I don't want the tape to wrap around my thumb when it is in the thumb hole, so I pick the width that is going to just be making contact with the front part of my thumb.  The reason for not going around the sides is that I feel it will narrow my thumb hole sidewise and I only want to adjust the front/back.

I use 3/4 inch and tape the side of the thumb area of the ball. The side of the thumb which would be towards the back side. Never the front side as it would change your span. I was taught this by a very good bowler who said that by doing so it make the thumb more relaxed in the ball and stops the bending of the thumb to hang on. It works.

Our thumbs are all different, so the way that works best for one guy may be different for the next.
 
Having said that, I do use the 1" white, but trim the width on occasion to fine tune fit.
Most of us like the texture so we don't need to squeeze as hard.  You'll likely get lots of good ideas in this thread, so use what works for you and disregard the rest.
 

I tier my tape and love it!