How to keep your thumb knuckle from raising up in the thumbhole....

[Hammer]

Chances are when you start your downswing you grip harder with your thumb to control the ball more to the release zone or out of nervousness for fear of dropping the ball early. When you grip harder for whatever reason your thumb knuckle raises and hangs up in the thumbhole causing a bad shot like a pulled shot. To combat this try this in your practice time. Instead of pressing down with the tip of your thumb pad press down more with your thumb knuckle which of course is right below your thumb pad. Pressing down with your thumb knuckle will keep your thumb flat in the thumbhole and let it come out more easily like it should. I have been doing this in practice drills and it seems to work for me.

[Jaescrub]

Thanks hammer I'm
Going to work on this I have been getting better after some coaching from my PSO and some changes in equipment. But this sounds like one more thing that would just put some more icing on the cake.

[Aslan]

Thanks hammer I'm
Going to work on this I have been getting better after some coaching from my PSO and some changes in equipment. But this sounds like one more thing that would just put some more icing on the cake.

Agreed. I'm also going to give that a try.

[zdawg]

Good point, last year back when I first started I had a problem with my thumb coming out right around the same time as my fingers, after my hand had rotated which was literally tearing apart the skin on inside of my thumb closest to my index finger. I went to the pro shop looking for tips and he basically gave me the same advice you mention.

Now I notice my thumb gripping shortly after pushaway on the backswing before it gets to the apex of my new and improved higher backswing. I assume the reason is because the initial pushaway/backswing is slower than the downswing so there is less force to keep the ball "stuck" to my hand, and I also used to cup my hand in my stance all the way through pushaway/backswing which Mark Baker coached me away from doing as it was causing too much muscle engagement in my swing and severely shortening my backswing.

Overall I'm not sure gripping with the thumb shortly after pushaway into the downswing is such a bad thing assuming my hand is completely relaxed on the actual downswing - maybe a question for a coach?

[Pauley]

I have found this tip helpful as well. I always seemed to fail at trying to keep my thumb nail touching the top of the thumb hole, but when I started thinking about gripping with the base of my thumb near the knuckle I finally got it. Same idea I guess just a different way of thinking about it.

[rv driver]

Such an easy, easy fix! I've been gripping my ball like a hawk gripping a titmouse, subsequently causing my thumb to hang up on the ball, a release that's for crap, pulled shots, way too much ball loft, etc. etc. ad nauseum. I'm gonna try this, maybe in conjunction with a thumb slug. I think it's the fingertip grip that's causing me to do that, thereby completely bypassing any advantages from the grip itself.

So, let me get this straight: you push down with the underside-knuckle of your thumb, instead of crooking your thumb (raising the knuckle)?

[Perrin]

Such an easy, easy fix! I've been gripping my ball like a hawk gripping a titmouse, subsequently causing my thumb to hang up on the ball, a release that's for crap, pulled shots, way too much ball loft, etc. etc. ad nauseum. I'm gonna try this, maybe in conjunction with a thumb slug. I think it's the fingertip grip that's causing me to do that, thereby completely bypassing any advantages from the grip itself.

So, let me get this straight: you push down with the underside-knuckle of your thumb, instead of crooking your thumb (raising the knuckle)?

exactly

so picture this as the THumb base==knuckle--Pad/thumbnail grip the ball with the == portion of the thumb rather than the -- or pad/tip of the thumb

[rv driver]

exactly

so picture this as the THumb base==knuckle--Pad/thumbnail grip the ball with the == portion of the thumb rather than the -- or pad/tip of the thumb

Cool! I'm gonna try that! Thanks, guys!

[Blacksox1]

A bowler I know has a piece glued into the bottom of his thumb hole. It is shaped like a door stop. The thicker end is at the bottom of the hole. I tried his ball and it does keep your thumb straight and relaxed. You cannot kink or over grip your thumb. I will ask him more about it, next Thursday, if anyone is interested.

[Aslan]

A bowler I know has a piece glued into the bottom of his thumb hole. It is shaped like a door stop. The thicker end is at the bottom of the hole. I tried his ball and it does keep your thumb straight and relaxed. You cannot kink or over grip your thumb. I will ask him more about it, next Thursday, if anyone is interested.

I've never heard of that. I'd be interested.