BallReviews
General Category => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: TheGom on November 12, 2014, 07:03:15 PM
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I roam ebay a bit and I sure see a lot of balls with White Tape on the top side of the thumb hole were I always thought it was more for the front side since it has some tack for that part of the thumb.
It seems like texture on the back side might break skin since it's not at tough as the front...so tell me why I see this so much?
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Helps me relax my thumb more with white tape in the back.
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I used to use white tape both front and back to get a tighter fit. everyone is different on how they want their thumb to feel and fit. The white tape helped me keep my thumb inside just a tad longer.
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Some bowlers feel that putting too much tape in the front of the ball will change the span, so they prefer to put tape on the back side of the thumb hole. As far as the tape tearing the skin on the back side of the thumb, it is like anything else - if you build up the skin it won't bother you after time. Some bowlers have that problem when they first start using Magic Carpets (which are placed on the back side of the thumb hole) and they have to get the skin toughened up a bit.
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Is it silly to use protective thumb tape and white tape in the back of the thumb?
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Some bowlers feel that putting too much tape in the front of the ball will change the span, so they prefer to put tape on the back side of the thumb hole. As far as the tape tearing the skin on the back side of the thumb, it is like anything else - if you build up the skin it won't bother you after time. Some bowlers have that problem when they first start using Magic Carpets (which are placed on the back side of the thumb hole) and they have to get the skin toughened up a bit.
This
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it's just a different feel. Black tape tends to be more slippery, less friction. White tape tends ot be more less slippery and have more friction. The roughness of white tape ismore like an on/off switch. You relax and you come right out of the ball, The black requires a tighter fit before you are able to allow it to slip off your thumb.
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Is it silly to use protective thumb tape and white tape in the back of the thumb?
I would think so....surface against surface
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Is it silly to use protective thumb tape and white tape in the back of the thumb?
I would think so....surface against surface
Thanks, I was thinking the same. Yet I see people do this, I would think it defeats the purpose. Anyone else?
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I don't use grip tape on my hands. I do use white tape in the back, nothing in the front.
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Bowlers that tend to knuckle love protective tape on the back of their own thumb not in the hole. ;)
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I've always used white in the back. Good enough for Durbin, good enough for me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYnnjRHQ39g
There was a video on youtube showing all the different ways that PBA players tape. I can't seem to find it but there were as many variations in location as you can possibly imagine.
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Bowlers that tend to knuckle love protective tape on the back of their own thumb not in the hole. ;)
Lot of tour players and high level amateurs must knuckle it then.......
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As far as tape goes, it is what ever works best for you. Just remember the goal:
you are looking for a good fit that allows you to have a relax grip.
I have seen the tape tier method, tape on front and back, tape on the side. I also see tape up to the top or 1/4" below the edge of the thumb hole.
I went through several items with my daughter and she likes the Turbo Shur Cushions. I like white tape on the back. At one time my thumb hole was tight as possible and I would put easy slide on my thumb.
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Bowlers that tend to knuckle love protective tape on the back of their own thumb not in the hole. ;)
Lot of tour players and high level amateurs must knuckle it then.......
Would you agree that the majority of lessor skilled players enjoy using a cushioned hada type tape on their thumbs so they can knuckle it with a loose fit thumb (because they don't use tape in the ball to get a correct fit) and not tear up their thumb by using a protective thumb tape?
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Thegom...I see bowlers putting white tape all over the place...Now as far as putting it in the back of the thumb...Yes that at first might be too much...But tape
gets soil quickly...and then it's smoother...White tape tends to turn yellow if left
in the ball too long...
Now as for me...one piece if white tape in front...and Storm Skin Protection tape
on my thumb...
works just fine... ;)
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I would think more bowlers are going to the protective tape on the backs of their thumbs than anything and most of the texture is 'grippy' similar to white tape
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I would think more bowlers are going to the protective tape on the backs of their thumbs than anything and most of the texture is 'grippy' similar to white tape
Rico...In my area we are at about 80% of league bowlers using Skin Protection Tape....Woman especially love it...
