Rule of thumb is that as you add forward pitch, you shorten the span. If you haven't changed the span to work with the 1/4" added forward pitch, then yes you will have to shorten the span to accomidate. Check with your driller to see if he thinks 1/8th is enough. Nothing wrong with a short span... mine is under 4" cut to cut but its extremely comfortable. The game is all about feel anyways.

Also, I think that your thumb "snaging" the top of the hole is whats causing you to come around it at the release. Your mind is telling your hand to get to the outside of the ball so you can get your thumb out. I believe changing the span will also solve this problem
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Brunswick Advisory Staff

Jared Wolf
Jonesboro, AR
www.bowlingchat.net

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer and not of Brunswick Corporation.

It would have had to have been a "perfect mistake", if you will, to have a span that short to begin with and it fix itself just by a pitch change. Not saying it isn't possible though...

My hand is I guess normal size whatever that is... and my pitches are 0 all the way around except pitching out the fingers so they don't run together. However, it took me a whole year to find pitches and a span that was comfortable. It's not a fun trip trying to find a grip that feels (and works) best, trust me on that one.

If I understand correctly as to where your thumb is snagging, it does still sound like a little shorter span would help. With a streched span, your thumb actually drags against the back of the hole towards the release because at that point, the tip of the thumb is geometrically further away from your fingers at the release rather than fully in the ball. Your fingers are the pivot point to a release (since your thumb comes out first, then fingers). Therefore, it is only at the maximum strech position (max distance from the pivot point. ie: thumb nearly out of the ball) that you can tell if your span is too long, although if it's a pain just to get/keep your thumb in then thats obvious to alot of people.

If we are talking about the left side of the thumb as you put your hand out in front of you and give a thumbs up, then this makes sense. Due to being a righty, the "left" part of the thumb is pointed away from the fingers in the grip, so this would see the most friction in a streched span

Before typing this, I pulled out a ball that I can't throw anymore cause I hang up in this ball (was a ball that I hadn't changed the span to 1/4th shorter) and experienced a snag similar to what you said is happening to you, assuming still taking about the same side of the fingernail. So with too long of a span, I felt the same thing.

These are my thoughts but if your ball driller is trustworthy and knows your game, he's really the best to talk to since I'm only able to "imagine" whats really going on.

Any other questions just let me know.

By the way, I'm NOT a ball driller or fitter. I'm just a person that knows a good fit when I feel it
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Brunswick Advisory Staff

Jared Wolf
Jonesboro, AR
www.bowlingchat.net

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer and not of Brunswick Corporation.

You are catching a corner of your nail and think the problem is span length?

Crazy!

The problem in that case is usually lateral pitch when a corner is clipped.

There is a link to thumb injury problems at Jayhawks site but I can't remember exact.

REgards,

Luckylefty
update.....
Found it

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Open the door...see what's possible...and just walk right on through...that's how easy success feels..

Edited on 7/8/2009 7:53 AM

Edited on 7/15/2009 12:45 PM

If span is WRONG, pitch is a bandaid.
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Formerly BrunsRico

As posted by Steven..."None other than our esteemed JustRico!!"

"If you're catching on the thumb, rarely will a pitch change correct the problem. The cause is usually a bad bevel and/or not enough down in the hole."

Can you type this with a straight face?

So then ALL thumb holes should just be drilled at 0 pitch 'cause your saying it has zero effect on the release.

If you have a thumb that is shaped in such a way that the base is thicker than the knuckle, you will need to shape the hole accordingly but the span and pitch of the thumb hole will allow for the bowler to not have to grip the ball.

Pitch is there so the bowler does not have to grip the ball through the swing, as well as being allowed to release the ball at the proper spot in the release and angle onto the lane.

Bevel, more times than not, is used as a band aid to compensate for an incorrect span or pitches.
If the span and pitches are correct for the bowler, 9 times out of 10, the bowler can release the ball with little or no bevel, with zero complications.
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Formerly BrunsRico

As posted by Steven..."None other than our esteemed JustRico!!"