onefrombills
10-27-2008, 05:22 PM
- By Tom Blasco
Been off for the summer? Have you put on or lost weight during the off season? In fact, were you put on medication or your medication changed in the last few months? Than you are one of many bowlers that should check the grip of their ball, especially the thumb size, before you start your next season. All these factors will have an affect on the overall size of your thumb, and a loose or tight fitting thumb will have a definite affect on your swing and bowling.
In a properly fit ball you want to be able to maintain a certain amount of grip pressure throughout your entire swing all the way to your release, where the thumb exists and the fingers take control of the ball.
If your thumb is extremely loose it will cause you to grip the ball with additional grip pressure. This additional grip pressure will interrupt the free swing of the ball during your approach and will interrupt the release process as well as the direction of the ball and follow through.
If your thumb is extremely tight it will cause you to cheat and not put your thumb all the way to its base. This procedure will have basically the same affect as the extremely loose thumb fit.
A good fitting thumb should be big enough to have a slight amount of pressure on the sides of your thumb knuckle. Some bowlers may even prefer to have their thumb hole ovaled since the thumb's overall shape represents an oval. A good fit will help you keep the thumb relaxed and allow it to clear the ball at the bottom of swing and transfer the weight over to your fingers. The importance of this fit cannot be over emphasized because it helps you the bowler to establish a consistent grip pressure, and a good free swing throughout the approach and release position and develops a sense of consistency.
Been off for the summer? Have you put on or lost weight during the off season? In fact, were you put on medication or your medication changed in the last few months? Than you are one of many bowlers that should check the grip of their ball, especially the thumb size, before you start your next season. All these factors will have an affect on the overall size of your thumb, and a loose or tight fitting thumb will have a definite affect on your swing and bowling.
In a properly fit ball you want to be able to maintain a certain amount of grip pressure throughout your entire swing all the way to your release, where the thumb exists and the fingers take control of the ball.
If your thumb is extremely loose it will cause you to grip the ball with additional grip pressure. This additional grip pressure will interrupt the free swing of the ball during your approach and will interrupt the release process as well as the direction of the ball and follow through.
If your thumb is extremely tight it will cause you to cheat and not put your thumb all the way to its base. This procedure will have basically the same affect as the extremely loose thumb fit.
A good fitting thumb should be big enough to have a slight amount of pressure on the sides of your thumb knuckle. Some bowlers may even prefer to have their thumb hole ovaled since the thumb's overall shape represents an oval. A good fit will help you keep the thumb relaxed and allow it to clear the ball at the bottom of swing and transfer the weight over to your fingers. The importance of this fit cannot be over emphasized because it helps you the bowler to establish a consistent grip pressure, and a good free swing throughout the approach and release position and develops a sense of consistency.