Thumb tape usage variance

[NewToBowling]

My thumb size is constantly changing. Good thing is it really doesn't change over course of a night but slow gradual changes throughout the year.

About 1-2 months ago I was at 1 White + 6-7 Black pieces of thumb tape in thumb hole.

Last week was at 1 Black. Tonight 2 Black. Talk about change.

[scottymoney]

Well the good thing is you use tape so you can make the necessary changes. Most bowlers don't understand this and then wonder why the thumb sticks but have no backup plan if their thumb does swell up. Best action is to have 5 or 6 pieces of tape in the ball when your thumb is normal. If it changes you have plenty of room to take out or add more.

[NewToBowling]

Well the good thing is you use tape so you can make the necessary changes. Most bowlers don't understand this and then wonder why the thumb sticks but have no backup plan if their thumb does swell up. Best action is to have 5 or 6 pieces of tape in the ball when your thumb is normal. If it changes you have plenty of room to take out or add more.

Yeah, first time I heard of thumb tape was from PSO when I asked him to drill me a new thumb hole slug as it was too loose now (he opened it up just a tad). He gave me a befuddled look and gave me two thumb tape pieces.

I was and still consider myself sort of a "newbie"

[JasonNJ]

I stopped using the tape that goes into the thumb hole. The white tape was starting to give me a callous on my thumb. I now use the cloth protective tape on my thumb itself and I love it. I feel like it gives me a better fit and it protects my thumb.

[NewToBowling]

I stopped using the tape that goes into the thumb hole. The white tape was starting to give me a callous on my thumb. I now use the cloth protective tape on my thumb itself and I love it. I feel like it gives me a better fit and it protects my thumb.

Talking about Vise Hada tapes? I use those also in conjunction with thumb hole tape

[billf]

Well the good thing is you use tape so you can make the necessary changes. Most bowlers don't understand this and then wonder why the thumb sticks but have no backup plan if their thumb does swell up. Best action is to have 5 or 6 pieces of tape in the ball when your thumb is normal. If it changes you have plenty of room to take out or add more.

5 or 6 pieces at your normal size. Doesn't that sound excessive? Usually when I get to six pieces I get a new slug. Chris Barnes uses a ton of tape but neither of us is him.
Depends on if you shrink or well during bowling. My thumb shrinks until about the twelfth game then swells pretty quick. So for me "normal" would be no tape then add as it shrinks. Not one to be considered a conformist I instead use an old Vise IT sleeve and force my thumb in for about five minutes. Then it stays that size unitl I'm either done bowling or about game 12.

[fortheloveofbowling]

I stopped using the tape that goes into the thumb hole. The white tape was starting to give me a callous on my thumb. I now use the cloth protective tape on my thumb itself and I love it. I feel like it gives me a better fit and it protects my thumb.

What brand of cloth protective tape and which one if there are different within that brand. I use white tape and have been thinking of experimenting with something different.

[Amyers]

5 or 6 pieces at your normal size. Doesn't that sound excessive? Usually when I get to six pieces I get a new slug. Chris Barnes uses a ton of tape but neither of us is him.
Depends on if you shrink or well during bowling. My thumb shrinks until about the twelfth game then swells pretty quick. So for me "normal" would be no tape then add as it shrinks. Not one to be considered a conformist I instead use an old Vise IT sleeve and force my thumb in for about five minutes. Then it stays that size unitl I'm either done bowling or about game 12.

It varies by the bowler. My thumb swells so I usually keep at least 4 pieces in the ball but one of my teammates uses 6 on each side. This becomes especially important to me during the spring summer months where often my 4 pieces become zero.

[Amyers]

What brand of cloth protective tape and which one if there are different within that brand. I use white tape and have been thinking of experimenting with something different.

I use the Vise Hada tape #3 but I still use both thumb tape and hole tape. The Hada tape helps protect my thumb and seems to help keep it from swelling but I still need hole tape to perfect the fit. I don't think I would be comfortable only using the Hada tape as how are you going to adjust if your thumb shrinks or swells?

[billf]

What brand of cloth protective tape and which one if there are different within that brand. I use white tape and have been thinking of experimenting with something different.

The Turbo brands very the speed of release by color. The Storm Thunder tape is thicker with a slower release. Most of the websites list the speed of release by color.

[billf]

It varies by the bowler. My thumb swells so I usually keep at least 4 pieces in the ball but one of my teammates uses 6 on each side. This becomes especially important to me during the spring summer months where often my 4 pieces become zero.

So he has a total of 12 pieces of tape. I've never heard of anyone who's thumb swelled a 1/2" or more before now.

