How long does a slug last in a bowling ball

[Hammer]

If you have a slug in your thumb hole does that ever have to be changed? I think those are made of urethane. Because your hand size can change can it be changed with a new one for better fit? How long do they last? I know there are removable thumb slugs that you can remove and put in another ball you have so you have the same fit every time in every ball you have.

[Ryster]

Slugs can be either vinyl or urethane. They should last the life of the ball unless the glue used to hold them in fails or the slug itself gets damaged [both cases have happened to me, although only 2 or 3 times in the past 27 years.]

Slugs can be removed and new ones glued in to accommodate changes in grip, thumb size, etc.

[SRB57]

I have never had thumb slug fail or be replaced. They last the life of the ball. I wear finger inserts out where they need to be replaced during a season. Steve

[J Anderson]

If you have a slug in your thumb hole does that ever have to be changed? I think those are made of urethane. Because your hand size can change can it be changed with a new one for better fit? How long do they last? I know there are removable thumb slugs that you can remove and put in another ball you have so you have the same fit every time in every ball you have.

Slugs and “removable thumb slugs” are different. Traditional slugs will last a very long time. They only need to be changed if you are making a change to your grip that involves your thumb. I believe they have to drill the old one out. Since the new slug is glued in place the process goes much faster than having finger holes plugged and redrilled.

Interchangeable thumbs seem to be less durable. When they first came out one brand seemed to be less likely to break than the other, but I have no idea if this is still the case.

[boomer]

Plus the fit between the thumb slug and the ball is T I G H T - very tight.

[Ryster]

I have had ball returns chip/crack/damage a couple of slugs in the past to the point they needed to be replaced. I have also had glue fail in a couple where the slug either came out or "dropped" farther in to the thumb hole. For the one that came out, I simply glued it back in myself with gorilla glue and it was fine until the ball was discarded. For the one that dropped down in to the thumb hole, that was PSO error when doing a thumb mold. The PSO was using cheap materials for molds and trying to further cut cost by making the molds shorter in length than traditional. The thumb hole was drilled to standard depth, but the thumb slug made from the mold was shorter. The glue gave up and the molded slug dropped in to the hole. At that point I gave up on thumb molds and that particular PSO. My current PSO just uses regular urethane slugs and I have had no problems at all.

[Hammer]

Thanks for your comments folks.

[Phonetek]

One thing about the urethane thumb slugs. I've been using them forever,? Love the feel of them. However, one ball I had the slug chopped and cracked. It was very old. When my PSO replaced it he asked "How many times had it been replaced?" In that ball the one he was to replace was the original one. I asked "Why?" He said "The ball core was loose which was symptomatic of it being replaced multiple times."

Needles to say it went in the trash instead. Loose core, ball no good. Apparently this can happen when the pound the slug in with the mallet. In my opinion if it's that tight that they have to pound that hard that perhaps the PSO that originally put it in could have taken a smidge out of the hole first so he didn't have to beat it in like he was Thor. Perhaps it could have been avoided? Just a guess.

Again, that was an old ball. On modern equipment it's more likely the cover will crack long before the slug goes bad anyway. It was still worth sharing.