So over the last 10 years, my thumb pitch has migrated from 3/8 reverse, to 1/8 reverse, to 3/8 forward, and finally this week, 11/16 forward. I've been doing this in an effort to reduce pain in my wrist, as any type of reverse was causing me to feel like I had to squeeze the ball to hold onto it. Or, if I got the thumbhole small enough that I didn't feel the need to grip it, I'd hang up in the ball too much. I hesitated making a move to forward because, according to my span measurements, Coke bottle test, etc., I shouldn't be using it.

After a week of testing, I've found the following at 11/16 forward.

* Much less pressure on the back of my wrist and fingers. The ball seems to feel lighter now, apparently due to better weight distribution.

* My fingers feel like they're further under the ball at release. One of the problems with my old pitch was that my fingers felt like they were coming out from and around the ball too early. They also felt like they were at 6 o'clock under the ball; now, they feel as if they're up at 4 to 4:30 under the ball.

* Increase in axis rotation. About 20 years ago, I was almost at 90 degrees, then over the years I'd worked on getting my hand more behind the ball. With reverse pitch, it had gotten to the point that I was at 15 degrees or so, headed to zero. Now I'm back to around 45. The result is a much stronger move off the spot.

* I'm not a high-rev guy but I seem to be getting more revs on the ball now, presumably from having the fingers further under the ball at release.

One negative, if you can call it that: At 11/16 forward, there is no room for error in terms of squeezing the ball. If I squeeze it now, I very well might bean myself in the skull with the ball. But things feel much more relaxed. I wonder how much further forward I can go.

Jess

Jess,

It sounds hard to conceive of.  What is your span?  Have you made a video or picture of yourself with this new setup.

It seems hard to conceive of you don't have a forward break in your wrist.

Regards,

Luckylefty

Jess,

It sounds hard to conceive of.  What is your span?  Have you made a video or picture of yourself with this new setup.

It seems hard to conceive of you don't have a forward break in your wrist.

Regards,

Luckylefty

Cut-to-cut span is 4 3/16. I don't post videos of myself if I can help it.

I don't have a "forward break" to my wrist, but it is somewhat surprising how smoothly the ball seems to come off my hand and I can't really explain it, either. It feels a little like I'm shoveling it now but that's usually a release I associate with a cranker and/or thumbless delivery. That feeling is coming primarily from having my fingers so far under the ball, I'm sure. The delivery I'm trying to emulate at and through the follow-through is Pete Weber's current-day release.

Jess

Jess,

I'm just curious.  Is that the same span you used to use when you were 3/8 reverse?

Regards,

Luckylefty
PS I would be fascinated in seeing your wrist position in today's setup.

Yep. It's the same span I used at 1/8 reverse, too.

Jess

I recently changed my pitch from 1/4" reverse to 1/4" forward after talking with JustRico and Gizmo (and a few others).  I also have my fingers pitched away from the palm.  (some call it reverse, some call it forward).  My span is 4-1/4" cut-to-cut.

I have since bowled 5 and 6 game blocks with no problems.  It's nice to bowl 6 games and still feel like I could bowl 6 more. 



 

Keep in mind, you are merely creating angles that accommodate what your hand needs to support the bowling ball...your wrist is the largest proponent as well in this support system

I don't have the strongest wrist anyway, and the intrusion of arthritis hasn't helped. I've got to wonder if this tends to work better with weaker wrists than stronger wrists, i.e., whether a stronger-wristed player would hang up in the ball whereas I do not.

I had to go back to a wrist brace last year (the alternative was to quit the sport), but the thing I seem to benefit most from isn't the support in the wrist area, it's the support at the fingers. The brace keeps my fingers from flopping backward on the backswing, keeps them under the ball.

Also, bowled again with this setup last night, threw three games with no pain during/afterwards, and I feel like I could could keep going more forward, perhaps to a full 1" forward, if I wanted to. And yeah, revs are definitely up from before.

Jess

11/16 is on the extreme side, but if it works, it works.  It allows you to hold onto the ball better with less grip pressure.  It's all about fitting how the hand naturally wants to lay, and like Rico said about putting your hand in the best position to support the ball.  Less gripping is always better.  Obviously you don't want it falling off your hand, but the more work you can allow physics to do, the more comfortable and less tiring it will be for you.