[JasonNJ]

What brand of cloth protective tape and which one if there are different within that brand. I use white tape and have been thinking of experimenting with something different.

I'm using Lane Masters because they are the cheapest pre cut ones I could find. I'm pretty sure they all pretty similar, the different colors tell you the texture of the tape. Like blue is the slickest tape, mint is the most textured to give you the slowest release.

[JasonNJ]

I use the Vise Hada tape #3 but I still use both thumb tape and hole tape. The Hada tape helps protect my thumb and seems to help keep it from swelling but I still need hole tape to perfect the fit. I don't think I would be comfortable only using the Hada tape as how are you going to adjust if your thumb shrinks or swells?

For me, my thumb doesn't usually swell or shrink too much so just the hada tape is enough for me to get a nice fit. If I feel the hole is loose and my thumb is releasing too early, then I would probably add a white tape to the thumb hole.

[fortheloveofbowling]

I use the Vise Hada tape #3 but I still use both thumb tape and hole tape. The Hada tape helps protect my thumb and seems to help keep it from swelling but I still need hole tape to perfect the fit. I don't think I would be comfortable only using the Hada tape as how are you going to adjust if your thumb shrinks or swells?

Yeah, i will still have to use white tape because i fluctuate between 1-4 pieces. I am interested because jason seemed to be indicating his tape was similar release wise to white tape.

[Amyers]

Yeah, i will still have to use white tape because i fluctuate between 1-4 pieces. I am interested because jason seemed to be indicating his tape was similar release wise to white tape.

I've tried quite a few but never the lane masters brand. I never could use them before because all of them even the supposed slowest release tapes made the ball just fly off my hand. My PSO actually suggested using a piece of textured tape on the nail side where I apply the tape to slow it down and it worked for me but I'm not sure that will work for everybody.

[Amyers]

So he has a total of 12 pieces of tape. I've never heard of anyone who's thumb swelled a 1/2" or more before now.

I've never seen him take them all out. I think the least I've seen in the ball is three. The man's thumb is darn near the size of my wife's wrist though.

[scottymoney]

5 or 6 pieces at your normal size. Doesn't that sound excessive? Usually when I get to six pieces I get a new slug. Chris Barnes uses a ton of tape but neither of us is him.
Depends on if you shrink or well during bowling. My thumb shrinks until about the twelfth game then swells pretty quick. So for me "normal" would be no tape then add as it shrinks. Not one to be considered a conformist I instead use an old Vise IT sleeve and force my thumb in for about five minutes. Then it stays that size unitl I'm either done bowling or about game 12.

I don't think it is excessive..... Now that 12 pieces sounds excessive. Although I use tiered taping in the front of my thumb so the 2 to 3 tiers of tape never changes. so in thinking about it now I am only really at 4 to 5.

[NewToBowling]

I've had 1 white and 6-7 black in thumb hole before but that was probably after the white tape compressed and was basically the thickness of one black tape.

[foreverincamo]

Some of my balls have a piece or two of black tape in them, but I just picked up some white tape that has some texture to it to try on the front side of some thumb holes to help relax my grip. I'll try anything to get outta this slump!!

[AlexNC]

I use Vise Hada tape and black/white insert tape. My thumb tends to shrink during a session, but the bigger factor for me is the time of day. It would seem that my thumb is at its smallest in the evening around league time. If i start to feel discomfort/irritation on the back of the thumb from too much tape (like Ive created a little ridge on each side) its time to get a new slug.

[JasonNJ]

Yeah, i will still have to use white tape because i fluctuate between 1-4 pieces. I am interested because jason seemed to be indicating his tape was similar release wise to white tape.

I kind of wrap the tape. I put the tape diagonally from the inside of my thumb to the base of my thumb. I think that makes the tape take a little more room.

[Tony]

I use black tape in different amounts to get the right fit, the most I have is 4 pieces right now but have used up to 6. I have used white tape but found it has too much grip and
the extra grip along with a poorly drilled slug caused me some problems with compressing the nerve at the base of the thumb.

[foreverincamo]

My thumb and fingers change size quickly. I've had my hand fit my ball fine at 6:30 when I drop my ball on the return, then at 6:50 my thumb won't fit at all for practice. Game three I'm adding tape to hold onto the ball.

[Langdoj]

I just got all my equipment fitted with the interchangeable thumbs for this very reason. I have 2 thumbs currently and probably will be getting a much larger third one before nationals this year.

[scottymoney]

Even with interchangeable thumbs I would still suggest tape. A piece or 2 of tape can make all the difference.
and personally I like the tape texture better than the plastic interchangeable.