Help!

[MDLenz]

Hey everyone, new bowler here, and I need some serious help with about everything in my game.

Little bit of background: I'm a 17 year old guy, 6'2", left-handed, and I've been bowling for about two months. I haven't bowled for about 9 years, I used to be pretty good when I was a little kid, but my form was terrible. I'm trying to develop a style right now and everything seems to be going wrong! Anyway, here are a couple of my issues, I'd love any input you guys could give.

Thumb:

This is my big issue. Every time I bowl I shred the right side of my thumb, right on the middle joint. I have a ball that's been drilled for me, but the first guy who drilled it had no freaking clue what he was doing and opened up the thumb way too big. I took it to a second guy who's helped out a lot, the fit's a lot better, but I'm still getting a lot of friction on the right side of the thumb. I've been working with him about the blistering problem, and he put something like 1/8" right pitch or something like that (I didn't really get the exact details) into the thumb. It helped, but I'm still getting friction on that right side. My driller says he's stumped, so it'd be great to hear what you guys think.

Footwork:

Simply put, my footwork's terrible. No matter how hard I try, I seem to always end up with my right foot almost parallel to the foul line. I don't know what the hell's going on with that, but if you guys have any drills or exercises that'll help, I'd appreciate it.

I'll leave it at that for now, but I might update this later with some other issues.

Also, I'm currently working with a USBC Silver coach, who's been a great help. He's given me a lot of advice, but he can't help me any more until I actually improve my form.

Any help at all would be appreciated

[The Mayor]

I'm assuming that when you say the right side of your thumb you're referring to looking at your thumb with your palm down. Most likely the thumb problems are due to a pitch issue. It's possible that you could use a slight bit more bevel on that portion of the thumb hole to relieve some of the friction as well. Generally, whatever side your thumb is rubbing on, you would pitch the thumb more in that direction. However, lateral pitch is only part of the equation. The amount of forward/reverse pitch in the thumb is a big factor as well. If you could find out your exact pitch coordinates, that would be very helpful for us. Also, any video you could take of yourself bowling will be a huge asset!

[MDLenz]

Hello again, sorry it took me so long to reply! Thanks for all the input guys.

I've had my thumb slug redrilled a couple times now and I think I might have the issue resolved. Went to a new guy who gave me a pretty good fit, however, I was an idiot and asked him to open it up too much, so now it's loose. I'll go back on Monday and get a new one put in and also get you guys some specs for it.

Also, I can probably put some video up sometime next week if you guys want to see it. I'd be interested to hear some feedback on things that I can improve.

And finally, I've got one more question for you. This isn't actually about technique, but about ball maintenance. I've been using a ball cleaner on my ball along with a microfiber towel, but I've bowled maybe 80 or more games on it now and am thinking about giving it a soak. I've heard a lot of people say that soaking the ball's fine as long as you keep the temp pretty low, but I've also heard some people recommend against it. What are your thoughts?

Thanks again for the help.

[Trex]

Hello again, sorry it took me so long to reply! Thanks for all the input guys.

I've had my thumb slug redrilled a couple times now and I think I might have the issue resolved. Went to a new guy who gave me a pretty good fit, however, I was an idiot and asked him to open it up too much, so now it's loose. I'll go back on Monday and get a new one put in and also get you guys some specs for it.

Also, I can probably put some video up sometime next week if you guys want to see it. I'd be interested to hear some feedback on things that I can improve.

And finally, I've got one more question for you. This isn't actually about technique, but about ball maintenance. I've been using a ball cleaner on my ball along with a microfiber towel, but I've bowled maybe 80 or more games on it now and am thinking about giving it a soak. I've heard a lot of people say that soaking the ball's fine as long as you keep the temp pretty low, but I've also heard some people recommend against it. What are your thoughts?

Thanks again for the help.

(1)...I put mine in the sink on a ball cup.
(2)...Then run hot water until it about covers the top of the ball.
(3)...I then use dish washing liquid such as dawn to clean the ball as it sits in this hot water. The oil comes to the surface of the ball due to the hot water, and it is washed off by me rubbing the ball with a dawn dish washing liquid covered rag.
(4)...I do this until no more oil is coming out of the cover stock which takes about 20 mins, as I do this once per month.

