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View Full Version : First finger tip ball and spans that are way to far off



slmrcs
06-08-2012, 05:40 PM
Why does this happen

My nephew is turning 13, and got him 1st ball, to see if he wants to get into bowling.

A week ago, put his hand into my ball, and we measured that his span would be about 1/2 inch less on both fingers.
Get ball, and I clearly see immediately the span is way to long. Thumb is hanging part of the way out, and a lot of pain on base and he tells me the back of nail is hitting the side of hole on the way out.
If I didn't have the protection tape that goes directly on the hand, it would have been impossible for him to use it.
Get home and compare spans he got to my ball.
My ring finger span is 4 1/4 (although on next ball I will have it changed to 4 1/8)
His hand which is no where as large as mine - drilled 4 1/8.
I didn't measure it exactly, but would have expected span to be in ball park of 3 3/4
The middle finger is almost just as bad, off by maybe 3/8, instead of full 1/2. Perhaps the span is long by 1/4 and 3/8,

I understand that span is something that may need to be adjusted, It's going to be perfect right away,
but I went through this myself, I had friends go through this.

I'm just really annoyed b/c I wanted to get my nephew something he can use.
And also, why are they like "oh, his 13, he needs a heavier ball, 12 lbs? I assume your getting a reactive ball"
and I have to explain that I just want to teach him to bowl, and it's better to use a lighter ball, and learn proper technique,
I thought 10 lbs was fine. I'm avg size man - 155 lbs and going down to 14 lbs.

I guess I should go back, although I wish I knew a great person in NY area who can measure ball for a child. But I wonder how many times the first ball someone get's drilled is totally unacceptable.

Etrain
06-08-2012, 06:24 PM
12lbs should be good for 13 assuming he is normal stature/strength
.

slmrcs
06-08-2012, 06:40 PM
Yes, but it's first ball, and he was more comfortable with 10, and I think teaching proper technique is most important.

Regardless - it was more of question - of how does it happen that people get spans that are wildly off?
Maybe I was just throwing this out here from frustration.

TheSheibs
06-08-2012, 07:03 PM
Sounds like the person who drilled the ball went off of different measurements. If I were you I would take it back and tell them that the holes are too far apart for his span and make them measure him again and then double check the ball. If the ball is not what it should be, they screwed up and should re-drill the ball for you. I would think that a good pro shop would want to get this right since there aren't too many people looking for a ball these days and reputation is everything to these shops. Most want to make their costumers very happy so they will come back.

Also I think a 10lb ball would be fine for a 13 year old. I had a 10lb ball when I was that age and I did pretty well with it.

martinezsam2495
06-08-2012, 09:30 PM
yeah you should go back to the pro shop, and get it redrilled

billf
06-08-2012, 10:22 PM
You are not alone. I was 37 when I started bowling. My span was drilled off also. So have been many of the other bowlers in my area. As I learned more about balls, spans, etc I realized the local pro shop operator was still doing things as if it was 1980, the era he was on tour (or so he says). I found another pro shop with a good reputation 40 minutes away (and past several other pro shops). His pitches and spans feel great. Then in February when I bought 6 balls and had him drill 7, I asked what my PAP was. He didn't know for sure. So I asked how he was able to lay them out if he didn't know my PAP. He guessed off of watching me bowl. Turns out he was 1 3/8" off. I will continue to let him drill but I will do the layouts myself. This shop is also the only one near that I found that does the interchangeable thumbs so he kind of wins by default.
My theory, at least here in Ohio, is that anybody can open a business. Being certified is voluntary and leads to many people who are actually clueless "experts". Don't get me wrong, I understand fully that certified doesn't mean qualified, not by a long shot. Being an automobile technician I see that in my profession as well. Anybody can claim to repair a vehicle and can't really do it and some certified mechanics are just good at taking tests and can't actually put that knowledge into practice. It's a part of every profession and unfortunately it's trusting customers that end up paying the price in the end. Maybe not with an actual bill but the time and aggravation are a real cost.

