Preventing thumb blisters...not sure where this goes

[Monte]

Hi everyone. This is my first post (of hopefully many) on this forum. I'm a lefty, and I've been bowling since before I was a teenager. All the bowling balls I've ever owned have always been pre-owned, and for right-handers. I've always played a fairly straight line, over the 2nd arrow or so (10 boards from the left), but occasionally to get the ball I currently have to get a slightly bigger hook, I have to play out near the 5th board (1st arrow).

I've got a couple of questions about preventing thumb blisters. A few months ago I "bought" a ball online. It was one of those things where you can get a free ball, just pay shipping. I ended up with an old "pancake block" Brunswick Raptor.

Well, when I took it to get it drilled, I think the guy drilled my thumb hole just a bit too tight. My old ball before that one was a black Hammer (solid black, with just a hammer on it). It was drilled a bit long, and blistered my thumb after about two plus games, where my palm and thumb meet. This ball doesn't do that, but it blisters the side of my thumb. So if you had your hand facing palm down, and were looking down at it, it would be on the "outside" of the thumb.

This blistering happens after about two+ games. I'm wondering if the guy who drilled it either drilled it a hair too tight, or didn't do the pitch right.

Any advice on this? I've heard of people getting small sanding attachments on their electric drills and just sanding the hole slightly larger. Should I take it back and ask him to drill the hole slightly bigger?

I also have a question about high-performance balls, but I'll ask that in a different thread.

Any advice here is greatly appreciated.

[bowl1820]

Just go back to the pro-shop and they can open the hole up some (They don't have to drill it bigger).

Depending on where the blister is, it could be a "pitch" problem.

Take a look at this page:

http://www.jayhawkbowling.com/Pro_s_Corner/Fitting_Tips/fitting.html

It can give some possible causes of the blister.

[Monte]

Thanks! That's very informative. It seems like it's either the hole is too tight, or there's too much pitch. How do they open the hole up? I'm curious how that works. Is this something they might charge me for?

[bowl1820]

Thanks! That's very informative. It seems like it's either the hole is too tight, or there's too much pitch. How do they open the hole up? I'm curious how that works. Is this something they might charge me for?

There's a couple of different sanders.

They can buzz the hole out with the bevel sander or a long drum sander, there's a scraper tool that can be used.
They shouldn't charge you for that.


You could do it yourself, just take a piece of sand paper and your finger or wrap around a dowel rod, and work it out a little.

[Mike White]

Thanks! That's very informative. It seems like it's either the hole is too tight, or there's too much pitch. How do they open the hole up? I'm curious how that works. Is this something they might charge me for?

They shouldn't charge.

You've already paid to have it done right.

You're just looking for delivery on the "done right" part.

[DLP]

Agree with Mike. Don't be afraid to keep going back to get it "just right".

I've been chasing the elusive thumb hole over the last year (between here and another forum it's all documented). Two Pro shops, three pro shop operators later and it's finally been fixed. Just don't give up on it, as a bowler you owe it to yourself to make sure your grip is pain free.

[Monte]

They shouldn't charge.

You've already paid to have it done right.

You're just looking for delivery on the "done right" part.

Mike:

What's interesting about that is that I actually mentioned the thumb hole being "a little tight" when the guy drilled it to begin with. He told me it just felt that way because I was used to "gripping" my old ball (which was drilled a bit long, as I noted in my OP).

I'm really trying to get a good track on it, so I can get an accurate PAP for when I get a "high performance" ball.

[DLP]

I used that as an excuse for myself for awhile "that I was holding on" and kept telling myself that if I could just not do that, my thumb would feel better.

I tried. I dealt with it for a very long time. It never got better, only got worse. I've torn up the outside of my thumb, the inside of my thumb, and the back of my thumb (under the nail).

If it hurts and feels uncomfortable it is going to be more difficult to not hold on.

Look up tiered taping by Joe Slowinski. It's something I used at one time to help with not gripping and I'm planning on going back to it.
If your thumb hole is that tight though, you may not have any room for tape.

http://www.itbca.bowlingknowledge.info/index.php/2013-fall/95-tiered-taping-a-process-to-reduce-grip-pressure-and-improve-swing-release

[Blomer]

Get it opened up. Can always use tape or get it redrilled with a new slug. You might also be getting blisters like I did when i first get my new ball and bowl too much with it. I was excited to due it and bowled more than usual.

[dnhoffman]

I'd be careful that you're not just squeezing too tight because the thumb isn't tight enough...

[Amyers]

I fought and fought with this tried lots of thing finally realized I was gripping the ball. I use roby's skin patch over the area before it becomes a problem now and I'm working on not gripping but the roby's skin patch has been amazing.