Author Topic: The oval thumb hole, my driller, what happened. Help me out everyone. (Read 5255 times)

Hex017 · « **on:** March 24, 2005, 05:59:30 AM »

Ok this might get long so bare with me, just want to let you guys know what happened so you can give me some good advice.

Went to be see my driller yesterday and talk about having my thumb hole ovaled to help me with all my blisters. I had a post on this 2 or 3 days ago and got lots of replies so hopefully I can get the same turnout. Anyway, I went in and told him the little bit of side pitch we added last time didn't work. I showed him my newest blister(bottom right side of thumb) which I would feel like a retard for getting and showed him my other 2 on the sides of my thumb. He told me to get my stuff out and we were going to do some measuring. FIrst thing we noticed after sliding my thumb in and out of all my equipment is that 2 balls of mine have shorter spans than all the rest. However I actually get out of the shorter span balls better. He told me he could plug them and drill them all alike if I needed to but I don't have the money at the moment so I skipped over the offer.

So we went on to do some more tests trying to get to the problem, he knew that a slight difference in spans was not going to give me the blisters I have. We figured out that my newest blister was caused by a stupid mistake on my part. During a game of mine a while back I threw a new piece of tape in my thrash in a hurry, never cut it to size and just sort of stuck it in there. I did not have it deep enough in the ball and it was rubbing the thumb at the exit point which caused that blister. So he kindly fixed the tape and gave me some black tape to go with the white I already had. He carved little spots around the thumb hole to show me where to always put my tape. Ok one problem solved. However we still weren't sure on the side blisters. He decided to open the thumb hole on my animal untamed a little bit and told me to swing it like I normally would. We realized I was still squeezing the ball with my thumb so he tried getting me to put the pressure on the fingers not the thumb. Either way I squeezed the ball. He also told me that my "turning too early" problem was also not helping. I've had the turn too early problem for a long time.

He told me that an oval thumb hole should not be necessary, doing so is just going to open the thumb to more room and I was just going to end up adding more tape to fill in the extra space or continue squeezing. He took sandpaper and smoothed the sides saying it might help a little but said I need to learn to stop squeezing ASAP. And stop turning too early as well. As for pitches ALL of the thumbs were the same, at 1/4 forward pitch and 1/8 side pitch to the right. No pitch in the fingers, just straight in. He said if I could not stop squeezing that he could shorten all the spans for me but to try to fix the problems first before making in sudden changes.

So...I went bowling that day. Nice easy THS for me so I had to pay attention to myself and not the way the ball was rolling. I couldn't stop squeezing and I didn't turn early only about half of the time, other half I was back to normal. I didn't bowl badly but my thumb wasn't happy after 7 games. The sides were sore and red/pink. No blisters though lol.

I think I've come to the conclusion that I suck lol. I just can't stop squeezing no matter what. I might just start no thumbing the darn thing.

Any advice or comments you guys have are more than welcome and sorry for my long post. I think I'll make another post asking HOW TO STOP SQUEEZING THE THUMB HOLE. Thanks again.
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-If you're not willing to change, you're not willing to improve.

-Life is like a coin, you can spend it any way you want, but you can only spend it once.

-I will forever love this great game, I love the people and the competition, I only wish the best would get the recognition of an ATHLETE that they deserve.

Ragnar · « **Reply #1 on:** March 24, 2005, 02:08:35 PM »

To stop squeezing try this. Fingers in first, then thumb. Hold ball wt. in opposite hand, consciously bring pressure to bear WITH THE BACK OF THE THUMB against the rear of the hole; slightly relax and go. For me the application of rearward pressure makes me aware of my thumb which, in turn, helps me keep from squeezing.
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"To plunder, to slaughter, to steal, these things they misname empire; and where they make a wilderness, they call it peace." (Tacitus)

Hex017 · « **Reply #2 on:** March 24, 2005, 02:15:28 PM »

quote:
To stop squeezing try this. Fingers in first, then thumb. Hold ball wt. in opposite hand, consciously bring pressure to bear WITH THE BACK OF THE THUMB against the rear of the hole; slightly relax and go. For me the application of rearward pressure makes me aware of my thumb which, in turn, helps me keep from squeezing.
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"To plunder, to slaughter, to steal, these things they misname empire; and where they make a wilderness, they call it peace." (Tacitus)