GeorgiaStroker
06-08-2012, 11:12 PM
My first ball after being out of bowling was sold to me by a guy who never asked my style never watched me bowl, stuck a swiss cheese ball on the counter and said "Figure out what size your fingers are", I told him I wanted inserts, so he tossed a sizing set on the counter and said use that. He stuck a metal ruler on my palm wrote down a few things left for about 5 minutes came back with the ball and a bill. Never watched me throw it. I bowled a couple of frames with it and could barely get it to come off my thumb. I went to him and explained what was going on and he looked upset with me and looked at the ball as I was holding it and trying to get my thumb out then said "Your doing it wrong" and walked off. I chased him down and told him to fix the problem and he finally took the ball and filed on the thumbhole enough that it would at least release from my hand. I vowed I would never let him near my equipment again. For my next ball I drove to a center an hour and a half away. The PRO there watched me bowl, brought out the armadillo and found my PAP, talked to me about the way I prefered to bowl, measured my span, checked my fingers and thumbs, had me doing things like picking up a pencil with my finger tips. gripping his wrist while he studied the angles of my fingers told me that the span onmy first ball was a quarter of an inch off. To make a long story short he laid out and drilled my new ball so that it felt better than any ball I've ever had. He came out and watched me bowl with the new ball and gave me a few pointers. He made a customer for life. So after all this rambling what I am trying to say is find the guy that wants you to bowl well and treats you right and takes pride inwhat he does and never let him go. No amount of talent wil out bowl a bad ball choice and fit.

DiBo
06-09-2012, 07:30 PM
My first ball after being out of bowling was sold to me by a guy who never asked my style never watched me bowl, stuck a swiss cheese ball on the counter and said "Figure out what size your fingers are", I told him I wanted inserts, so he tossed a sizing set on the counter and said use that. He stuck a metal ruler on my palm wrote down a few things left for about 5 minutes came back with the ball and a bill. Never watched me throw it. I bowled a couple of frames with it and could barely get it to come off my thumb. I went to him and explained what was going on and he looked upset with me and looked at the ball as I was holding it and trying to get my thumb out then said "Your doing it wrong" and walked off. I chased him down and told him to fix the problem and he finally took the ball and filed on the thumbhole enough that it would at least release from my hand. I vowed I would never let him near my equipment again. For my next ball I drove to a center an hour and a half away. The PRO there watched me bowl, brought out the armadillo and found my PAP, talked to me about the way I prefered to bowl, measured my span, checked my fingers and thumbs, had me doing things like picking up a pencil with my finger tips. gripping his wrist while he studied the angles of my fingers told me that the span onmy first ball was a quarter of an inch off. To make a long story short he laid out and drilled my new ball so that it felt better than any ball I've ever had. He came out and watched me bowl with the new ball and gave me a few pointers. He made a customer for life. So after all this rambling what I am trying to say is find the guy that wants you to bowl well and treats you right and takes pride inwhat he does and never let him go. No amount of talent wil out bowl a bad ball choice and fit.

Exactly! There are "Pro's" and then there are "Cons" and for my money and time, IO will drive over an hour to get the help I deserve from a PRO than ever allow a pretender "Con" to touch my balls... er, equipment, again.

Your experience is nearly the exact one I had, after I made my return to bowling again since my 8 year layoff.

My best games on my book average in 2004 (178) was a 279, twice. After I returned to bowling this year and went to my neighborhood "pro" Con for new equipment and drilling, the span was almost 3/4 inch off! I could not get this guy to look at what he'd done in drilling the ball, so I rented a car and drove 70 miles to see Matt Surina, a three-time PBA Winner who has also won a Senior PBA Title in 2005 and has owned his pro shop for some years now, after taking the training required to learn the processes involved in being a Professional Shop Owner.

My average now is 218 overall and 212 for league, with a very nice 300 game, bowled in league on May 21, 2012, after 100 games since my return to the sport. I place the results squarely upon the choice I made in Matt Surina, a true professional, over the convenience of the local "pro" where I currently bowl. I am changing houses for the 2012 Winter Leagues, because of the unsatisfactory service I had from the local guy.

Let us all learn the lesson in this; use the web to research your best option and go for the best that you can find!

