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Author Topic: Thumb Problems  (Read 2909 times)

Alto101

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Thumb Problems
« on: May 14, 2003, 01:05:14 PM »
I am sure this has been discussed earlier on this board so I apologize in advance.  I am having problems with my thumb.  When I first take my ball out of my bag, and for the first 4 frames or so, my thumb doesn't fit into my thumbhole deep enough and it is an effort to even get my thumb into the hole.  After a few frames, my thumb is perfectly matched with my thumbhole and I feel comfortable.  Unfortunately, this does not last.  Soon, my thumb actually seems to get too small for the thumbhole which causes my thumb to go further down into the hole than I can be comfortable with.  This causes me a lot of problems with my release.  I am new to the game so I have no idea what is going on here.  Is it my thumb or the ball?  What are these thumb slugs I hear about?  Should I be using one?  Any suggestions would be appreciated.  Thanks!!!

 

LuckyLefty

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Re: Thumb Problems
« Reply #1 on: May 15, 2003, 04:48:23 AM »
It's your thumb, get a new one!

No seriously.

Almost all bowlers, (almost) thumbs get smaller when they bowl.

Mine can't even fit in my ball in the morning usually.

As you bowl most people's thumb gets smaller.

That is why most pros drill the thumbhole too big and start with tape maybe one piece front and back. As the night goes on they add.

To ever show up at a tournament and only get their thumb in the hole only half way is something a pro can not afford to do.

Neither can you.

REgards,

Luckylefty
It takes Courage to have Faith, and Faith to have Courage.

James M. McCurley, New Orleans, Louisiana

Alto101

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Re: Thumb Problems
« Reply #2 on: May 15, 2003, 06:45:43 AM »
Thanks for the reply Luckylefty.  Why does a person's thumb get smaller when they bowl?  Do most readers of this board have the same problem?  Is there any tape that is better than others?

Thanks again!


Rev-less

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Re: Thumb Problems
« Reply #3 on: May 15, 2003, 08:03:49 AM »
I must be one of the few odd bowlers around here. My thumb tends to *expand* as I bowl, causing me to constantly put lots of tape in during practice and then remove them slowly between games. The expansion is caused by the unavoidable need to apply considerable 'squeeze' on the ball during my swing, because of my smaller span and weaker wrist.

But a thumb that shrinks overtime is better than one that expands imo because it is easier to tell when your thumb is too small for the hole (and hence requires tape) than when it is too big. Often during leagues I would waste a frame or 2 because the ball hung a little bit on the release, causing a bad shot.

dicnic

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Re: Thumb Problems
« Reply #4 on: May 15, 2003, 08:33:25 AM »
Go to www.bowl4fun.com and click on the "Ron's Magic Carpets" logo. They are Velcro type tape inserts for your thumb hole. Solved my swelling/shrinking problems immediately! Wonderful solution.
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Pinbuster

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Re: Thumb Problems
« Reply #5 on: May 15, 2003, 10:20:51 AM »
Actually my experience has been that most bowlers will swell during bowling.

Thumbs that shrink are the hardest to get right. You either have to get your thumb to shrink before you start or add tape to the hole as it shrinks and then take it all back out when you start again. Most of our customers like to pre-shrink their thumbs.

This solution has been said before, we give old used oval thumb inserts that are small to some of our shrinking customers. They jam their thumb into the insert and wear it before they bowl and between shots. The tight sleeve hole will cause the thumb to shrink.

I've seen some bowlers wrap a towel around their thumb tightly to pre-shrink the thumb, I've seen some other bowlers run cold water over their thumb to shrink it.

10 In The Pit

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Re: Thumb Problems
« Reply #6 on: May 17, 2003, 06:37:54 AM »
You might want to consider my route to battling the shrinking thumb problem which I fight with too.  I use a series of preformed vinyl thumb sleeves (which are really designed to be glued into the thumbhole) to gradually shrink my thumb down before I bowl.  I know what siae my thumbhole is, so I have to shrink the thumb down to that size before starting to bowl.  Yes, it is a hassle to do this, but it does get the job done.  One benefit of using the vinly preformed thumb sleeves (the hole is already there) is that they tend to give a little bit when you are trying to force the thumb into a tighter hole.  If you try this same deal with a drilled urethane slug, the urethane slug will not give any, making it more difficult to get the thumb into.

However, if using a slug in your thumbhole, I would recommend that you use a urethane slug in the ball, since urethane slugs give you a cleaner release than vinyl slugs will.

Now you are sitting there wondering what the difference is between slugs and sleeves.  Well, a slug is basically a solid piece of material (either urethane or vinyl) that is inserted into the ball.....the driller first drills a hole for the slug, then the solid slug is inserted into the ball, then the driller drills the thumbhole inside the slug.  The purpose of using a slug is to get a consistent feel from ball to ball, and to prevent your thumb from grabbing the coverstock of the ball.  Vinyl slugs are smoother and softer, but they will grab your thumb if your thumb is damp.  Urethane slugs are harder, but they give you a cleaner release.  Thumb sleeves are basically a piece of material (either urethane, vinyl, or plastic) that has a standard exterior diameter, and the thumbhole is already preformed inside of the sleeve.  You can get sleeves in both round holes or oval holes, and the holes come from the factory.

Now I have you totally confused!