Pain in right middle finger joint

[AimeeMitchell]

Hey yall,

I am a 23 year old female, right-handed straight bowler. I use a 10lb Columbia 300 ball and my average is 160. I am a decent bowler for my league, always top 3 for high games for the night, however I have begun experiencing terrible joint pain in my right middle finger. The middle joint swells, and you can physically see the swelling. After the first game and a half, it hurts to pick up the ball, much less throw it. Therefore, I will bowl a 187 in the first game, and then barely break 100 for the 2nd and 3rd.

My ball does not have finger plugs, and my fiance has suggested that I may need it redrilled and then possibly have plugs inserted.

Does anybody have any suggestions? Should I hold the ball differently? Release differently? I actually have a backwards spin on my ball. It goes to the left then comes back to the middle. Does this have anything to do with it? I had rather not learn to throw a hook. I'm very comfortable with straight bowling and am very good at it. But now, this injury is beginning to kill my average.

Any suggestions or tips would be GREATLY appreciated!!!

Thanks so much!!

Aimee

[Graaille]

First, welcome to BB.

I would get your grip remeasured by a good pro shop. It may be that it's too long, or perhaps you need a change in the fingertip pitch. I've been talking to another person about their grip and span, and what a correct span would be. Bowling straight or backup won't make a difference w/your finger -- bowling should fatigue the entire body -- not cause damage.

Take a look at this thread, and please come back and ask questions if need be.

[AimeeMitchell]

Thank you for that! I'll check it out!

[J Anderson]

What kind of grip are you using? I used a conventional grip for over thirty years, same league, same ball, three different bowling centers. I had the fingers drilled out once and the thumb hole several times, keeping the original pitches. Toward the end, the middle knuckle of my middle finger would start to hurt during the third game. By the next night of bowling I would have forgotten about it, so I never had the fit checked and the ball re-drilled. About a year and a half ago, I had to have hand surgery for an unrelated problem. I decided this was a good time to change my game and get new equipment. The new balls both have fingertip grips. Now I only hurt when I do something wrong, and even then it is usually the elbow not the hand.

It definitely sounds like a span problem. Try switching to a fingertip grip if your current set up is conventional. As strange as it may sound, a fingertip grip, fitted properly, is easier to hold than a conventional grip. Good luck!

[Stormed1]

definatly sound like eith the spans too long or too much forward pitch in the fingers or even a combo of both. i definatly recomend having you fit rechecked.

[JAnderson]

Don't take it as the Bible, but every time I've had pain in the fingers, it has been a pitch problem. As we get older, gain/lose weight, increase muscle mass, etc, our body changes. It doesn't take much of a change in your hands to make a ball not fit.

Your release, which causes the "reverse spin" as you call it (I've mostly heard it called a "backup ball") does tend to put more strain on your middle finger than on your ring finger because your middle finger is in the ball longer.

It wouldn't hurt to have the doctor look at it the next time you're there to make sure you're not having any physical problems that could be causing the pain.