TheSheibs
06-09-2012, 08:24 PM
Thats like the first shop I went to for a ball. The guy said oh yeah, no problem. What weight do you want? new or used? measured and everything. finger holes were fine and then I started to have trouble with it hooking. After two months of working with that ball and a month of no league bowling. I finally figured out that it was set up more like a spare ball, and suppose to go straight. The guy thought I was looking for a spare ball when I was looking to replace my old Ebonite ball that I had for over ten years. Went to the shop at the bowling alley my summer league is at and they asked how I hold the ball and even said that they had watch me bowl a little . This guy knew that I needed a heavier ball and also suggested that I change to a finger-tip ball. Since the change I have several 180+, 190+, 200+ and even set a new personal best of 255.

With reading about everyones problems and success with some pro shops. It seems that they let anyone open a pro shop and drill balls. I mean come on man. How hard is it to learn the correct way. I watched some videos on youtube about drilling balls that goes into detail on how to find where to drill the holes and such. How hard is it to actually use the tools needed to correctly measure someone and then drill the ball? How hard is it for them to say "lets go to the bowling alley you plan on bowling at the most and let me see what your doing". I hate how lazy some people can be but when I'm spending $100+ for equipment, I expect it to do it's job and if not have it fixed for free. This just really pushes my buttons. Some peoples kids.

slmrcs
06-10-2012, 01:00 AM
This is what I suspect causes long spans - especially for new bowlers. I think this happened to me 16 years ago, and maybe my nephew. But I've seen so many people suffer with long spans, measuring spans (at least for some pro shop guys) is hit/miss.

If you never used a fingertip ball, you don't really know how relaxed grip is supposed to be. So when they measure span, there may be a tendency to stretch out hand, as long / flat as possible. Which really, would be the best way to measure the absolute distance from one point on hand to other. But bowling span is NOT how far apart first joint is from base of thumb - it's how far apart is that distance, with muscles in hand relaxed.

I think some drillers stretch out hand to get true distance, and not bowling distance.


back in the day - it took me 6 different drillers to useable span. Truly correct span only came by me pointing out span error and a driller who is willing to listen.

eugene02
06-10-2012, 11:41 AM
lucky for me, My pro shop here is good with drilling.. 1st ball and it fits nicely.. Thrown pretty well now.. Heee!

billf
06-10-2012, 11:46 AM
^^^^^so true. Looking back the first pro I went to stretched my hand as far as possible while the other told me to relax my hand.

slmrcs
06-11-2012, 08:18 PM
Finally got a chance to measure how far off drilling is. With my newphew's thumb in ball, and fingers relaxed over holes (fingers not stretched out, but definitely not contracted or held back), the crease of first joint is not close to center of finger hole.

It's on the edge of hole drilled to fit the grips!!!!!!

the distance between edge of the drilled hole, and center of hole is 1/2 inch. So span was off by 1/2 inch on both finger. If I measured wrong then maybe 3/8's.
To illustrate how bad this is another way, if he puts fingers in grips, his thumb can only go about 80% into thumb hole. The entire bottom of thumb can't even get into the hole!

I will NOT take ball back to where it came from. I see no point - so I have another hole that is 1/4 off, or 1/4 long or whatever. 1/2 inch is not a mistake, that is not knowing what you are doing. And my nephew did confirm that the guy stretched out his hand before measuring.

GeorgiaStroker
06-11-2012, 09:08 PM
I've been told that a properly fitted ball will allow you to insert the fingers in, then the thumb fully in, and then you should be able to slide a single pencil between your palm and the ball. if you can't get the pencil in there the span is too long. If you can get 2 pencils in the span is too short.

slmrcs
06-11-2012, 10:32 PM
yes, it will. I think that's generally a good rule to go by. However, in my nephews case, so much of his thumb can not get into hole, that you could fit some thick markers under his palm.