I probably should of included this in my first post but because I am a teeanger I have an excuse...lol. Here is what I do. Holding the ball in my left hand my fingers go in to the first crease, I lock them in and then turn the ball over(my finger are now down and the thumb is at the top) and I slide my thumb in making sure it is flat. I line the ball up with my right shoulder and take my non-bowling hand and hold the ball up with it just resting my right hand in it. I proceed on to my approach and with a slight pushaway start the ball in its swing. AS soon as my swing gets into motion and my non-bowling hand is not supporting anymore I squeeze and I know I have to tell myself when to let go and it is wrong, but I just can't fix it. Is there some way to teach yourself to stop?
--------------------
-If you're not willing to change, you're not willing to improve.

-Life is like a coin, you can spend it any way you want, but you can only spend it once.

-I will forever love this great game, I love the people and the competition, I only wish the best would get the recognition of an ATHLETE that they deserve.

Edited on 3/24/2005 3:11 PM

Ragnar · « **Reply #3 on:** March 24, 2005, 02:19:40 PM »

Like I said, try to consciously put reverse pressure on the thumb as you start your swing.
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"To plunder, to slaughter, to steal, these things they misname empire; and where they make a wilderness, they call it peace." (Tacitus)

njbowl · « **Reply #4 on:** March 24, 2005, 02:20:45 PM »

I had both blistering and squeezing problems. By using an oval then putting enough padding behind the thumb to keep it snug and flat it gives the feel of sueezing without the consequence. I always had large blisters on my thumb. Haven't had one in 5 years.
To take up the slack in the back, I buy double stick pads at the $ store then just cover with tape It's a cheap fix and you really get the feel of the thumb.
You may find you don't need to oval if the thumb is large enough.
Good luck!
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A Born again bowler with a mission to bowl 300.

LuckyLefty · « **Reply #5 on:** March 24, 2005, 03:07:03 PM »

I like to squeeze too! BUT not bowling balls.

You never mentioned your span and that relates to your pitch.

BUT. Most bowlers have oval thumbs! Not all. Those that tend to get wear on both sides of their thumb but not front or back are definitely oval thumbs stuck in too small ROUND holes.

Others with oval thumbs will prefer round and create a slight oval by using a round hole that is too big front to back but just right side to side and then by adding tape front and back. Many bowlers even with oval thumbs like this solution.

Others go to oval.

If you want to get really specific it is sometimes really good to just STOP!

AND look at your thumb. Maybe take some measurements! ie how wide is my thumb side to side? What does my thumb measure from front to front? Often a small difference in these two measurements does not lead to an oval.

Oh how about I just measured those two things at the top of my thumb but now measure how much taper from front to back and side to side.

For example I know these things about my thumb!

Side to side thumb is just shy of 15/16. Front to back thumb is 55/64 both stats at the top.

I have a lot of tapef from front to back and little from side to side.

As a result I love a thumbhole that is the following.
Tapered slightly from front to back. Virtually no taper on the sides( near parrallel sides). 61/64 wide at the top, 57/64 deep at the top. 1 inch down I like the thumb to be 15/16 wide and 56/64 deep. Farther down 59/64 wide.

If you become aware of your thumb and how it is fitting into your thumbhole in the ball you become able to get a near perfect fit!

Signs of incorrect lateral pitches are clipping of either of the tips of the naiil of the thumb).

To summarize, ovals are not easy to get perfect but sometimes worth it.
BUT if you don't have a big difference in side to side measurements they are not worth it. Just get a round hole that is big enough side to side and add tape.

