3 dimensional object in order for it to "fit" anyone's hand specifications precludes the process from having any single solution.

 While drilling a bowling ball does require the application of scientific principles, the ART of the actual drilling is in the APPLICATION of those principles, and that is where a knowledgeable, experienced proshop operator can make ALL the difference.

 There is no "one size fits all" way to drill a bowling ball, no matter what technique is used. Whether we like it or not, many times getting the desired fit and results are a "trial and error" process, but one that can be shortened, sometimes greatly, by the knowledgeable, experienced driller.
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Gizmo823

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Re: Dropped ring finger
« Reply #11 on: December 03, 2013, 11:54:23 AM »
The vast majority of ring finger spans are longer than the middle finger spans, though not significantly.  I always remeasure anytime I come up with a fit where the ring is more than 1/8th longer than the middle finger, but it also depends greatly on thumb position and thumb pitch.  You'd have to put the thumb out of position to the right (righty) or have a lot of right pitch to get the ring shorter a majority of the time.  I'll look into the Robert Strickland book just to see what's up, but the most common fit I've seen has the ring 1/16th longer than the middle. 
What would you be if you were attached to another object by an inclined plane, wrapped helically around an axis?

scrub49

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Re: Dropped ring finger
« Reply #12 on: December 03, 2013, 01:14:14 PM »
I agree in my case the balls that I have that feels the best the ring finger is 1/16 longer compared to ones that were drilled even on both fingers.

badbeard

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Re: Dropped ring finger
« Reply #13 on: December 03, 2013, 07:11:34 PM »
I dropped my ring finger and my 1st line of oil moved down 11/2 inch