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Author Topic: Ball Fit  (Read 14006 times)

bowlersam

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Ball Fit
« on: December 26, 2015, 04:27:04 AM »
Hey. I'm new to Bowling. From a place where no Pro Shop or coaches available so I learn bowling from forums and by watching YouTube videos and try to apply what I learn.

Average is 165, we don't have league play or books. It's from the record I keep. May be off by 5 pins plus minus.

I've read that one can not out bowl a bad fit and that may be my case as I fitted my self through the advices I received on different forums.

So in a nut she'll, life has given me lemons and I'm making lemonade.

Came here in hope to get some better advice. The forum I was at for last few months has a fitting system designed by Mo Pinel. But pros there are not as helpful as I would like them to be. A slight deviation from the norm and they act like I had committed a sin.

Anyway. Long story short. I need advice in fitting department.

My specs so far as I have done them myself to the best of my humanly abilities are as follows. I'm a righty by the way with dry skin and a little less flexibility than I wanted to have. My MF bends to 80* RF to 45*. Thumb doesn't want to go back beyond 90*. On a Coke Can I fall between index and MF and when I let thumb bend towards palm (I put a tennis ball on the floor, picked it up and then let it slip and allowed my fingers and thumb to meet) my thumb hits the fingers between MF and RF, don't know if this information would help.

PAP 4 and 7/8 over 1/4 up. Have no Armadillo, so I marked the first ring nearest to finger holes and brought it to horizontal and marked the top of ball. Don't know if that actually is my correct PAP, but I did my best.
Speed 14 mph off hand
Rev Rate 200 or so
Axis Rotation 45 to 55*
Axis Tilt 8 to 10*

Like to play up the boards and down and in.

I squeeze the ball. Tried not to but I do. I reckon it's because of bad fit but don't know how to correct. My fingers hurt and fingers and thumb have callouses. Over all, I'm in pain after bowling 6 games and can't bowl for next 2 days.

With minor tweaks, the pain has gone down quite a bit, but it's there, none the less.

My drilling specs are as follows.

MF 4 and 3/8, full Span, 3/8 left and 1/8 forward. Full span. Finger hole size 25/32. I started out with 11/32 but it's permanently swollen with callouses on both side of first crease.

RF 3 and 3/8 (Sarge Easter, developed trigger finger and can't go back to full finger tip in RF any more), 1/2 right and 3/8 Reverse

Thumb size 31/32, 3/16 Reverse and 1/16 Left. My non bowling hand thumb can fit in 27/28 easily, but bowling hand thumb is permanently swollen and has a bump on the first knuckle. Which I have to scrape off every week to keep it at little less in size.

That's my story in a nut shell.

Can I get some help please. I'm desperate to get rid of this pain in my fingers and hand.

As far as span is concerned, I have gone from 4 and 1/8 to 4 and 1/2. 4 and 3/8 seems much comfortable and Web around my thumb and index finger is taught but not tight. My nail hits the back of the Finger Hole a hair may be but not always.

Help please.
 
« Last Edit: December 26, 2015, 04:37:24 AM by bowlersam »

 

itsallaboutme

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Re: Ball Fit
« Reply #1 on: December 26, 2015, 07:51:38 AM »
Sam I am,

Looks like you be needing a road trip.

You wrote a novel explaining your situation and that your hand hurts and no one is going to have any idea why after reading that than they did before they read it.  Find a pro shop, make an appointment for your next day off, and get in your car and go see them.

bowlersam

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Re: Ball Fit
« Reply #2 on: December 26, 2015, 11:18:57 AM »
My dear. Good advice. The problem is, I live in a place where there is no Pro Shop in the entire country. I wish there was, but there isn't any

itsallaboutme

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Re: Ball Fit
« Reply #3 on: December 26, 2015, 01:12:54 PM »
Where do you live and how are you getting balls drilled now?

bowlersam

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Re: Ball Fit
« Reply #4 on: December 26, 2015, 03:45:19 PM »
I live in Pakistan and drill my balls myself on a very old Jig a friend imported 15 years ago. It's rusty with rusty jig.

Like I said above. I'm making lemonade out lemons I have. Trying to do the best I can.

bowlersam

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Re: Ball Fit
« Reply #5 on: December 26, 2015, 04:31:27 PM »
So. Are you going to keep asking me questions or are you going to help me out here dude.

Now that you know I'm not near help as in Pro Shop or a coach, I'm seeking some advice.

So let's have it

itsallaboutme

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Re: Ball Fit
« Reply #6 on: December 26, 2015, 04:54:38 PM »
You can't be fit over the internet.  You say you've made minor tweaks and the pain has lessened so keep gong in the same direction until you are pain free.

Everyone's bowling thumb is larger than their other thumb, so don't be concerned with that. 

Most pain is either from squeezing or too long of a span, or both.  Figure which it is and adjust from there.

bowlersam

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Re: Ball Fit
« Reply #7 on: December 26, 2015, 07:36:52 PM »
That sounds like a good advice. And I agree that a person can not be fitted over Internet dialogue. You are absolutely right. But I have no other choice available.

So it can be either Longer span or squeezing the ball. I was squeezing a lot when my span was at 4 and 1/4. Squeezing decreased when I went to 4 and 5/16, and further reduced on 4 and 3/8. So I went up to 4 and 7/16. At that point,  my nail started hitting the back of the hole, so I went 1/16 down and back to 4 and 3/8. That seems OK. There still is a little pain, but I can manage that much amount.

