Getting Fitted at a Bowling Ball Pro Shop | USBC Bowling Academy

[bowl1820]

Getting Fitted at a Bowling Ball Pro Shop USBC Academy

[LOUVIT]

I for one have to watch that, thinking about getting my phaze drilled tomorrow...now after watching some of it I'm real confused.
I do have some problems only sometimes with losing the ball from my thumb then I grip hard and pull it. Maybe I need some forward pitch on the thumb.

[djp1080]

I'd highly recommend considering a forward pitched thumb hole if you need it. I went from my old Black Beauty ball with reverse pitch from many years ago and used to drop it regularly. Never went back to the pro shop to see if it could be set up differently. Came back to the game and again had some reverse pitch. Studied some as my not so nimble fingers hurt after bowling a few games. I didn't know I was grabbing at the ball especially on the backswing which caused more problems than just my finger aches. Got back into the pro shop this time and we switched to zero pitch. Made a couple more attempts at it and I think my thumb pitch was moved forward to 3/4" without hanging. My hand is relaxed and don't drop the ball any more. Ron knows what he's talking about...

[LOUVIT]

I'd highly recommend considering a forward pitched thumb hole if you need it. I went from my old Black Beauty ball with reverse pitch from many years ago and used to drop it regularly. Never went back to the pro shop to see if it could be set up differently. Came back to the game and again had some reverse pitch. Studied some as my not so nimble fingers hurt after bowling a few games. I didn't know I was grabbing at the ball especially on the backswing which caused more problems than just my finger aches. Got back into the pro shop this time and we switched to zero pitch. Made a couple more attempts at it and I think my thumb pitch was moved forward to 3/4" without hanging. My hand is relaxed and don't drop the ball any more. Ron knows what he's talking about...

I also am not sure if I am grabbing the ball. My hand also hurts after bowling. I've had my span shortened, that helped a bit the ball feels more relaxed. i tend to pull the ball so I don't know if I'm grabbing or if I need back pitch or forward pitch. I need to know why I'm pulling first if that makes sense...

[Jaescrub]

Love this post has me thinking it's been 4/5 years from my last fitting might be time for an update next time I get a ball drilled.

[djp1080]

I also am not sure if I am grabbing the ball. My hand also hurts after bowling. I've had my span shortened, that helped a bit the ball feels more relaxed. i tend to pull the ball so I don't know if I'm grabbing or if I need back pitch or forward pitch. I need to know why I'm pulling first if that makes sense...

I'm guessing that you're a righty and pulling the ball means that you're ball tends to come off your hand towards the left side rather than where you'd like it to go. When I make that kind of mistake, usually the reason is that my hand comes around the ball and over the top. The ball then has practically no rotation and is often heading toward the 4-pin. The key to success is to keep your fingers under the ball at the release point which tends to keep your thumb from turning away from the right gutter.
When you say your hand hurts after bowling, what do you mean?
I've had issues with stiffness in my fingertips previously. I've done two things to help correct that. First, my pro shop owner changed the pitch on my finger holes from zero to 5/8" reverse which helped a lot. Second, I use Vise NT-50 yellow protective tape on the end of each bowling finger.
Hope this helps...

[djp1080]

Another thing Louvit, if you're coming over the top of the ball at times, you can hurt yourself. It may cause you to try to get loose from the ball in anyway possible while the ball tugs at your thumb.
Have a pro shop owner check out your grip closely and make sure you explain to them what you're experiencing. They may take you out of the lane to watch you roll a couple shots.
Good luck...

[AlexNC]

I for one have to watch that, thinking about getting my phaze drilled tomorrow...now after watching some of it I'm real confused.
I do have some problems only sometimes with losing the ball from my thumb then I grip hard and pull it. Maybe I need some forward pitch on the thumb.

Too much reverse pitch can lead to the ball coming off early. Too short a span can cause you to squeeze it. I had a similar issue before with a little too much reverse pitch and my new PSO made a significant push forward which helped my release timing quite a bit. We also lengthened the span a little bit - which allowed me to relax my grip quite a bit, but my span was a little short to begin with.