With or without thumb????

[JaxBowlingGuy]

List if you bowl with or without a thumb and give some insight

[No Open Tenths]

I bowl with my thumb. I bowled no thumb for my first 2-3 yrs of leagues and did OK. I ave 185 or so that way but realized I wasn't going to be able to go much higher that way. It took 2 yrs or so to get used to using my thumb. If I had it to do over again I would have started with my thumb to begin with.
I have been messing around with throwing it two handed with no thumb latley though

[Jord_84]

I can't really comment on no-thumb because I've never bowled that way....but I would imagine a person might have less accuracy and control without using the thumb....but that's just my thought.

[Graaille]

I know two guys that bowl no-thumb, and the rev's they get are just sick. Downside is kinda like watching Robert Smith -- they either get feast or famine, and they stink on their spares.

[JaxBowlingGuy]

i personally bowl with no thumb and have for about 5 years now. I actualy stay behind the ball just like the thumbed bowlers to the point that if your not bowling right next to me and see that i dont have the thumb in you will never know. I have carried a 200+ ave and a few 197+.. then 2 summers ago i tore tendons in my wrist and had to sit the summer out.. I have since gotten back up to a 196 and 185 ave... With practice i think that both styles can be easily comparable in ave.

[ArtVandelay]

I can't really comment on no-thumb because I've never bowled that way....but I would imagine a person might have less accuracy and control without using the thumb....but that's just my thought.

I know two guys that bowl no-thumb, and the rev's they get are just sick. Downside is kinda like watching Robert Smith -- they either get feast or famine, and they stink on their spares.

Quoted you guys because I take exception to that! hahahaha. I think it depends on the bowler. I think some people only care about the rev rates, and that monster hook. I bet I don't have much higher (if higher at all) rev rates than anyone who bowls thumb in, and I'm not too shabby on shooting the spaces (10 pin be damned.... That one gives me fits, but I bet I still pick it up about 60-70% of the time, and know plenty of people who pick it up less).

I bowl without my thumb in, but not by choice. Back when I was about 14 or 15, I played baseball and a fastball up and in got me on the right thumb. I didn't have to have surgery or anything, but needless to say, it's never been quite the same. I played around with getting the thumb hole drilled differently on a couple of my earlier balls, but nothing seemed to help with the discomfort of streatching my thumb out in that direction.

So, I took a couple lessons from a local USBC certified coach, and told him the situation. Basically, I bowl almost exactly like someone bowls WITH their thumb except for one major difference... I can't have a high back swing, so I can't generate force from gravity. Any power I get on the ball comes from my arm, and you're right, that CAN reduce accuracy, so I don't worry about speed. I don't throw nearly as hard as a lot of people in my league do, and I throw a 14 instead of a 15 or 16 pound ball.

I currently carry a 178 average, although for the past couple months I've had more of a 185 (but I'm 25, and have only been bowling leagues for about 4 or 5 years now, and only average throwing 3 games a week, probably 6 to 8 games on a less busy week), and I recently had a nice 692 series I'm not too upset about.... The 10 pin does give me fits, but I know a lot of people who agree and bowl with their thumb in.

When I took that lesson, I was told to concentrate more on what the ball is supposed to do, and bowling properly that way, than worrying about my thumb. This is actually an article that I really like. It explains what a ball should do in the hook motion, and I really try to concentrate on getting a good roll phase each time I bowl. A lot of the things said in this article are things my coach was preaching about!!! hahahaha When I bowl, I try to keep the way I throw the same on every shot, changing only the speed of the ball, and the line I take. My spare ball has little, to no reaction, so it's accurate for anything on the right side of the lane, and my regular ball cleans up nicely on the left. If I leave a split that favors a shot to the left side with minimal hook, I use the spare ball for that since it has much less hook, and therefore a better shot at getting the right angle that I need to convert the spare.

In all honesty, I would LOVE to have my thumb in the ball. If anyone were to ask me how to begin bowling, I'd say thumb in, no question. At times it DOES bother me that I bowl improperly, but it's like the coach said, there's nothing we can really do about it, so just concentrate on doing everything else properly, and try not to worry about it or make excuses for it. It actually bothers me almost as much to do a practice session and see people using house balls with two fingers, or no fingers, just trying to spin the ball as hard as they can..... No form what-so-ever.

But, for me, it is what it is and I enjoy bowling too much to let it stop me!!!

[kev3inp]

I just figure that I was born with an opposable thumb so I should use it. It seems most no-thumbers are "spray and pray" bowlers, but not all. Great revs, but there are guys using their thumb who rev it just as much.

[MH1313]

IMHO i've found that the highest average bowlers are the most consistent, and therefore have their thumb in the ball. Thats why I've always gone with a thumb, not to mention I've never understood HOW to bowl without a thumb...just a lack of ability on my behalf.

I'd say thumb without question...it just makes sense, but if you would have asked us a few years ago one hand or two, we may have called you a goof for saying you used two...i figure whatever works best for you is whats right.

[kev3inp]

IMHO i've found that the highest average bowlers are the most consistent, and therefore have their thumb in the ball. Thats why I've always gone with a thumb, not to mention I've never understood HOW to bowl without a thumb...just a lack of ability on my behalf.

I'd say thumb without question...it just makes sense, but if you would have asked us a few years ago one hand or two, we may have called you a goof for saying you used two...i figure whatever works best for you is whats right.

Exactly, it's not how, it's how many. There are no style points. At least so far. Hmm, I wonder if the PBA would consider style points for their extreme swing. I won't speculate on how that might be applied to the ladies, though. I'll leave that for braver posters.

[jmainville]

I bowl thumb in, I tried without and I had alot more action but no control. I would rather have control and accuracy