Thumbless or not?

[dnhoffman]

My bowling alley's house record for high average is 252, set by a thumbless bowler over a 36-week league.

Well, there's one

[DrOcktagon]

Well, there's one

I guess I forgot to mention, it was Tom Daugherty.

[Aslan]

Well, there's one

To put it in perspective…if we polled ALL bowling alleys in the WORLD…I bet there'd be more thumb IN bowlers carrying record high averages than thumbLESS bowlers. I bet you could even add thumbLESS AND 2-handed together….and I'd still win that bet.

And yes, I know I'm not even sort of close to going out on a limb with that bet.

[DrOcktagon]

Yeah, that's pretty obvious.

I don't think anyone is suggesting that thumbless is better. We're just saying it's a viable option. It works for some, but not for most.

I actually find it more impressive watching a consistently good thumb-out or two-handed bowler because I believe that to be more difficult than the traditional approach. It seems like you think it's more difficult, too, Aslan. Doesn't that mean it requires more skill? To do it well, of course.

[Aslan]

I actually find it more impressive watching a consistently good thumb-out or two-handed bowler because I believe that to be more difficult than the traditional approach. It seems like you think it's more difficult, too, Aslan. Doesn't that mean it requires more skill? To do it well, of course.

I think it is a more random approach. Those who do it very, very well...can have very, very high scores...with "nearly" the same consistency of those bowling with a classic approach. I would stop short of saying it takes more "skill" only because I think the scoring with those 2 methods is more dependent on lane conditions and strikes. When I've seen thumbless bowlers (I've never watched 2-handed in person...nobody really does it)...their scores tend to really suffer if lane conditions are variable or they leave spares. Thumbless and 2-handed (and to a far lesser extent, high rev crankers) rely heavily on strikes. I've seen thumbless players strike 4-5 times, then have an open frame, then strike 5 more times. But when it comes time to pick up that spare...they virtually can't do it. I think we've all seen players like that.

It goes back to the question, what is harder...a clean game or a perfect game? Well, easy question...easy answer...a perfect game. But "why" is it harder? Because it takes luck as well as skill. Clean games just require skill...maybe 3% luck. The only "luck" is when the 10-pin falls leaving you the 4-7 instead of the 4-7-10 split. But a perfect game...you gotta have the skill to hit that pocket...adn you gotta have the luck that 3-4 of those frames that one last pin wobbles "just enough".

So yes, I think thumbless and 2-handed are harder to score high consistently...because both styles require luck to be on your side. Thats why I have always said that Jason Belmonte is a special talent...because people don't realize that with his style (2-handed high rev)...you have to read the lane precisely...very little room for error. And...he's a good spare shooter. Most thumbless/2-handed bowlers struggle with spares because the can't throw the ball the same way...they lose muscle memory.

I think we agree, if it works, heck...knock yourself out. Good luck. Where I am more of a nay sayer is...when people get frustrated and start to "switch" because they think that all they have to do is go thumbless or 2-handed and all their problems will be solved. And I'm guilty of that...if I throw a 105-113-115...I'm pretty pissed...and thinking, "maybe I should try thumbless?" But there are no shortcuts in bowling (except for getting a better ball).

I look at bowling styles the way someone might look at a stock market.

stroker- bond funds, low yield, low risk
tweener- 50% bonds/50% stocks
cranker- 80% stocks/20% bonds
thumbless- 95% stocks/5% bonds with 15% of the stocks being high risk
2-handed- 98% stocks/2% bonds with 20% of the stocks in the high risk category.

[sprocket]

Sunday I practiced 9 games and left a slew of 10 pins. I left about two per game at least and never missed one. Of course I throw some spares thumb in, about 20mph with very little roll.

So that can be looked at two ways:

1) It proves that thumbless bowlers can be good spare shooters

2) It proves that I should give up thumbless bowling because I am more accurate thumb in.

It's getting good roll on the ball thumb in that I really struggle with. When I throw at the 10 pin I am doing NOTHING to the ball. I don't need a plastic ball for the 10 pin on ANY lane condition.

[dnhoffman]

SMH - it's about replication of movement. You more than likely completely change your mechanics from shot to shot and don't even realize it. To each his own though, over 36 weeks it all comes out in the wash.