Bowling without thumb?

[YODA]

Not two handed. Does anyone bowl without thumb? When using house balls I used to bowl without thumb. Although I can do it with thumb with right drill layout, I cant get spin on house balls without taking thumb out. IS there a reason for this?

Any advantages to bowling without thumb? Besides higher rev rate? Is it really less accurate?

thanks

[e-tank]

When i started bowling i bowled without a thumb and yes i had issues with accuracy but that was because i just started. I bowl thumbless sometimes for cosmic just to try different things and i have no problem with accuracy now. Are you talking about getting revs or getting a hook? If you throw at a higher speed with lesser revs a plastic isnt going to hook much.

[James The Bowler]

Not two handed. Does anyone bowl without thumb? When using house balls I used to bowl without thumb. Although I can do it with thumb with right drill layout, I cant get spin on house balls without taking thumb out. IS there a reason for this?

Any advantages to bowling without thumb? Besides higher rev rate? Is it really less accurate?

thanks

It is slightly less accurate if you don't know how to throw it properly without it, but if you keep at it then you will become more accurate. On my league last night I just could not get any hook on my Marauder Madness so I took out my Brunswick Slingshot and started no thumbing it. I did a little bit better, but I just could not adjust to the lane conditions and that was the downfall last night. And the house balls are plastic (though some people can get a tremendous amount of hook with plastic balls) it depends on the amount of rotation you were getting onto the ball as well as the ball speed like e-tank had said before. When I no-thumb a lane ball I do it with either a 15 or 16 pounder (I throw a 14 with thumb) because it goes slower and is slightly more accurate for me. As to your last question of the advantages, there are always advantages and disadvantages of different bowling styles. It all depends on how you throw it and whether or not you are used to it. Hope this helps :)

[YODA]

My biggest hurdle is learning to bowl with thumb. I think it would improve my scores, I could be wrong, but my accuracy with using no thumb is decent, but sometimes I have trouble finding the right spot, or my ball is more sporadic then I want it to be. I havent bought a new ball in about 4 years, aand I havent bowled much in the past year at all except on family getaways. I am getting back into leagues, looking into getting a DV8 or Storm ball or maybe one of both:) but I want to learn more about getting the right drill layout, and how to get the spin on the ball with thumb. I have done it before, but sometimes I cant get the ball to hook unless using a throw without my thumb.

[e-tank]

the way i learned how to do it was to get lift on the ball and do the motion of throwing an underhand spiral

[UBowling]

Yes it is less accurate for the simple fact that you do not have a stabilizing force on the ball opposite your fingers. The ball could deviate position at any time during your approach and consistency is almost impossible. I always recommend either use your thumb, or go two handed.

[UBowling]

Throwing a hook is all about putting your fingers in the best position to get lift on the ball. It isn't your wrist and hand turning the ball, you get your hand in the correct position and then as you release the ball it is your fingers lifting and putting torque on it that creates the rotation. You get more or less leverage with your fingers based on your wrist position and the more underneath the equator of the ball you are the more revolutions you can impart to it.

[YODA]

Gonna have to keep practicing to see if I can get it right..Guess there is one good thing, and thats that I get to spend more time on the lanes:)

[billf]

But, if you play the inside part of the ball, the wrist will naturally rotate giving axis rotation to compliment those revs from lifting.

[ArtVandelay]

I have trouble clearing my thumb sometimes... Im Devils advocate here, I would say Im MORE accurate going thumbless. 10 pin is the only pin that gets me, but I bet Im around 75% these days if I had to guess.

I can kinda go either way. With the thumb, my wrist seems less stressed, but my thumb hurts after a few frames. Without the thumb, my thumb is ime, but I have to use a wrist brace that Im not a huge fan of...

[americantrotter]

There are folks who say that going without the thumb is less accurate. On the whole they are correct. However, there were folks who thought the two-handers were doomed to obscurity too. With Tom Daugherty having won a tourney it highlights the fact that it can be done. As with everything comfort and ability to repeat matter most. There is another thread discussing fundamentals and how doing the "accepted" thing doesn't always optimize ability.

Take a look at the top level of the PBA tour, it's not exactly a bunch of cookie cutter robots.

[Kobra167]

You dont get much revs when you put your thumb in the house because is conventional drilling most of the time. There is a guy in my men league that averages 220 with one hand and no thumb. Conventional wisdom saying get your thumb in the ball. But if you can get the ball to roll the right way, with good axis migration, and be accurate without losing control of the ball go ahead. with enough practice anything can work. The biggest downside is that is gives you less options in dealing with lane condition changes.