.
Interesting.. I'm wondering if this happening to me as well. But let's say that the span is the problem. Wouldn't shortening the span cause the bowler to squeeze the ball due to the gap that would then exist between the bowler's palm and the ball?
BL.
With the proper pitches in the thumb and the thumb hole being the correct shape and size you don't need to squeeze the ball even with a relaxed span.
Any gripping of the ball should be with the underside of the thumb and finger pads towards each other in the center of the grip. I have always felt that finger hole size doesn't matter much as any gripping pressure should be with the pads at the front of the hole. That is mostly a comfort and confidence fit for the bowler.
If the finger holes are too big it could effect the amount of turn on the ball.
The proshop I worked at drilled for several PBA bowlers in the late 1980's thru 2003. At that time almost all PBA tournaments required you to bowl 40+ games a week, week after week. While there were a few exceptions almost all the touring pro's used relaxed fingertip fits. Otherwise they would destroy their hands.
There were a few notable exceptions, David Ozio being one, who had very flexable hands and could used a stretched span.
There were no two handed bowlers at that time. Obviously span doesn't matter but I don't know what pitches would do in their fingers.
[/quote]
Thanks for this. I had a word with a local PSO who also had a look at my gear, and he basically agreed with you. Pitches are the problem I'm having, and not the span. Thankfully I'm getting refitted relative to the current spans I have in my last two balls, so hopefully they will be right going forward. I'll be finding out next week.
BL.