Thumb tape usage variance

[billf]

It varies by the bowler. My thumb swells so I usually keep at least 4 pieces in the ball but one of my teammates uses 6 on each side. This becomes especially important to me during the spring summer months where often my 4 pieces become zero.

So he has a total of 12 pieces of tape. I've never heard of anyone who's thumb swelled a 1/2" or more before now.

[JasonNJ]

What brand of cloth protective tape and which one if there are different within that brand. I use white tape and have been thinking of experimenting with something different.

I'm using Lane Masters because they are the cheapest pre cut ones I could find. I'm pretty sure they all pretty similar, the different colors tell you the texture of the tape. Like blue is the slickest tape, mint is the most textured to give you the slowest release.

[JasonNJ]

I use the Vise Hada tape #3 but I still use both thumb tape and hole tape. The Hada tape helps protect my thumb and seems to help keep it from swelling but I still need hole tape to perfect the fit. I don't think I would be comfortable only using the Hada tape as how are you going to adjust if your thumb shrinks or swells?

For me, my thumb doesn't usually swell or shrink too much so just the hada tape is enough for me to get a nice fit. If I feel the hole is loose and my thumb is releasing too early, then I would probably add a white tape to the thumb hole.

[fortheloveofbowling]

I use the Vise Hada tape #3 but I still use both thumb tape and hole tape. The Hada tape helps protect my thumb and seems to help keep it from swelling but I still need hole tape to perfect the fit. I don't think I would be comfortable only using the Hada tape as how are you going to adjust if your thumb shrinks or swells?

Yeah, i will still have to use white tape because i fluctuate between 1-4 pieces. I am interested because jason seemed to be indicating his tape was similar release wise to white tape.

[Amyers]

Yeah, i will still have to use white tape because i fluctuate between 1-4 pieces. I am interested because jason seemed to be indicating his tape was similar release wise to white tape.

I've tried quite a few but never the lane masters brand. I never could use them before because all of them even the supposed slowest release tapes made the ball just fly off my hand. My PSO actually suggested using a piece of textured tape on the nail side where I apply the tape to slow it down and it worked for me but I'm not sure that will work for everybody.

[Amyers]

So he has a total of 12 pieces of tape. I've never heard of anyone who's thumb swelled a 1/2" or more before now.

I've never seen him take them all out. I think the least I've seen in the ball is three. The man's thumb is darn near the size of my wife's wrist though.

[scottymoney]

5 or 6 pieces at your normal size. Doesn't that sound excessive? Usually when I get to six pieces I get a new slug. Chris Barnes uses a ton of tape but neither of us is him.
Depends on if you shrink or well during bowling. My thumb shrinks until about the twelfth game then swells pretty quick. So for me "normal" would be no tape then add as it shrinks. Not one to be considered a conformist I instead use an old Vise IT sleeve and force my thumb in for about five minutes. Then it stays that size unitl I'm either done bowling or about game 12.

I don't think it is excessive..... Now that 12 pieces sounds excessive. Although I use tiered taping in the front of my thumb so the 2 to 3 tiers of tape never changes. so in thinking about it now I am only really at 4 to 5.

[NewToBowling]

I've had 1 white and 6-7 black in thumb hole before but that was probably after the white tape compressed and was basically the thickness of one black tape.

[foreverincamo]

Some of my balls have a piece or two of black tape in them, but I just picked up some white tape that has some texture to it to try on the front side of some thumb holes to help relax my grip. I'll try anything to get outta this slump!!

[AlexNC]

I use Vise Hada tape and black/white insert tape. My thumb tends to shrink during a session, but the bigger factor for me is the time of day. It would seem that my thumb is at its smallest in the evening around league time. If i start to feel discomfort/irritation on the back of the thumb from too much tape (like Ive created a little ridge on each side) its time to get a new slug.