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Author Topic: finger inserts feel too loose, is it just me?  (Read 11327 times)

bitbytebit

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finger inserts feel too loose, is it just me?
« on: April 02, 2010, 05:27:28 AM »
I've got a couple balls I had finger inserts put into, are vise ovals.  I have all my other equipment drilled without inserts, which I mostly like.  I do have a calouse on the right side of my middle finger which makes the nail kind of change shape and somewhat is painful.  Also bowling a lot, will make my fingers a little sore.  Not tons but since I bowl a lot, 10 or more games a day usually, sometimes it feels like inserts might be nicer.  The balls with inserts I got are kind of looser than I expected around my fingers.  They definitely don't fit too snugly around my fingers, can wiggle them a little in there and just doesn't feel completely right.  Is this normal, or should I get a smaller size, does it really matter or just a preference?  I'm still not 100% convinced to convert to inserts, but definitely don't want to redo all my balls with a size that is wrong and have to pay for more inserts a second time.  Also wondering the general thoughts on this type of issue, are my middle finger pitches possibly needing adjusting and it'll all be fine.  Or the inserts the best way to go and loose won't be a bad thing when I get used to it.  I can put my fingers in them past the first knuckle, also of course my fingers slightly change size depending on what I eat and the weather or how much I've bowled, so they can be close to snug sometimes.  If I push a shim of thin cardboard into the top of the insert, it fits more snug, is this a normal thing to do, possibly from them being standard sizes and me possibly needing just slightly smaller ones?

Thanks, really interested in everyones take on this, have seen a lot of stuff online talking about finger inserts vs. none but not much about the tightness of the inserts and if it is ok for them  to be rather loose.

 

lenstanles703

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Re: finger inserts feel too loose, is it just me?
« Reply #1 on: April 02, 2010, 01:35:27 PM »
Try them as they are when you practice. They should be a little snug when new. You can get the next size smaller and try them just a few dollars and some super glue is all you need.
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spmcgivern

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Re: finger inserts feel too loose, is it just me?
« Reply #2 on: April 02, 2010, 01:38:14 PM »
I can't say whether you should stay without inserts or go with, but I feel your pain on odd sizes.  Usually I will wrap a piece of scotch tape around the insert before I put them in the ball.  This will make it just a little bit smaller and more snug.  It may take some experimenting to figure out if you need tape one time around or two or however many it takes.
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ralphiejantz

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Re: finger inserts feel too loose, is it just me?
« Reply #3 on: April 02, 2010, 01:54:53 PM »
its all on you as far as what feels right
I used to like my inserts super tight years ago
then all of sudden they just didnt feel right anymore
I now like them a little loose

also I used to not use inserts and that felt great for a while but I went back to them cause of comfort

so again its all up to you
try a size smaller and see what that feels like

if you have pain in your fingers it could be an issue with the pitch or span length

charlest

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Re: finger inserts feel too loose, is it just me?
« Reply #4 on: April 02, 2010, 01:58:38 PM »
Not sure if you're first trying inserts or you've had them for a while and have compressed them too much and have not repalced them. They do wear and do need replacing regularly.

If you're first trying them, like your thumb, the base size should be as large as your finger tips ever get. Fingers swell and shrink with weather, salt consumption, liquid consumption, increase and decrease in body weight and time of day.

Personally, I like my fingers to just fit into the hole. SO I glue them at the sides only and use shims, either plastic pieces or cut up business cards to go in the back of the hole between the back of the insert and the drilled hole.
The number and type of shim varies with the above factors.
(Plastic shims: http://www.milosports.com/Home_Page.html)
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Jcom

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Re: finger inserts feel too loose, is it just me?
« Reply #5 on: April 02, 2010, 02:06:35 PM »
I used to deal with the same problem, one day I was bored in the shop and decided to drill a ball with vacu grips. And instantly fell in love with the feel and comfort of them. You get a very snug fit with out any pain.
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bitbytebit