TheSheibs
06-12-2012, 01:57 AM
I started to use a finger tip ball at the end of May. I noticed my thumb ends up a little sore. Define try going to check my span after reading the info posted here. Sure is some great info about finger tip grips here.

martinezsam2495
06-12-2012, 07:32 PM
does fingertip necessarily have to be in both fingers holes? I'm not talking about the thumb hole.

bowl1820
06-12-2012, 07:53 PM
does fingertip necessarily have to be in both fingers holes? I'm not talking about the thumb hole.

If you mean do both holes need to be drilled the same, both fingertip or both conventional, then No.

There's what's called a Sarge Easter Grip this is where the middle finger is fingertip and the ring finger is drilled conventional.
Example:
http://www.brunsnick.com/images/sarge.jpg

eugene02
06-13-2012, 01:56 AM
If you mean do both holes need to be drilled the same, both fingertip or both conventional, then No.

There's what's called a Sarge Easter Grip this is where the middle finger is fingertip and the ring finger is drilled conventional.
Example:
http://www.brunsnick.com/images/sarge.jpg

wow.. this shows exactly how i would want to know how it would look like.. awesome! Thanks alot bowl!

slmrcs
06-21-2012, 07:44 PM
By now I took my nephew to 2 more pro shops. They do the same thing, they flatten his hand against the ball, stretch fingers out as far as possible, and then proclaim the span is correct.

when one guy say that my nephew's fingers were not in grips with thumb in ball (it's not possible since the span is 1/2 inch too long) he chastised my nephew for holding the ball wrong, and told him to not take fingers of the ball.

there are the number 1 promoters of 2 handed bowling - lousy ball drillers. Cause honestly, the span is off by 1/2 and inch!!!!!!!!! and these people can't spot it. One a form PBA pro who has won titles on TV. And I'm telling them, his ball has the same span as my ball, and my hand is much larger.

Years ago I went to 6 drillers before I got a marginally correct span. I only truly get the right span by pointing out errors in drilling and telling people what to do.
Now, what do I do, take him on a 3 hour drive to a good driller recommended online, or go into a pro-shop and DEMAND they drill span I tell them to?

Anyone who stretches the hand all the way out when measuring span is a moron!!!!

Seriously, is that how you bowl? Did you ever here a bowling instructor say "when you're hand is in the ball, you want to feel your muscles and ligaments stretch as taught as possible"

get this - since my nephew can only put his thumb about 80% in the thumb hole, with fingers in grips, there is a big open space under palm. One guy put a pencil through space as proof that the span is too short!!!!!!!

billf
06-21-2012, 07:52 PM
Are these certified pro shops?
I empathize with you but unfortunately do not have a good answer for you. Everything you're saying makes sense, common sense. So I don't know why it isn't getting across to the drillers. As for the former pro, just shows that being a good bowler doesn't make a person good at anything else.

slmrcs
06-21-2012, 08:14 PM
There is only 1 certified pro-shop that isn't a long drive away. Ironically, one person I went to, used to work there for years, so I'm not too sure about that.

Just going over this article from Ron Clifton: http://www.bowl4fun.com/ron/btm05_files/btm5.htm

I highlight this section:

1. Locate the two creases at your finger joints and mark a line in the middle between the two as shown in photo.

2. Set your ball on a table, fully insert your thumb and lay your fingers across the holes and stretch them pretty taught, then relax the hand.

3. Once the hand is relaxed the line you drew between the two creases should fall within one eighth of an inch to the edge of each fingerhole.


He says twice to relax a hand. But now I have 3 drillers who stretch out fingers are far as they go. Why do pro shop people not know basic information available online? This I believe is the number 1 cause of poor drilling. As far as where the crease lines up, I believe this is a valid way to check span, but not if pro-shop people stretch out or push back the fingers to make it line up properly!

TheSheibs
06-22-2012, 09:24 AM
Could it be that since he is 13, they are thinking that they can make it long with the assumption that he is not done growing and will be able to grow into it? I remember having one ball drilled when I was a kid and when I got it the span was a little long but in a couple months it was fine.

bowl1820
06-22-2012, 09:43 AM
I would like to see a photo of your nephews hand in the ball.

slmrcs
06-22-2012, 11:21 AM
Just took this morning

Photo of fingers over holes, shows just makes it past hole used to fit the grips in. His fingers not stretched, but absolutely not contracted. Normal, relaxed as should be.