I have never had any ball crack, nor have I had any other problems doing this.

I have seen guys put there ball in an oven with heat as low as it would go and still they burned the ball making the cover crack!!

Pro shops use a special oven designed for bowling balls, and yet still...I would never use one of those as I prefer hot water over dry heat!!

This works for me because it is effective, and causes no harm to my equipment as I always dry out the finger holes when I am done using a towel or rag, then I use a hair dryer to blow warm air into the finger holes to further dry the inside of the holes.

I don't really worry about the water that gets into the holes because I have a few bowling balls that I bought from a guy who left them out side in his yard in rain, snow, sun, for two years & these balls work like new after I bought them from him and resurfaced them on my ball spinner.

....But then I do live down south where it does not get below 20 degrees very often or for very long.

I know one guy who puts his bowling ball in his dish washer & claims he has had no problem & claims it works great! ...But I wouldn't know about that myself as I have never tried it.

[vgw]

(1)...I put mine in the sink on a ball cup.
(2)...Then run hot water until it about covers the top of the ball.
(3)...I then use dish washing liquid such as dawn to clean the ball as it sits in this hot water. The oil comes to the surface of the ball due to the hot water, and it is washed off by me rubbing the ball with a dawn dish washing liquid covered rag.
(4)...I do this until no more oil is coming out of the cover stock which takes about 20 mins, as I do this once per month.

I have never had any ball crack, nor have I had any other problems doing this.

I have seen guys put there ball in an oven with heat as low as it would go and still they burned the ball making the cover crack!!

Pro shops use a special oven designed for bowling balls, and yet still...I would never use one of those as I prefer hot water over dry heat!!

This works for me because it is effective, and causes no harm to my equipment as I always dry out the finger holes when I am done using a towel or rag, then I use a hair dryer to blow warm air into the finger holes to further dry the inside of the holes.

I don't really worry about the water that gets into the holes because I have a few bowling balls that I bought from a guy who left them out side in his yard in rain, snow, sun, for two years & these balls work like new after I bought them from him and resurfaced them on my ball spinner.

....But then I do live down south where it does not get below 20 degrees very often or for very long.

I know one guy who puts his bowling ball in his dish washer & claims he has had no problem & claims it works great! ...But I wouldn't know about that myself as I have never tried it.

I do the same thing with soaking the ball. I place the ball in the bucket I use to wash my car. I place it in the bathtub, put some dishwashing liquid in, then run the hot water until it covers the ball. I then wipe the surface of the ball with a microfiber towel. I don't do a hair dryer as I'll let the ball sit after I dry it off so that the water in the finger holes has a chance to escape.

[Richard McCusker]

Hi, MDLenz —

At 6'2" and 17-yrs it would be unusual that you would not be having some coordination problems. You're a young, tall guy trying to get used to a body that's still developing! So be forgiving and patient with yourself as you push towards your athletic goals. Remember that "perfection" is like a rainbow — always on the horizon; it's a journey, a striving-for, but not a state of reality. Just always do the best you possibly can, and don't beat yourself up over the flubs. When you flub up, kick some dirt and let it go, so to speak.

Developing a bowling style interprets to making a whole bunch of (increasingly intricate!) changes, and you can easily get confused if you're making too many, too fast. So slow down a bit. Work on a few basics at a time. If you try to take on everything at all at once, you're sure to get discouraged. For example, have some fun with hitting your lane target with a high degree of consistency before worrying about hitting the pocket just right. If you're a "natural" stroker who wants to be a high-powered cranker, be a terrific stroker first and enjoy the journey. Then you'll be a more versatile, deadlier cranker . . . and a much tougher opponent.