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Would you agree or think it's as much protection as grip support?
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I have always used vise protective tape on my thumb and white tape in back of thumb hole. While the white tape is "grippy", the protective tape is smooth and allows me to have a tight fit thumb without it hanging up.
I found that just protective tape caused thumb to exit too smooth or quickly. A vast majority of professionals use protective tape and white tape in back of thumb hole. It all depends on thumb pitch and feel preference, IMO.
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I need to buy stock in Vise, I sell out of the hada patches SO fast.
I personally can't stand the stuff, and it's not because it isn't good and it's not because it doesn't work, it's because for 90% of the people that use it, it's a crutch so they can grip the hell out of the ball without ripping their thumb open. If you have a good fit and don't grip the ball through the release, you should be able to bowl SEVERAL games a day without any issues. The vast majority of the people that use it are in the shop quite frequently needing the thumbhole buzzed out. They aren't getting blisters, their thumb is just ballooning out.
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I use the smooth Hada tape so I can have the hole a little tighter and get a quicker release. IT thumb slug so I rarely need black or white tape. Definitely a lot of people using it as a crutch,along with cork, tape and whatever else they can jam into a poorly fillting thumb hole.
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I use the smooth Hada tape so I can have the hole a little tighter and get a quicker release. IT thumb slug so I rarely need black or white tape. Definitely a lot of people using it as a crutch,along with cork, tape and whatever else they can jam into a poorly fillting thumb hole.
Without using cork, tape and whatever else...What is a good fitting thumb hole?
At what point is it a good fit if the thumb swells and shrinks periodically?
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My thumb is oval. I do not drill it oval. I drill a 15/16" hole which is a bit large and add two pieces of white tape in the front at 2-3 o'clock and then three to four pieces in the back at 7 o'clock. It puts the tape perfect on the front and back sides of my thumb to make the hole fit perfect. I can relax my hand in the ball and feel nothing with the tape. The back side does ware down and isn't really an issue for irritation on the skin.
Now as the weather changes I can add or remove tape as needed and always have a very consistent fit in every ball because they are all the same. For me it is a very simple and relaxing fit.
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Earl Anthony ovaled his thumb holes simarily...used white first aid tape and placed around the hole to fit the desired release.
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Earl Anthony ovaled his thumb holes simarily...used white first aid tape and placed around the hole to fit the desired release.
Based on this statement, It might make sense to have a larger thumb hole, then use tape or whatever to customize it at the lanes.
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My thumb is oval. I do not drill it oval. I drill a 15/16" hole which is a bit large and add two pieces of white tape in the front at 2-3 o'clock and then three to four pieces in the back at 7 o'clock. It puts the tape perfect on the front and back sides of my thumb to make the hole fit perfect. I can relax my hand in the ball and feel nothing with the tape. The back side does ware down and isn't really an issue for irritation on the skin.
Now as the weather changes I can add or remove tape as needed and always have a very consistent fit in every ball because they are all the same. For me it is a very simple and relaxing fit.
I use the same basic technique and philosophy for taping. But I've never been able to have a final exposed piece of white on the back. For my skin, it's too abrasive. As a solution, I put a piece of Master Quik-Release tape on the final piece of white so I can get out clean. The Quik-Release tape is very thin, and doesn't noticeably change the size of the hole.
Before anyone suggests it, I don't knuckle the ball. I have a tight hole with 1/8" forward in the thumb.
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I think it all comes down to personal preference and comfort for a lot of people.
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Did you guys try the TIERED TAPE technique? Check out Coach Joe Slowinskis' site and on YouTube on how to do this. I had a problem with knuckling my thumb and there was a callous on the back from doing this, and this is with using Vise tape on the back of my thumb. I actually started getting it when I tried the Magic Carpet, and it's been with me ever since. With the TIERED TAPE, I no longer knuckle the thumbhole, and the fit feels really good. I can really relax my hand and get a nice smooth release.