REgards,

Luckylefty
PS I have some of those old Bill Taylor pitch device thingys. A different little black thingy for each size thumb or finger hole ie 7/8, 29/32,15/16,61/64,31/32 etc. , . They are actually a great aid to finding the perfect oval, pitch and taper!
I put them down a thumbhole and then can sort of see how far they go down to determine if the sides are parallel or slightly tapered. I have recently been drilling ovals with some slightly differing tapers and found the virtual perfect nirvana fit!!! Yumm. I also know how to replicate it with drill bits! Yum!

crankncrash · « **Reply #6 on:** March 24, 2005, 03:57:19 PM »

I can't honestly believe that the blisters on the side of your thumb won't be taken care of if you had a properly fit thumb hole, at this pt, yes you would have a lot of extra space, but suck it up and do a thumb slug with a properly fit oval, you won't blister anymore. I had problems early this year with blisters, with a correct drill ( mine felt fine, but pretty substantial changes were made, the span was shortened buy 3/8) and voila no more probs and my hand doesn't get tired anymore. you owe it to yourself to go somewhere else and get fixed up.

Hex017 · « **Reply #7 on:** March 24, 2005, 05:32:22 PM »

I think the thing that a few people are missing here is that my DRILLER said that I do not need an oval thumb hole if I just quit squeezing. If he is right or not is beyond me, but he is the driller and knows much more than I do. I personally think widening the sides would help and then just making it tight enough with tape would be perfect but with the advice he gave me it seems that is not the solution. And as for a perfect fit I believe there is no such thing because your thumb does not remain the same size the whole night, so as for measuring every little detail of my thumb, what is the point. Measure exactly how wide it is for what? To have it swell a game into a match? I think you see my point. Let me just ask everyone this. Do you think I need to go to another shop and see what they say or just stick to learning to stop squeezing. Any comments appreciated.
--------------------
-If you're not willing to change, you're not willing to improve.

-Life is like a coin, you can spend it any way you want, but you can only spend it once.

-I will forever love this great game, I love the people and the competition, I only wish the best would get the recognition of an ATHLETE that they deserve.

DonSVO · « **Reply #8 on:** March 24, 2005, 05:51:29 PM »

quote:
I like to squeeze too! BUT not bowling balls.

just regular balls?

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funniest thing i have ever read on here:

originally posted by Bjaardker, about if brunswick sells 2nds/blems:

Yeah, they're called Lane #1s....

JUST KIDDING!!!

crankncrash · « **Reply #9 on:** March 24, 2005, 06:13:26 PM »

It may be simply that your driller does not have the equipment to do it with, or that he just doesn't want to do it. BUT in responce to you last question, if you have a ball that hurts your hand ALL the time, might there be a point in getting a better fit? Now I know that there may not be a "perfect" fit, but there sure as heck is better than hurting your hand. Squeezing the ball should produce a blister on the top of your first knuckle or at the base of your thumb (palm side). There is really no reason you should blister the SIDE of your thumb when the pressure is being applied in a 90* fashion. The real bad effects of squeezing the ball are: pulled shots, too much loft, inconsitancy in release. Now it IS a bad habit, but I do not think it is the root of your thumb problems. I'm not a driller, nor a professional, but I have had about 20 bowling balls drilled in the last 2 yrs by various drillers. I finally found a good shop and I am sticking with them. A good driller can do amazing things for you. The thing about an oval opening is that you can get a smaller diameter hole. It will be widend to the conture of your hand. This allows the ball to better fit you from front to back. This alone makes the ball more stable on your hand and allows you to actually "need" less pressure to hold the ball securely. That fact may cut down on your gripping the ball, and it most definately will help the swelling situation. I'm done preaching the benefits of a good drill. If you don't want to spend the money, or are just affraid to try somebody new, then its too bad for you. I hope your skin heals quickly. Good luck and good bowling.

JamesCube · « **Reply #10 on:** March 24, 2005, 06:22:26 PM »

Hex, what is your span length?

Also, do you notice that your thumb nail gets little vertical cuts in it from bowling?