Thumb Problems! You'll find the subject scattered everywhere on the bowling sites, so it is a big deal to a lot of bowlers. You'd think drillers would be pretty keen on identifying the causes and have ready solutions, but most don't have a clue. So find a cooperative, competent driller. The thing is, bowler's thumb problems can be extremely complicated. Size and shape are just the beginning. Bone angles, joints, flexibility and tendends come into play, too. Then there's how you release the ball and the ever changing size factors to consider. In a game series, some bowlers experience swelling while others have shrinkage. Some bowlers have the same amount of grip strength no matter how many games they play, others have progressively less at the end of each game. Even temperatures, seasons and work habits have to be considered. So you're going to have to educate yourself on your own particulars and be prepared to adapt accordingly. (This is why thumb tape sells so well!)

One thing for sure is that the driller has to get that hole in exactly the right place and at the right pitch to begin with, and this may take some trial and error drillings to figure out. To that end, get yourself a cheap ball at the right weight and drill it like swiss cheese until its correct. Be able to get through 8 straight games without a hint of stress. Then know exactly how that near-perfect ball was drilled — keep precise records of what did and didn't work. You'll find that 1/16" measurement differences are significant — and this is too much for lazy drillers and dull markers.

Best Wishes and Perseverance!!

[The Mayor]

Well said Richard!!

[MDLenz]

I agree, well said Richard! Thanks for the input!

Yeah, in the past couple weeks I've really been trying to focus less on achieving x amount of revs and more on just finding a style that feels really comfortable for me, and I think it's helping my game a lot.

Anyway, I actually managed to pick up some footage from the lanes today if y'all are interested. It's a couple shots from my fifth game, so I was a little worn out and was actually bowling on a blister (on the thumb, of course), so I was trying to take things really easy and just focus on not forcing anything and keeping everything relaxed. I think I'll just embed the video below.



Also, I think I figured out the cause of the blistering on my thumb. I took my ball to a really qualified driller, and I believe he actually drilled it pretty darn well. However, I think the tape I've been using might be too wide! I'm using 1'' tape black and white and I think it's wrapping around the side of the thumb hole and making it too tight on the right side. Could this be a reason why I'm blistering, or am I completely off target? I just ordered some 3/4'' tape, so I'm going to try that out and see if there's a difference.

As always, any comments or feedback is appreciated.

[vgw]

I think your timing could use some adjustments and your body is somewhat off alignment. I couldn't see well in the video, but I think you could benefit from a stronger push off. The ball is coming out a bit late so I would try to better time your slide with your release. For your thumb, you might want to try applying more pressure to the opposite side of your knuckle, the smoother part of the thumb. The back part of your thumb where the knuckle is should not really be in contact with the thumb hole. Someone else chime in because I'm not good at explaining.

Look at the video and watch your posture throughout your delivery. I don't know what to suggest but it just looks a little crooked. For taller people, I would normally suggest using a 4 step approach and use your body leverage as compared to us shorter people that need to use more of our body speed.

Good luck.

[MDLenz]

I think your timing could use some adjustments and your body is somewhat off alignment. I couldn't see well in the video, but I think you could benefit from a stronger push off. The ball is coming out a bit late so I would try to better time your slide with your release. For your thumb, you might want to try applying more pressure to the opposite side of your knuckle, the smoother part of the thumb. The back part of your thumb where the knuckle is should not really be in contact with the thumb hole. Someone else chime in because I'm not good at explaining.

Look at the video and watch your posture throughout your delivery. I don't know what to suggest but it just looks a little crooked. For taller people, I would normally suggest using a 4 step approach and use your body leverage as compared to us shorter people that need to use more of our body speed.

Good luck.

Yeah, I'm pretty disappointed in my form right now, and I pretty much agree with everything you said; it does look like I'm crooked. However, I actually started bowling using a 4-step approach and tried that for a few weeks, then switched to a 5-step and found it felt better for me. That being said, I do take ridiculously tiny steps on my approach, so next time I'm out on the lanes I'm going to lengthen my steps and see if that'll help the approach and maybe try out the 4-step again for kicks.

The stronger push-off is definitely something I need to do. I was actually wondering why I hated the look of my swing whenever I watched my video, and I think it may have to do with the push-off.