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Did you guys try the TIERED TAPE technique? Check out Coach Joe Slowinskis' site and on YouTube on how to do this. I had a problem with knuckling my thumb and there was a callous on the back from doing this, and this is with using Vise tape on the back of my thumb. I actually started getting it when I tried the Magic Carpet, and it's been with me ever since. With the TIERED TAPE, I no longer knuckle the thumbhole, and the fit feels really good. I can really relax my hand and get a nice smooth release.
I don't knuckle the ball and really don't have any issues with grip, but I tried out Slowinski's technique just to see what it was about.
First, it was an absolute pain to cut up all the small pieces of tape. And after I constricted the pieces according to directions, all the resulting edges caused discomfort when I put my thumb in the hole. I tried moving pieces up and down as recommended, but nothing felt really comfortable.
In the end, in my opinion, his technique does little (if anything more) than simply layering pieces in the front of the hole. Others might have different experiences, but it didn't work for me.
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I think if you can feel the ridges then it's not fitted right. Yes, it is pain staking and does take time and experimentation. It took me several tries to get it pretty much where I want it to be. I don't feel any ridges. I'm glad that you tried it and I agree, it's not for everyone.
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I think if you can feel the ridges then it's not fitted right. Yes, it is pain staking and does take time and experimentation. It took me several tries to get it pretty much where I want it to be. I don't feel any ridges. I'm glad that you tried it and I agree, it's not for everyone.
I'll accept that the possibility I didn't fit the stacked pieces of small tape correctly, creating the ridges that caused discomfort. Although I think I hit it correctly. I honestly experimented with a few different placements as suggested, but nothing felt natural. I think part of it is I go with a tighter thumbhole, which is going to make multiple stacked layers of small pieces of tape more noticeable.
Regardless, I'm glad it worked for you. One of the certainties of bowling is that there are always multiple ways of achieving something. I would hope others would experiment with the technique and decide it works for them.
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I have the majority of my balls drilled with thumbholes that are too big. I do this to allow for my fingers swelling since I wear a wrist brace, and sometimes a forearm brace as well.
Depending on the house my fingers will swell and I have to be able to get out the ball smoothly and quickly. I use white tape on the front of the hole for friction on my thumb pad. I use a piece of Velcro fabric for the backside to give myself a snug fit, that does not grab. It has worked well for me since the 90's.
When I first started bowling I actually used the hook side of Velcro, on the front side of the hole for friction on my thumb pads. Talk about building up a callous quick.....whew!
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I have the majority of my balls drilled with thumbholes that are too big. I do this to allow for my fingers swelling since I wear a wrist brace, and sometimes a forearm brace as well.
Depending on the house my fingers will swell and I have to be able to get out the ball smoothly and quickly. I use white tape on the front of the hole for friction on my thumb pad. I use a piece of Velcro fabric for the backside to give myself a snug fit, that does not grab. It has worked well for me since the 90's.
When I first started bowling I actually used the hook side of Velcro, on the front side of the hole for friction on my thumb pads. Talk about building up a callous quick.....whew!
Magic Carpet would have made it easier on your thumb ...
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Helps me relax my thumb more with white tape in the back.
+1
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I use 1" white tape in both the front and back of the thumb hole (I have a larger-than-average thumb), and I go back and forth using blue Hada patches on the outside of my thumb. I can see the logic in using white in front, black in back and not using skin tape and white tape (friction on friction), but as others have said, it's all about feel and personal preference. As such, I don't think there is a right or wrong way to use these products. If duct tape and magic carpet allow you to achieve a relaxed/comfortable/pressure free grip, I'm not going to tell you you're wrong for using it. Hell, I bowled with a guy who bowled with a missing finger insert for more than a full season because he was too cheap to get a replacement put in. I found that very foolish, but it didn't seem to bother him, and his bowling performance was still at the same level it had always been at. In the end, it's about doing you. If you aren't getting a good feel, experiment with the things that you see others doing. If you already have a good feel, don't let anyone make you feel like you're doing something wrong just because it's not the method they use.