Another photo shows how much of his fingers can fit into the grips with his thumb fully inserted in thumb

Another photo is how far his thumb can get into hole, with fingers fully inserted into grip - in this one notice extreme negative angle, and his thumb can only reach 80% into the thumb hole. (one pro shop said the span is too short because of space under hand!!!! Yes, normally that space is short hand, but please, loot at that angle thumb needs to be just to reach the hole).

I am not emailing these photo's to pro-shops and will wait for 100% assurance that this is no good before going anywhere.

bowl1820
06-22-2012, 12:46 PM
Just inline posting the pics.

With_fingers_fully_inserted.jpg
http://www.bowlingboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=531&d=1340378242

-----------------------------------
Seth_1stjoint_crease_span.jpg
http://www.bowlingboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=532&d=1340378243

-----------------------------------
Finger_thumb_fully_inserted.jpg
http://www.bowlingboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=533&d=1340378243

bowl1820
06-22-2012, 01:19 PM
I offer this as a comparison. I have a relaxed grip.

Here I am thumb fully inserted and stretched. (Though I could stretch some what farther, if I force it.)
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w89/aloarjr810/Fit%20and%20Grip/stretched.jpg

Here I am thumb fully inserted and relaxed.
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w89/aloarjr810/Fit%20and%20Grip/relaxed_a.jpg

Here I am thumb fully inserted and relaxed more. (the centerline is right at 1/8" from the edge of the grip hole.)
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w89/aloarjr810/Fit%20and%20Grip/relaxed_b.jpg

Here I am thumb fully inserted and fingers inserted.
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w89/aloarjr810/Fit%20and%20Grip/inserted.jpg

bowl1820
06-22-2012, 04:47 PM
Here I am thumb fully inserted and fingers laying across holes as you would hold the ball (the yellow mark on ball is 1/8" from grip edge, fingers out to better see the relationship of lines to hole edge and mark )
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w89/aloarjr810/Fit%20and%20Grip/holding.jpg

bowl1820
06-22-2012, 04:48 PM
Given if the thumb is fully inserted in the thumbhole in the "Seth_1stjoint_crease_span.jpg" picture and the fingers are laying flat against the ball, the fingers appear to be about the right place.

In the picture "With_fingers_fully_inserted.jpg" it looks like he's not laying the palm and fingers flat against the ball. The palm is pulled away from the ball and the fingers look bent and that's pulling the thumb out. (The hand doesn't look Normal, relaxed)

But maybe I'm missing something here, We need some other opinions.

billf
06-22-2012, 07:14 PM
It appears in all the pics that your nephew's wrist is bent back. If so I'm sure it was in an attempt to get better pics but changes how the fingers lay across the ball. Nobody should actually roll a ball with their wrist in that position. Those that do break their wrist do so AFTER the thumb exits. I'm not saying you're right or wrong just that the angle of the wrist is creating a poor angle to judge by.

bowl1820
06-22-2012, 10:43 PM
Here's a thought also , if you feel the span is too long. Go to the pro shop and tell them to shorten it. Your the customer and the customer is always right.
All they have to do is plug the the thumb hole and move it.

slmrcs
06-23-2012, 01:24 AM
Yes, I fully intend to demand that this ball be drilled 7/16 shorter.

I aleady emailed those pics to new pro-shop and found someone who is in total agreement that it's unusable

My comments on what people have said about the pics - and that he not holding the ball properly - that is 100% correct. He is absolutly not holding the ball correctly. But why are people balming him? It is phsyically impossible for him to hold that ball properly!!!!!!!!

The picture clearly shows that the only way his thumb can possible reach the hole, is if he bends his wrist and palm backwards in an extremly awkward angle. And even with doing that, about 1/2 an inch of his thumb still can not reach into the thumb hole.

He was NOT bending wrist and palm back because he doens't know how to hold the ball. It is physically impossible for him to put his hand into the ball without holding it all wrong. If it was possible for him to hold the ball properly, then there wouldn't be anything wrong with it in the first place!!!!!!

