Thumb swells over time?

[DLP]

The two balls I have (my Pyramid Path and my T-Zone), I had the pro drill the thumb hole out a little bit because it always felt like my thumb was sticking.

Today I got a chance to throw the Ebonite Cyclone that was my husbands but I adopted. When the pro drilled the thumb hole he didn't make it a little bit bigger so when I first tried the ball it was a little tight. Or at least I thought it was.

After bowling two games by adjusting my grip to have the thumb release more cleanly, I tried switching back to my T-Zone and the thumb hole felt to big. That is until I got about 2/3 of the way through my second game. Between the slurping and audible popping noises from there on out I am certain my thumb started to swell. By the third game it was catching enough that I was lofting it down the lane and it was no longer releasing cleanly off my thumb.

Is this a common problem?

And if so, how can I compensate for it?

I'm reluctant to even touch the thumb hole because frankly during my first game and into my second the ball just felt REALLY REALLY good in my hands.
Considering I went from a 96-69-98 series to a 109-105-77 with just the ball change and the awareness of the change in my release to make sure my thumb doesn't stick... I'm doing something better!

[e-tank]

i wrap a towel around my thumb while im waiting for my turn. Havent had a problem since i started doing this

[DLP]

Thanks. I'll have to give it a shot.

Hubby decided since we won't be bowling this weekend because it's our Relay For Life event that we're taking advantage of the Memorial Day deal at the local Brunswick and going to go throw a few more lines.

This will probably not end well :)

[Greenday]

I have my thumb holes drilled larger so there's room as my thumb expands. While it's smaller, I put grip tape in it.

[DLP]

I think I need to rename the thread to "getting your ball drilled right = learning how to throw the damn thing". We ended up at the lanes again for 2 hrs tonight. And yes, the ball stuck on my thumb, more times than I care to admit. But.. and I say BUT... there were also times when it rolled off perfectly, right down the lane, and right where I wanted it to. And it wasn't game specific, but 100% release specific. I would know immediately right before the point of release if I was going to have the stuck thumb issue, the other extreme of that ball dropping off my hand before the foul line and merrily rolling its own way down the lane, or it actually doing what it was supposed to.

I noticed that if I didn't wear my wrist support, my thumb placement would be all wrong and my thumb would get stuck just picking the ball up. This led to more than one instance that required the assistance of my hubby in order to help me ease my thumb out of the ball.

Wearing my wrist support, I noticed that if I placed my fingers first and let the palm of my hand roll and relax against the ball and let my thumb slide into the hole before picking the ball up I would get the exact feel of how the ball should feel in and on my hand and how it should feel releasing.

Which led me to, due to my extremely keen sense of the obvious and through sheer power of deduction, come to the conclusion that I've been throwing the ball WRONG since day 1!!! Not completely wrong, I mean the ball wasn't ending up in the snack bar, but incorrect enough that, well, that I thought all along my thumb hole on my prior to balls, despite being fit for them by the local pro, was to small. Three cheers for the Pro sticking me with the smaller thumb hole!

Hubby is telling me I should get the hole sanded down a hair to ease the sticking problem but I am very reluctant to do so because I KNOW I can throw that thing, and throw it with consistency if I get the release right.

I know what I am doing wrong and now it is just a matter of time to grow out of the consistency of doing it "the wrong" way. There were times when the stars aligned tonight and I was even learning how the mild adjustments in my fingers were giving me my intentional fade (yes the whole leftie hook thing from a righty) and actually getting some very minor hook (that rescued me from the gutter more than once).

Btw - the wrapping the thumb in the towel worked as I was trying to work all this out in my head. It gave me some slight "play room" while still adjusting to the new, that was old, but is new again drill pattern.

[Tampabaybob]

DLP....One thing you can bank on during the summer is that your hand will swell. Likewise in the colder parts of the country during the winter months walking in out of the cold, your thumb hole will feel too big. The answer (as already mentioned) drill the hole 1/64" larger and use bowlers tape....problem solved.

[DLP]

Is using tape a preference thing? One brand over the other? Recommend how to tape?

I still consider myself a newbie bowling and am learning between what the Pro provides, things I learn here, youtube, watching others bowl, and guidance from my husband.

[billf]

http://www.bowlingboards.com/threads/11932-How-to-put-on-finger-and-thumb-tape Our forum thread on how to use and apply tape.
If you use bowler's thumb tape, the curved edge goes up. Many, including myself, at first try putting the curved edge down so it looks like your thumb. That's not why it's curved though. The curving helps to keep the tape in place and not curl.
The black tape is slicker and designed to go on the knuckle side of the thumb. The white tape is coarse, goes towards the inside of the thumb and increases grip. If your span is correct, using tape in front of the thumb can/will alter your span.

