I'm getting the itch.  Been looking at local leagues.  Been stalking averages.  Been finding out what equipment people are using.  Been looking at YouTube.  Anyways, here are 3 questions/topics to discuss today Friday, December 4, 2015:

Ball Drilling Idea

So thinking back to about ball release from the fingers and thumbs, I've always wondered if it was possible/legal/safe to have holes NOT drilled perpendicular to the bowling ball surface.  Not everyone's hands fit a bowling ball the same and maybe having your thumb and fingers shuved into a ball 8.5 inches in diameter isn't the most comfortable.  I'm most interested in getting the thumb to come out easier.  Has anyone thought about drilling the thumb more at an angle towards the center of the palm.  Obviously, I'm going for a way to get the thumb out quick so hopefully you get the idea of what I'm asking.  Or maybe the stress and impact of the ball might crack the hole at some point down the line?

Using Heavier Weight/Ball To Warm Up Before League Play

I noticed that golf, like baseball, you use multiple clubs/bats or a weighted end to do practice swings before hitting the driving range or playing a round of golf.  The use of a heavier weight makes your actual club/bat seem lighter and you are able to have more control and swing either much faster.  While ball speed might not be the goal, having the ability to cup and put more revs on the ball might.  Has anyone considered using a 14lbs ball or 15lbs ball as their main ball and bringing a 16lbs ball to use during practice before league play?  I'm thinking about going down to 14lbs so I can get more revs, but think I will bring a 15-16lbs ball and use that before leagues start.  What you think?

Lane Oil Volume

I haven't bowled seriously since 2009, but I remember that outside of expensive tournaments and Friday Night head-to-head competition, lane oil was a stingy commodity among bowling alleys.  I had to keep my ball speed up 20mph+ just to keep the ball on the right side of the head pin.  Are your traditional leagues oiling the lanes before leagues begin?  The one league I'm considering joining occurs right after another league.  It also has me wondering if this is the reason for the high averages as discussed in question 1.

Happy Friday! 

Regarding your ball drilling idea, it sounds like you are proposing a very large amount of forward pitch and probably a decent amount of right lateral pitch (for a right hander) in the thumb.  I believe you want to put the thumb in a position that is more similar to when the hand is in a relaxed and inactive state.  I am certainly not an anatomy or physiology expert by any means.  However it seems that doing this would be contrary to supporting an object that is heavy and larger than the hand.

With the thumb more toward the palm, the bulk of the weight has to be supported by the pinky side of the hand toward the fingers.  It also seems like it puts additional strain on the wrist.  When you support a large object in your hand, you spread the hand to distribute the mass.  And unless the thumb hole is very loose (maybe even if it is loose), it seems that the wrist would have to be in a very broken position to get the ball off the thumb during delivery.  I'm not advocating excessive reverse pitch.  Either extreme is counterproductive.  As notclay stated, length of span and thumb along with flexibility and maybe a few other factors all have to be considered.

As you mentioned in the original post, if the thumb hole is drilled at such a forward pitch that it creates a thin area along the length of the hole to the shell, the potential of it cracking certainly will increase.

Thanks for the replies guys.  I've been watching YouTube videos today of ball drilling and pitch.  Drilling a bowling ball requires a PhD lol. 

I also saw technology is a lot better than it was 10 years ago.  I'd be interested in Keith's idea of drilling the thumb in a more natural position where the hand is naturally open.  I'm also interested in interchangeable inserts that 'click' in.  Maybe they are aimed towards noobs or maybe pros.  Behind on this part.  My bowling balls all have permanent white thumb inserts with rubber finger tip inserts.

I'm not sure whether the bowling balls I have have a pitch for the thumb.  I'm pretty sure it is pretty straight into the ball.  My measurements are in my profile.  I'm planning on moving down to 14lbs from 15/16lbs anyways so I will need to get some new balls anyways.  I need to hit the lanes first to see how my old stuff works.

I've always felt though my release was always held back a little by my thumb position.  I still was able to put a lot of revs on the ball and never had an issue with the ball dropping at the foul line or getting stuck though.  Maybe the proshop did it right haha.

Long-term, I'd like to get a grip that allows my wrist to be cupped more, but not with the strain you talked about.