It should go without saying, that if anyone tries to put their hand in a ball, that there hand can not fit into, you'll see some pretty funky things going on as the hand is contorted into place.

If seeing a picture of the palm bent all the way back as far as it will bend, plus the thumb entering the ball at an ultra-extreme reverse pitch angle, and still the thumb can only get 80% into the hole does not demonstrate a bad drilling then I don't know what will. And it's not because he's doing anything wrong. He has to do all that to just to try to get his thumb to reach the hole!!!!

For anyone browsing the message board about your bad drilling and trying to figure out why your pro-shop is telling you your ball is ok, this is an example that you are not alone! If your ball hurts, if you can't hold onto it, if it causes blisters, bleeding, pain, then you're drilling sucks and any pro-shop guy who tells you otherwise is an idiot.

Maybe I should post pics of him putting his hand in my ball - cause it's drilled to the exact same span as mine!!!! (well, 1 finger is 1/8 inch shorter on his) and my hand is much larger than his.

Anytime a pro-shop messes up they blame the bowler. They tell you to relax grip (after drilling it so it is impossible to do so), they tell you, you are holding it wrong, they will tell you anything, except admit that they don't know what they are doing.

This interview with Aleta Sill I think goes over how so much of conventional wisdom on how to drill balls is dead wrong.

http://above180.com/aleta-sill-with-the-number-one-things-holding-most-bowlers-back

I know that there are some good ball drillers, but most shouldn't be drilling anyone's equitement.

bowl1820
06-23-2012, 08:10 AM
Yes, I fully intend to demand that this ball be drilled 7/16 shorter.

I aleady emailed those pics to new pro-shop and found someone who is in total agreement that it's unusable

My comments on what people have said about the pics - and that he not holding the ball properly - that is 100% correct. He is absolutly not holding the ball correctly. But why are people balming him? It is phsyically impossible for him to hold that ball properly!!!!!!!!


Calm down, no one is "Blaming" him or you, we are just giving you opinions based on what you describe and what we can see in the photo's.

Not being there to physically examine his grip, limits what can be diagnosed.

You've done the best thing possible, you've found a pro shop that agrees with you and is going to make the changes.

After the changes I hope you return and post pics of the fit of the new grip.

Good luck with the changes!:)

billf
06-23-2012, 12:02 PM
My comments on what people have said about the pics - and that he not holding the ball properly - that is 100% correct. He is absolutly not holding the ball correctly. But why are people balming him? It is phsyically impossible for him to hold that ball properly!!!!!!!!


You asked for opinions and got them. Don't cry just because somebody questions you or why the angle is the way it is. If all you want is people to agree with you start your won forum. It still doesn't make sense how bending the wrist or bending the fingers makes it possible to get the digits into the ball if the span is too long. When you bend the wrist or fingers it SHORTENS them and that makes it possible to get into a span that too LONG? Possible but does go against all common sense and science. But also what I was really questioning is, WHO ROLLS THEIR BALL WITH THEIR HAND ON TOP? Nobody should. So why a pic with your nephew holding the ball in the wrong position to begin with? I imagine to show how contorted the hand is or so I hope. Given the angle of the fingers I wonder how much the pitch is playing a part in this. Follow me for a minute. If the ends of his fingers were allowed to be straighter it would allow the knuckles to relax, the palm to come down to the ball and effectively shorten the span of the ball by lengthening the span of the hand.
Before I made my earlier post I tried several balls with spans both too long and too short. I personally couldn't get my hand contorted like that and hit all three holes. Too short was a different story. So my questions to you were valid and based on at least a little research.

Nobody is trying to pick on or blame either your nephew or you. Whatever the issue is a good pro shop should NEVER let a customer leave when their hand looks like that in the ball.

DucksBowler
06-23-2012, 01:12 PM
I've personally never had a bad ball drilling but I had teammates who had atrocious jobs done. One in high school made the mistake of buying a ball from a big box store. They sold this 100lb kid a 16lb ball where the thumb was even too big for our 6'2" 220lb cranker.

