Tape Placement

[cme3d]

What is the proper placement for tape in the thumb hole, on the nail-side, or fleshy side of the thumb, or somewhere in between?  Or, it this a matter of personal preference.  Thanks.

Tim

[Joe Jr]

It's just personal preference. I use tape on both the front and back of my thumb. I've seen people use it on the sides too.
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My Vid
Formerly Brunswick Lefty

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[spinner031]

I put it at about 2 o' clock, because if you look at your thumb going in the ball, the pad  of your thumb is there, plus, I have an oval thumb hole.

But just because I have this question on my mind, and it may help you out too, CME3D, does anyone find that with thumb slugs they get a quicker release with the tape in the back of the thumb?  Sometimes I sweat and if I don't have rosin on, the bare plastic on the back of the thumb hole sticks on me.

[Action]

Use the coarse tape in the front part of your thumb hole
which will help you hold the ball without squeezing or
having the ball slip off your thumb.

Slicker tape can be used in the back portion (nail side)
of the hole to take up space and allow you to custom fit
your hole size for comfort. You can use several pieces as
your thumb size usually changes due to all types of
circumstances. Layer the tape with a 1/16 inch gap between
pieces so that you can remove the top piece without taking
all the pieces out. You will need to replace the coarse tape
more often as it looses its grip to lane conditioner making
it slick and also the coarseness wearing down as you bowl.

Do not be afraid to snug up your thumb so that you can hold
onto the ball without your thumb falling out. The ball should
release itself without effort on your part and allow you
to be secure without having to squeeze the ball.

You can even use a strip cut in half or less to bolster the side
of the thumb hole if you feel the side to side is too loose.
Experiment with different snugness and tapings.
Hope that helps.
Terry

[cme3d]

Thanks, guys.  I appreciate the quick replies.

Tim

[dizzyfugu]

No rule of thumb, literally. Each player needs to find his/her personal solution. The idea of using tape is to give the thumb hole a size that feels snug, supporting a relaxed grip and a clean exit. Normally, a thumb hole will be drilled bigger than needed.

Since each thumb is different, so is tape placement. Some people like to pack tape under their thumb, others at the back or the side. For size reduction without much interference with the thumb exit, a placement (for a righty) at about 4 o'clock in the thumb hole works pretty well (since it does not affect span and the back of the thumb stays clear). More tape might be added at different places - and there are different textures and materials available that improve grip or slip, just for individual needs and problems.

Personally, I put currently 2 tapes at the 4 o'clock position and on  under the thumb - I used to hold much of the ball's weight with my thumb root, and with this minimal "ramp" the holding area of my thumb was enlarged and the ball gets a cleaner release. 1 year ago I did not use tape at all, but it was a great advancement since I held the ball too tight, resulting in loft.

Just go ahead, get some tape from the pro shop, let somebody explain how to apply it correctly, and make some experiments - these few bucks can be well spent!
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DizzyFugu - Reporting from Germany

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Edited on 7/23/2007 7:43 AM

[Redline]

Pretty much just whatever feels the best.

For me I keep a Ron C's Magic Carpet in the back of my thumb.  

Then I put textured 1inch tape in the front part of my thumb.  In addition to that, I layer the tape so that a 3/4in textured piece sits dead center on top of the 1nch piece.  Gives me a better feel for me than just 1 inch tape.

[TBS1]

I have found that if I use a textured tape, I tend to grab the ball more, so I use black. ALso if you place the tape at the front of the hole it will change the span a little bit (granted on peice shouldn't change it that much,but if you use multiple),  I recommend placing the tape at the back of the thumb hole (nail side)
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James