Could it be that my finger pitches are wrong and don't let my hand to relax completely?

Bowlaholic

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Re: Ball Fit
« Reply #8 on: December 26, 2015, 07:50:22 PM »
I just have to ask....where is there a bowling alley in Pakistan?  Are there leagues?
You have a good grasp on understanding grip span, finger/thumb pitches, personal specs. PAP, axis tilt, rotation, etc.
I'm impressed, but again I have to ask where do you bowl locally?  You mentioned you drill your own equipment, but what do others do that you bowl with?

Speeddemon

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Re: Ball Fit
« Reply #9 on: December 26, 2015, 09:22:14 PM »
Try this link : http://www.ptbf.org.pk/
They should be able to help you to find a proshop or balldriller in Pakistan. 

When he/she then drills a ball for you that fits 100% perfect, you can later drill them yourself if you like, just copy the grip.(Ask the proshop operator  for drillspec sheet )

Or you can also buy your balls at buddiesproshop.com pre drilled  with your new specs from the new ball . 
Buddies have plenty of bowlingballs to choose from and the cost of the drilling is 50 bucks.   

Good luck and bowl great :)




bowlersam

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Re: Ball Fit
« Reply #10 on: December 27, 2015, 01:52:42 AM »
My dear. I'm a member of this PTBF. It has 70 members. There is no Pro Shop in the country, believe me. The Pro Shop you see on the Web page is 10x10 room a guy has, who imported some balls, shoes, and bags 10 years ago. Still has them. Look at the balls he has (no pun intended). They are from the time when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

There is no certified ball driller in entire country. There is a guy who used to drill balls, but he was a machine worker. Not a certified driller.

Are you kidding me man. Showing me a website of my Country?

My dear you have no clue whatsoever.

I purchase balls on line, have them delivered to a friend and family or a friend in USA, they bring it to me when they travel. There are 7 hook players in entire country. Including me. Rest of 100 bowlers, play straight with 10 or 12 lb polyester balls.

Please stop asking me to find a Pro Shop. If I had that opportunity, would I have come here? That's a no brainer. Have a problem, go to a Pro Shop, simple.

Yeah. But easier said than done my friend. Impossible for me.

I'm sharing a link of a YouTube video. It is from a tournament we had. Look at how everyone is playing. Pay attention to styles and balls used by the players. The people you see in the video are the total number of bowlers we have who play serious bowling.

Enjoy this. And then give me some advice, but not to find a Pro Shop.

Thanks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GQieID05vg

bowlersam

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Re: Ball Fit
« Reply #11 on: December 27, 2015, 02:20:45 AM »
And that is the idea. I want to get a near perfect fit, and then have bowlingball.com guys where I purchase my equipment.

MI 2 AZ

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Re: Ball Fit
« Reply #12 on: December 27, 2015, 02:29:46 AM »
I am not a driller so I can only provide links or info that I have picked up from others and that may not be of much help to you.  Hopefully, an experienced driller will reply to this topic and offer you some help. 

I can't imagine being in your shoes and having to figure out how to drill a ball from scratch without ever having a proper fit or having one to use as an example.  Hopefully you can get some better lemonade made soon.  :)

For a picture of how the finger should be fitted approximately (fingertip grip) see this link:
http://www.bowl4fun.com/ron/btm05_files/btm5.htm

It also has some other info on the fit.  I am not sure of the Sarge Easter that you use, as I am not a driller, but that has a conventional ring finger and a fingertip middle finger?  If so, you can use the picture as a guide for your index finger or whichever is supposed to be a fingertip grip.

More info on thumb and fit:
http://www.bowl4fun.com/ron/btm04_files/btm4.htm

Info on calluses:
http://www.jayhawkbowling.com/Pro_s_Corner/Fitting_Tips/fitting.html

General info:
http://www.bowl4fun.com/ron/roncarchive.htm

If I recall properly, when I had an issue with soreness on one side of my thumb, the driller increased the drill angle or pitch on the side that was sore.

Good luck in your quest to find the proper fit and I do hope that someone with more knowledge can help you in this.  They may also correct any mistakes I accidentally offered you.

And as far as your video link, every country or bowler has to start somewhere.  At least the interest and enthusiasm is there.  Good luck to your organization too.
« Last Edit: December 27, 2015, 04:17:43 PM by MI 2 AZ »
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Speeddemon

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Re: Ball Fit
« Reply #13 on: December 27, 2015, 06:06:38 AM »
If you upload a picture of your ball this could be useful, a picture will give the people here more information they need to now to help you.

Like do you use insert in your thumbhole, is it round or oval.  It can be a very easy solution to your problem, but it is not so easy to fix without seeing your hand and ball together.

Take some pictures with your hand in it and hopefully someone here can help you.

Best of luck, bowl great :)
Ps!
I live in Norway and also buy balls online, you should check out ebay, i paid 23 bucks for a nib brunswick ball one time :)

itsallaboutme

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Re: Ball Fit
« Reply #14 on: December 27, 2015, 06:44:21 AM »
Where specifically does your hand hurt? 

I would guess with the description of the jig you gave that you are using a round thumb hole.  With your right thumb that much bigger than your left your thumb is definitely oval.  Are you taping the hole to fill the gap to tighten it up around the bumps on your thumb?

Are you using an insert or regular hole for your middle finger?  If you are using a round hole are you taping the gap from front to back caused by the bumps on the sides of your finger?