Had another teammate who got his from a pretty unremarkable pro shop in Ft. Wayne area and took his ball back to have the thumb hole redrilled (it was huge). The slug they put in came out a week later.

Luckily, I had my measurements done by Mo Pinel and the pro shop guys I used were solid. I've had good luck with a couple in Oregon as well since I moved out here.

Good luck to your nephew. Take the ball back and ask for it to be fixed since the spans are obviously not correct.

TheSheibs
06-23-2012, 03:00 PM
It seems, from the pictures that you just need the thumb hole re-drilled and not the entire ball. This is just my opinion based on if I had the same problem. I would take it in and have the thumb hole re-drilled and maybe even have them put a reverse pitch on it. Also if they have one of those sizing balls with all the holes he can see which one lines up best. Keep in mind that if he is just getting into bowling, it may be better to have him start with a conventional grip rather than a finger-tip grip. Just a thought. I hope you get the ball set up correctly so he can actually use it.

slmrcs
06-26-2012, 08:46 PM
My experience is, that if go in some place with a bad drilling - the person will tend to defend / copy the bad drilling. They will tell you it is your fault, and they will repeat ad nauseum to "relax your grip" and other stupid things, regardless of how stupid it is.

It's a sort of crazy making experience, where you know something is wrong, and other people are telling you, you are crazy, and it's one supposed "expert" after another.

Most ball drillers are horrible. Most do not know what they are doing.

Sunday we went to 4th person (who I only went to, because ahead of time he agreed based on photos the drilling was bad).

So the thumb is getting redone - much shorter span, getting rid of reverse pitch, adding slight forward and 1/16 left lateral (he actually checked for lateral pitch, most people will not do that) change thumb size, change grip size. It's going to be a totally different feel.

If someone says their ball was not drilled well, and causes pain, and their hand does not fit into it, then that's the way it is.

billf
06-26-2012, 11:32 PM
I finally found someone in my league with a larger span than me. My thumb fit like your nephew's did but my fingers didn't contort like his UNTIL I simulated a different pitch. I'm talking like some serious reverse pitch. Why any driller, even a moron, would drill a ball like that for a beginner is beyond me. I'm sorry you were offended but I never imagined that reverse pitch like that. What sucks it you're right. Instead of "I'm human, I'm sorry and will fix it." you get excuses and passing the buck. There are coaches who advocate reverse pitch to help with revs but all I ever got with it was very painful knuckles. Just think, if you weren't around to help your nephew, his bowling experience would have been awful. He would have quit and may have never come back. I hope he likes the sport and sticks with it.

billf
06-28-2012, 02:12 PM
Did you get it redrilled yet?

edpup316
07-14-2012, 05:29 PM
I know ya feel. My span is like 6 3/8 inches or something like that i dont know exactley cause ive never been to pro shop with a measuring tool long enough for my hand. Most the time i have to gt a ball drilled and get the thumb moved until its right. i have a couple balls now that feel pretty good so i just have who ever i have drilled take the measurements off the ball cause non of the pro shops around here keep records of peoples which i think is weird.

Ball99999
07-24-2012, 08:28 AM
Same thing happened to me too when I got my first/only ball drilled. Oh man I was in PAIN PAIN PAIN after bowling just a few balls. Part of it was my improper release but that span was way off. Had the driller flip the vise grips to give me an 1/8" by giving me the plain ovals instead of lifts, then he drilled the thumb hole bigger to move it closer. Just awful.

slmrcs
12-13-2012, 06:40 PM
Just revisiting this now. Yes, got the ball re-drilled the end of the summer. It was shortened 1/4 inch, and then redrilled a second time with short span to get an oval hole because it was pointed out how flat and well, oval his thumb is. Took 5 people until one gave him a thumb hole he was comfortable with.

billf
12-13-2012, 08:26 PM
Now that that is finally taken care of, how is your nephew's bowling?

noeymc
12-14-2012, 11:37 AM
i never had a ball drilled wrong for me lucky for me the guy who drilled my ball did my brothers and had a great rep about how good he was in my area i now go to his son who drilled my shatter and i wont ever let someone else drill my ball again my shatter fits so perfect