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Re: finger inserts feel too loose, is it just me?
« Reply #6 on: April 02, 2010, 02:10:35 PM »
They are brand new, only used the 2 balls with them a couple times so far.  Since they are two of my old urethane hammers, haven't used them a lot to test since conditions aren't usually optimal for them to hook at all (bowl mostly sport shots cause place I practice is a college alley and oil for the girls team with NCAA patterns).  So brand new, they are loose, I can put my fingers about a half inch past my first knuckle before they are feeling snug or tight at all.  Also always have wondered how different it changes things with inserts from the bridge having to be the same size so the fingers are spread out a bit more than without inserts.  Those are my two main concerns I guess, that having them tighter won't be a bad thing somehow over time and my driller purposefully picked loose ones, and the spread out fingers from the wider bridge is going to influence my game at all.  Also I have one set black and other white, sort of feel different, does the color really make a difference, white feeling slightly harder and black having more of a squishy feeling.  Or is it just me thinking it feels different, do others find them differ in feel like that?

charlest

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Re: finger inserts feel too loose, is it just me?
« Reply #7 on: April 02, 2010, 03:38:18 PM »
The spread never affected me personally that much. It is there. You have to decide on the feel.

Color can change the feel a little bit. Some manufacturers do make different hardnesses. I used to order different colors, sometimes to match the ball, sometimes to contrast. These days I stick with one color. Playtime is over.

Oh, and different manufacturers are actually different for the same specified size. (Vise-Grips makes intermediate sizes in x/64".)So, my grips, Contour Power grips, come in 25/32" and 3/4". When I used Vise-Grips, I used 49/64" and 47/64", the half size smaller than the respective Contour sizes.
Just to make life interesting ...
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JohnP

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Re: finger inserts feel too loose, is it just me?
« Reply #8 on: April 02, 2010, 03:39:32 PM »
If you think they're too loose, they are too loose, because the fit is a matter of personal preference.  I personally don't use grips, but like my holes drilled a little over sized for a loose fit.  All you really use is the front of the hole/grip anyway.  --  JohnP

DON DRAPER

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Re: finger inserts feel too loose, is it just me?
« Reply #9 on: April 02, 2010, 10:23:30 PM »
I go strictly by feel. I will tighten or loosen as needed without hesitation.

Edited on 4/2/2010 10:25 PM

Brickguy221

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Re: finger inserts feel too loose, is it just me?
« Reply #10 on: April 02, 2010, 10:27:28 PM »
quote:
I go strictly by feel. I will tighten or loosen as needed without hesitation.


Ditto....same here for me...
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tuckingfenpin

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Re: finger inserts feel too loose, is it just me?
« Reply #11 on: April 02, 2010, 10:35:09 PM »
I like them a little bit loose, but not to the point of being able to stick my fingers in the ball like it's conventional drilled.

I had a ball that the grips were too tight in and it ripped my middle finger up pretty good on the first throw, tore the callus right off. Hurt like the dickens!
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Doug Sterner

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Re: finger inserts feel too loose, is it just me?
« Reply #12 on: April 02, 2010, 10:47:42 PM »
One thing you may want to try is a different brand or style of insert. If you can find a shop that carries the Turbo Quad inserts you can try 3 distinctly different feels in the ball. The Quad enables you to have the 1/8" power lift, an oval or a round bottom (where your pad contacts the ball) with a flat top (that will sit across your nail which is typically flatter than the pad.)

Not all inserts are created equal!!!! Different brands, styles and even colors will affect how the insert fits your hand and feels coming off. Find a shop that stocks a variety and see what feels best.
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bitbytebit

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Re: finger inserts feel too loose, is it just me?
« Reply #13 on: April 03, 2010, 07:53:02 PM »
Went to the pro shop today, tried the size lower for each finger for the inserts, and totally fixed the issue.  Now feels to me about equal to not using grips, but yet a bit softer of course.  Definitely amazing how much different just one size down in the Vise inserts changed things, pro shop guy at first recommended using tape or shims but I asked to test the size lower fittings on my fingers.  Was immediately happy with the feel, went to my first knuckle and stopped correctly, and now will drill the rest of my balls next week (when he gets enough ones in black to fit my 6 Visionary arsenal).  So thanks for all the input, guess it just shows that even when the pro shop guy who's an expert thinks the measurement was correct and it's an in between size, if they don't feel right try the size lower and might just be what feels best.  I think I like them slightly tighter since I am used to not using inserts and so pretty easy transition with them like they are now opposed to being slightly loose on my fingers.