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Author Topic: What's the most extreme thumb pitches you have seen?  (Read 2868 times)

Strapper_Squared

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What's the most extreme thumb pitches you have seen?
« on: March 18, 2005, 02:38:45 AM »
A guy came into the shop last night, bought a new ball, and wanted it drilled like his other.  Not a big deal... many people have something comfortable they like and want it replicated.  This guy pulls out an old triton... First of all, the thumb was huge...  measured to be 1 1/32"  When I put the big pitch gauge in the hole... it measured 3/4" away and 1" reverse!  Span wasn't immense either... I think 4 9/16"...  I attemted to talk the guy into a thumb with "convential" pitches...but he insisted that I keep what he had.... so I cranked the drill over and gave him what he wanted...    Man, you must come out of that hole quickly!  

S^2
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TheDude

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Re: What's the most extreme thumb pitches you have seen?
« Reply #1 on: March 18, 2005, 11:16:31 AM »
jesus, that would make any normal person drop the ball just after the pushaway.

and for those pitches to be even close to normal there hand would have to be well over 5 3/4 from cut to cut
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C-G ProShop-Carl

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Re: What's the most extreme thumb pitches you have seen?
« Reply #2 on: March 18, 2005, 11:19:03 AM »
Most extreme I have seen was 3/4 reverse, 3/4 right. **L** It sure does look funny how the ball sits when you are drilling pitches like that into it.

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Mike Austin

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Re: What's the most extreme thumb pitches you have seen?
« Reply #3 on: March 18, 2005, 12:02:58 PM »
20 years ago I drilled balls for a guy here in Houston, he used 1" reverse and 1" left, still uses that pitch today.  Man could he get some serious s$@#& on the ball.  He won 1 PBA Regional title, reverse block, scores really low, only two players in the whole tournament are plus, him and Mark Williams.  Alan average about 225, gettin' it off the right gutter.   AWESOME.  He had the Houston City Record of 850 something with a White Dot, before urethane.

The most extreme pitch I drill regularly is 1 1/4 reverse and about 1 left.  This guy has about 5 1/2 spans, long, slender hands.  He doesn't need all that pitch, but he is convinced that it helps him and he likes it.

BTW, I just added reverse pitch to my thumb, I'm all the way to 1/8 reverse and 1/8 left, oh man do I fly out of this thumb pitch.  Lots of white tape!!!  LOL!


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JohnP

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Re: What's the most extreme thumb pitches you have seen?
« Reply #4 on: March 18, 2005, 02:29:57 PM »
I personally use 7/16 reverse, and in the past have used up to 3/4 reverse.  My spans are 4 11/16".  Why?  With "normal" reverse I hang in the ball.  My thumb is stiff, and I just don't get out of the ball clean.  For years when I was in my early 20's, I used lip gloss on my knuckle with 1/4 reverse.  And then I learned that more reverse pitch would work.  The 3/4 reverse was with a tight thumb hole.  As I've learned more and begun drilling, I've opened the hole up and added a Thumbillow, and the 7/16 reverse gives me a smooth release without grabbing.  Different strokes for different folks.  --  JohnP
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All10

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Re: What's the most extreme thumb pitches you have seen?
« Reply #5 on: March 18, 2005, 04:24:49 PM »
I've seen several bowler in town for tournaments that have 7/8 forward, 7/8 under for a righty.
Imagine this, the thumbhole was huge!!

Well at least he could get out of it then.

Wouldn't agree to a pitch change on new ball, so copied what he had, said it felt great.
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drillbit

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Re: What's the most extreme thumb pitches you have seen?
« Reply #6 on: May 17, 2005, 01:36:23 AM »
Back in the early-mid 90's I used to have terrible thumb problems, so I changed pitches from 1/8 reverse and 1/4 rt. Lateral, to 5/8 reverse  and 1/2 left lateral. All my thumb tearing problems cleared right up. Unfortunately I could no longer alter my ball roll and release as easily. So, ever since I've been twiddling with pitches. Currently at 3/16 rev. and 1/8 left.

The most extreme I've drilled was 7/8 forward and 9/16 rt. lateral for a gentleman with a double-jointed thumb. I've got one customer with 5/8 reverse and 1/2 left lateral, and the driller at the other house says he drilled one with 15/16 reverse and 5/8 left lateral.

drillbit
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LuckyLefty

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Re: What's the most extreme thumb pitches you have seen?
« Reply #7 on: May 17, 2005, 01:54:47 AM »
Fascinating!!!

REcently since attending a Bill Taylor seminar I've gone to slightly more forward than his tables and have found I'm enjoying it but I"ve also found I need to add more forward bevel.

Which reminds me of a well know bowler I know.  My understanding is that Del Warren uses a lot of forward in relation to what tables say his hand should be, but then adds a ton of forward bevel!

I have noticed as I have added forward that by adding front bevel I am creating sort of a variable type of surface that allows me to be locked in the thumbhole until I want to be out.  The bevel added to the front with the assistance of the ring finger test is the key!

I believe that bevel or a goodly amount  is no longer politically correct in ball drilling circles but it works!  I think of some of the great bowlers above using lots of reverse for the thumb with stiff thumbs.... I wonder, could Bevel help?

Or as a friend of mine use to say regarding a different subject.  "Would vaseline help?".   Bevel is sort of the same thing....right?

REgards,

LUckylefty
PS I saw a fellow recently with about a 4 3/4 inch span and about 3/8 forward.
Also not enough bevel I surmised.  As he went to deliver the pull of the ball hanging on so far past his ankle was so great that it now causes him to dip quite severally at the point of release (still lofts the ball while he is being pulled downward.  He subsequently went on to win our biggest handicap leaque around here with some gutty performances bobbin and weavin all the way to the trophy!  Funny!  Well at least he doesn't use anyof that stuff for sissies!!
Bevel!

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DP3

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Re: What's the most extreme thumb pitches you have seen?
« Reply #8 on: May 17, 2005, 12:39:05 PM »
I know a kid that has 3 of his 8 balls drilled with 15/16ths left lateral and 1 3/4 reverse.  He got those balls second hand from a regional pro and those are the only three balls he uses because he says it feels so great coming out of his hand.  It's really a sight to behold.  His thumb is a 1 1/8th bit with a span of 4 9/16ths.
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JustinWi

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Re: What's the most extreme thumb pitches you have seen?
« Reply #9 on: May 17, 2005, 01:49:17 PM »
I drilled for a friend that had tendon issues in his thumb that required 1 5/8" Right and 3/4" reverse.  He had apparently broken his hand as a youth and his thumb was inflexible.  One of those rare situations you stumble across once in a while.
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O-Zone

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Re: What's the most extreme thumb pitches you have seen?
« Reply #10 on: May 17, 2005, 10:39:30 PM »
I know of a man that fits Ric's description.  He bowls regionals in the East, and has won in each of the last two years, and he also won before that.  His name's Bobby Hall II, and he uses massive amounts of pitch in both his fingers and his thumb.  It's truly a sight to see on a ball return, but he's definitely one of the best bowlers on the East Coast.
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