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Author Topic: Blistering on thumb, need help please  (Read 4521 times)

punkrawk77

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Blistering on thumb, need help please
« on: November 21, 2003, 05:30:03 AM »
Last year(summer 02) I had my ball redrilled for a fingertip grip. I bowled on it for a month and it was fine. I stopped bowling don't know why. Loss of interest at the time.

Anyhow i started bowling again in late October 03. Now I am getting blisters on the base of my thumb(palm side).  I took it to my local proshop and he beveled it out a little. Went back to the lanes still blistering in the same spot on my thumb. Went back to the proshop again and they suggested 1" white textured Bowler's tape and Bobby's Sure release skin protector.  The skin protector allowed my thumb blister to heal and the tape seemed to be doing the job.

Just last week i decided to bowl without the Bobby's skin protector. I am still getting a lot of rubbing and irritation at the base of my thumb(palm side), but the skin is still intact, it didn't break open or anything or come loose. I use one piece of tape inside my thumb hole. I tried using two pieces of tape but i was getting a lot rubbing on the other side of my thumbjoint below my thumbnail.

I have lost weight since i had the ball redrilled last summer 2002. Is it possible that my thumb got smaller?  I don't have any problems getting my fingers out of the ball on release, its not getting stuck at all.

Does anyone here think i should get my thumb hole plugged and re-drilled? or maybe I am not releasing right?  I am tired of doctoring up my ball with tape and skin patches just to bowl a game. What should i do?

My ball is an old Ebonite Gyro (blue). I have had it since 91.
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TwoFourEightNineNine

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Re: Blistering on thumb, need help please
« Reply #1 on: November 21, 2003, 10:03:46 PM »
do you have a urethane thumb insert or slug in there? Bowling balls' insides are quite soft and it causes a lot of friction between the skin and the ball- making your thumb blister up a bit.

try getting your driller to throw a thumb slug in there. Also, have him watch you bowl, you might have some pitch issues, too.
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-Jeremy Vitug

In eight months, the tingle you are feeling will begin to burn.




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24899

MI 2 AZ

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Re: Blistering on thumb, need help please
« Reply #2 on: November 21, 2003, 11:14:00 PM »
If you lost weight, it is possible that your thumb has gotten smaller and you are now squeezing to maintain your grip on the ball.  I would suggest that you talk this over with your balldriller, explaining the problem and showing him your thumb.  It wouldnt hurt to have your span and pitches rechecked.  It might be that just a bit more bevel will fix the problem but best to have it checked.
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I am the SGT Schultz of bowling.
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punkrawk77

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Re: Blistering on thumb, need help please
« Reply #3 on: November 21, 2003, 11:46:44 PM »
What is pitch? I feel like the span might be off now. I dropped 30lbs and am sure my thumb got smaller. Even with the thumbhole tape it feels like i am having to grip the ball more than i have too, but not to much that i am straining my hand or anything.

what is a urethane thumb insert or slug?

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punkrawk77

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Re: Blistering on thumb, need help please
« Reply #4 on: November 21, 2003, 11:51:51 PM »
What is pitch? I feel like the span might be off now. I dropped 30lbs and am sure my thumb got smaller. Even with the thumbhole tape it feels like i am having to grip the ball more than i have too, but not to much that i am straining my hand or anything.

what is a urethane thumb insert or slug? I don't have anything like that in my thumb hole.

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SrKegler

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Re: Blistering on thumb, need help please
« Reply #5 on: November 22, 2003, 01:31:52 AM »
Sounds to me like your thumb hole is too big and you have to bend your thumb in the hole.  You may also be turning your hand before the ball clears the thumb, this will put pressure on the thumb right where the webbing is.  Not sure how long its been since you bowled, but you may not have as much flexibility in your thumb.  I think you stated a piece of tape on the back side caused your thumb to rub by the finger nail.  You may need a little more reverse to get the thumb coming out straight.

Putting a thumb slug in the ball would probably be the best way to correct the problem.  Basically a thumb slug is a piece of 1 1/4 or 1 3/8" round stock.  They just drill the thumb hole out, glue in the slug, and then drill your thumb hole again.

Some people are alergic to the covers of the new resin balls.  Since the surface is so tacky, their thumbs want to stick to the part of the cover that shows in the thumb hole.  That wouldn't be the problem in this case with the ball you are now using.

Show the proshop the problem you are having, I'm sure they can correct it.
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RIP Thongprincess/Sawbones

MI 2 AZ

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Re: Blistering on thumb, need help please
« Reply #6 on: November 22, 2003, 11:36:13 AM »
Pitch is the angle the hole is drilled into the ball.  So you have two pitches or directions to worry about, side to side (sorry, I dont know the terms for those, hopefully someone else will chime in with the terms), and forward (towards the fingers) and reverse (away from the fingers) on the thumbhole.
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I am the SGT Schultz of bowling.
"I know nothing!"
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