No matter how much people tell you not to squeeze, you're always going to have to squeeze a little, most people however bend their first thumb knuckle way too much. Ovaling to some degree on even one side helps out in most cases, in my experience.
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Last Ball: Sling Blade
Current Ball: The Deal

azguy · « **Reply #11 on:** March 24, 2005, 07:23:50 PM »

My thumb swells almost half again it's "smallest" size after several games..or it's hot ( I do have circulation problems, old army problem), anyway, I worked on my thumb hole, no ovals, just took a half round file...LIGHTLY...again>>LIGHTLY pulling out, size..do it again..( as you do one side, do the other the same pressure). My thumb hole is not oval, but not round, either...somewhere in between. This took me about 4 hours to get it to the 'perfect' fit for me. A couple years ago, I had finger and thumb problems, changed drillers and ..WOW ! this guy was good. I had no problems at all, except again when my thumb would swell.

My point, YOU need a new driller, IMO. You might also think about LIGHTLY working out the hole for yourself..BUT only slightly. If that doesn't work for you, then Plan 2...New Driller.

my 2 cents are up
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AZ Guy aka: R & L Bowlers Pro
rlbowlerspro@cox.net
www.rlbowlerspro.com

Sleep is over rated.

Hex017 · « **Reply #12 on:** March 24, 2005, 09:42:09 PM »

Again thanks for the replys everyone. I really think I may need to move to another shop and try an oval thumb hole. Thing is I'm going to have to wait. It is not that I don't want to spend the money, it is that I'm only 15 and don't have 30 bucks to spend on the thumb on every ball I have. I know to try just one first but even if I don't like it then it is just 30 more to try something else. I will go visit the shop in O'Fallon and talk to him. Hopefully he will help me out. As for adding more forward pitch I really don't think that is the problem. I am at 1/4 now, getting out of the ball really is not the problem, not getting out consistantly and blisters/sore thumb are the problems. If anyone else has anything to pitch in go for it. I will post after I visit the O'fallon shop and see what they have to say.
--------------------
-If you're not willing to change, you're not willing to improve.

-Life is like a coin, you can spend it any way you want, but you can only spend it once.

-I will forever love this great game, I love the people and the competition, I only wish the best would get the recognition of an ATHLETE that they deserve.

Doug Sterner · « **Reply #13 on:** March 24, 2005, 10:04:43 PM »

I use a slight ovasl in my thumb but I do use some other "tricks" to clean up my release.

I had been drilling my thumbhole 29/32 and ovalling out to 31/32. Now I am drilling thumbhole 15/16 and just relieving across my knuckle a hair. I also eliminated the reverse and right pitch in my ball. I now use 1/8 forward and 1 lateral instead of 1/8 reverse and 1/8 right.

I am also now adding Magic carpet to the back of the hole and 2 pc of white tape on the front. I also put Vise green tape on the back of my thumb. SNug fit but a nice clean release.

--------------------
Doug Sterner
Doug's Pro Shop
Owego, NY
http://dougsproshop@aol.com
www.dougsproshop.net
Although a small elite group, the bond among fellows can never be broken...FOS members rejoice!

Author Topic: The oval thumb hole, my driller, what happened. Help me out everyone. (Read 5255 times)

Hex017

The oval thumb hole, my driller, what happened. Help me out everyone.

Ragnar

Re: The oval thumb hole, my driller, what happened. Help me out everyone.

Hex017

Re: The oval thumb hole, my driller, what happened. Help me out everyone.

Ragnar

Re: The oval thumb hole, my driller, what happened. Help me out everyone.

njbowl

Re: The oval thumb hole, my driller, what happened. Help me out everyone.

LuckyLefty

Re: The oval thumb hole, my driller, what happened. Help me out everyone.

crankncrash

Re: The oval thumb hole, my driller, what happened. Help me out everyone.

Hex017

Re: The oval thumb hole, my driller, what happened. Help me out everyone.

DonSVO

Re: The oval thumb hole, my driller, what happened. Help me out everyone.

crankncrash

Re: The oval thumb hole, my driller, what happened. Help me out everyone.

JamesCube

Re: The oval thumb hole, my driller, what happened. Help me out everyone.

azguy

Re: The oval thumb hole, my driller, what happened. Help me out everyone.

Hex017

Re: The oval thumb hole, my driller, what happened. Help me out everyone.

Doug Sterner

Re: The oval thumb hole, my driller, what happened. Help me out everyone.