Release Issues Resolved

[rv driver]

After ... let's see ... 42 years of bowling -- off and on -- I think I've finally resolved a release issue that's been bugging me ever since.

While my average has been respectably high in the past, I've always struggled with consistency issues. One game would be 256, the next would be 130. Mind you, this was in the day before reactive balls and modern oil. I think that, had the issue been resolved long ago, my average and consistency may have improved enough to get me on the Tour back in the day (around 1980 or so).

I had identified the problem as a thumb issue (and, indeed, it was!). It seemed that my thumb kept getting hung up in the hole. I thought it was a size issue. I tried drilling out the hole. The problem continued. I tried different pitches. No help. In fact, I was still having problems with my Misfit since re-entering the game last year (which I attributed to the fingertip grip I'd never used before). It wasn't until I had the IT slug installed last week that I finally pinned the problem down.

My PSO used a slightly smaller slug than the original hole had been (I thought maybe my thumb had shrunk a bit) -- the black one -- and, guess what?! There was no longer room for my thumb to crook at the knuckle. Apparently, I've been doing that all these years without noticing it. By relaxing my thumb and letting my fingers do the work of gripping (I have to consciously push my nail against the wall of the slug, until I get muscle memory), My release, control, and consistency has markedly improved the last couple of days. And my thumb is less sore. I used to always rub a blister on the inside of my thumb (which I attributed to a sharp hole edge). Now, there's no longer a rub there. I think straightening my thumb has changed the geometry enough to remove the pressure off the inside of my thumb. Also, my wrist is more relaxed and, thus, less sore after bowling.

I know this is a fundamental issue that should have been caught long ago -- kind of a Homer Simpson "D'oh!" moment -- but I post it in order to raise awareness for other bowlers who may be having similar but unidentified issues.

[bubba809]

So what are the results? Have you noticed a drastic increase to your scores/average? I ask because you started off by saying you have now resolved a 42 year issue.

[rv driver]

So what are the results? Have you noticed a drastic increase to your scores/average? I ask because you started off by saying you have now resolved a 42 year issue.

My delivery is more assured, consistency is improved, I'm hitting my marks better. Don't know yet about averages, because it's only been a few days. I suppose it's more the feeling that I'm beginning to master the reactive ball, rather than the reactive ball mastering me. That inconsistency caused by the thumb hanging up has been a huge roadblock for me, and it *appears* to "magically* be gone. We'll see how this plays out in the next weeks and months, but I'm willing to bet that I'm going to see my highest averages ever. Without this particular roadblock, I can concentrate on other things, such as footwork, timing, hand position, etc.

[bobforsaken]

Its interesting... I had thumb pitch problems for the first year causing a big bump on my thumb and eventual hanging up issues. I went to a different PSO and he fixed the fit... then things started coming together for me. Even better my thumb is completely back to normal size and I can bowl for hours with no abrasion. I had one of my balls "fixed" by the original PSO to match the pitch setup by the second PSO and originally I thought I liked it (it was bit tighter which was good because my thumb was shrinking back to normal size). Recently I've been really loading up my wrist and bowling well. I tried using that ball "fixed" by the original PSO for the first time in several months... I could NOT get out of the ball cleanly.

[rv driver]

Its interesting... I had thumb pitch problems for the first year causing a big bump on my thumb and eventual hanging up issues. I went to a different PSO and he fixed the fit... then things started coming together for me. Even better my thumb is completely back to normal size and I can bowl for hours with no abrasion. I had one of my balls "fixed" by the original PSO to match the pitch setup by the second PSO and originally I thought I liked it (it was bit tighter which was good because my thumb was shrinking back to normal size). Recently I've been really loading up my wrist and bowling well. I tried using that ball "fixed" by the original PSO for the first time in several months... I could NOT get out of the ball cleanly.

My exit is a whole lot cleaner now, which has appeared to fix a myriad of attendant problems caused by an incorrect release.

[Aslan]

I had that problem with the Bill Hall tri-grip. My thumb seemed to get hung up in the ball due to the pitch.

[dnhoffman]

Glad to hear it, it's really all about finding a way to bowl that you replicate...

[rv driver]

It was almost a religious "I saw God" kind of moment.