[DLP]

Great thread! Thank you :)

[Gunz1911]

Billf, Have you ever tried a thumb cover? I've been bouncing between my thumb cover, tape and just bare naked thumb. I have to say it is slightly wierd using the cover, but you get no friction or blisters on your hand.

http://www.bowlingball.com/products/bowling-accessories/bowlingballcom/10025/Thumb-Protector-Right-Handed.html

This is the thumb cover I have and it works decent, but does make your thumb a bit bigger.

[travkoiboi]

Have a few switch grips. One is snug before season, one is larger than thumb, and one is in the middle of those 2. Once season starts thumb swells, so I normally have to start with large switch grip then work way down as thumb develops a callas. I never break skin wear skin tape along thumb.

[Tampabaybob]

Switch grips have been a great invention for this type of problem. Years ago "before" switch grips the only way around the problem was to increase the size of the hole and use different layers of tape.

[billf]

Billf, Have you ever tried a thumb cover? I've been bouncing between my thumb cover, tape and just bare naked thumb. I have to say it is slightly wierd using the cover, but you get no friction or blisters on your hand.

http://www.bowlingball.com/products/bowling-accessories/bowlingballcom/10025/Thumb-Protector-Right-Handed.html

This is the thumb cover I have and it works decent, but does make your thumb a bit bigger.

Never tried it. Thought about it but didn't lol

[DLP]

Switch grips - interesting concept! Never thought about (nor did I ask) if it were actually possible have thumb hole grips that you could swap back and forth between.

Bowling tonight, I wasn't do to bad with the ever so slightly adjusted thumb hole. Two things of note though:

1) Once again about 1/2 through the third game (so more tolerable than previously) my thumb was really sticking. I found that wrapping the towel around my thumb only worked for a little while. What ended up giving me greater relief to the sticky thumb issue was what was also mentioned. Put towel over thumb, insert thumb into hole and work at it until it fits with towel over thumb. After doing that I saw immediate relief and finished out the came with two strikes and 9 pines (while previously I was lucky to drop 7 pins at a time).
So thanks for the advice, whoever recommended that one :)

2) I wear a wrist brace I got when I first started bowling. What I've run into, without the brace, my thumb sticks really really bad. Like, I may need to go run and get the salad dressing, bad. With the brace on, it isn't a problem until actual thumb swelling occurs. Could wearing the brace (since it comes across between the webbing between my thumb and index finger) be changing the shape of my hand and acting like some type of hand fat girdle?

[classygranny]

I just had my two new balls done with interchangeable thumb grips and I LOVE THEM. I have three sizes, but so far I have only been able to use 2 - that 3rd one will come in handy in cooler weather. I come out of the ball great and both balls feels exactly the same. Anyone with thumb changing sizes should seriously consider this option - I would pay double the price they are as it is well worth it! - but don't tell my ProShop guy...lol.

[DLP]

Talked to the pro today and the interchangeable grips are probably the direction I'll end up going. I talked to the pro today and he has them in his shop so it is only a matter of time!
Planning on working with him early next week with tape to see if I can get some control of the immense amount of swelling that is occurring over the span of just three games. I know summer is a heck of a time to bowl with the humidity and heat but being in a/c doing something I love, so there!!!

[billf]

What part of your thumb is swelling? The tip, knuckle, base or all three?

[DLP]

From just behind knuckle to base.

[billf]

Have the pro shop help you with tape. It will helpo come out quicker. Here's what you don't want to hear: you're bending your thumb in the ball causing the irritation. This is a common problem. The hole is too big giving the impression to your brain that the ball will fall off your hand. Keep all the pressure between your index finger and base of the thumb. Think about keeping your thumb bent backwards, like you want the nail to rub the ball. Chances are you will be like 75% of people and the nail won't rub.

If you're not using fingertip grip, disregard all I said above. Then get fingertip grips and try again.

[Tampabaybob]

Bill's correct, I used to knuckle the ball for years, so I always had a much larger thumb hole and played the tape game. Finally a buddy of mine, at a pro shop asked me to give him a ball and let him plug it to solve the problem. Without telling me what he did, he drilled it and told me to go out and try it. I was like WOW !! He drilled the thumb hole "smaller" but changed the pitches on the thumb. No more knot on the back of my thumb, no more sore thumb, and VERY SELDOM, do I ever use tape. So have your guy in the proshop check your thumb pitches as well and maybe he can cure that. But the interchangeable grips would still be a great option for you.