Gripping the Ball
- Thread starter GillS
- Start date
jimcross
Active Member
Years ago, there was a song called " Does Grandpapa Sleep With His Whiskers Under Or Over The Sheet?"
The way the song went was that he had never thought about it. When he did think about it, and tried it OVER---that didn't feel right.so he tried it UNDER, and he wasn't sure that was right either............ SO,.......... etc. I think he died of lack of sleep.
You should have left this question, for the next person you're bowling against, until, say, they are about to bowl the 9th. frame.
The way the song went was that he had never thought about it. When he did think about it, and tried it OVER---that didn't feel right.so he tried it UNDER, and he wasn't sure that was right either............ SO,.......... etc. I think he died of lack of sleep.
You should have left this question, for the next person you're bowling against, until, say, they are about to bowl the 9th. frame.
jason_doust
The Bowling Geek
It's what those of us with backswings do...Thumb in the ball? What's that?
Give it a go. Thumb in first reduces grip pressure in the fingers, as you can't dig them in as hard) and therefore reduces lift and loft in my experience. Makes the ball go faster through the front. Must add that to the "try at league" list for tonight...
Ash
I can't think of a title.
As far as I know though, you need a slightly under-spanned drilling to be able to get the fingers in enough to put the thumb in first.
It must work for some, I mean look at Tommy Jones, he does it and it works for him, he says the way he does it (like Bluey said, thumb in, 90 degree turn, insert fingers) helps him get this thumb out clean.
It must work for some, I mean look at Tommy Jones, he does it and it works for him, he says the way he does it (like Bluey said, thumb in, 90 degree turn, insert fingers) helps him get this thumb out clean.
Wal Brooker
New Member
The 'thumb in first' technique first came to light in the 1960's when US pro, the late Billy Welu, used and advertised the procedure in his book.
Like many stars of his day Welu threw a Full Roller delivery and suggested (I cant tell you why) that the thumb in first helped this release.
Like many stars of his day Welu threw a Full Roller delivery and suggested (I cant tell you why) that the thumb in first helped this release.
jason_doust
The Bowling Geek
Nope. You need a correctly spanned ball to do it. One that allows for the second knuckle to bend sufficiently to accommodate the fact that the first one can't make an almost 90° turn. If the pads of your fingers aren't able to come to full contact with the internal face of your finger holes and you're just grabbing the edges, it's too long. (To paraphrase the late, great Bill Taylor.)
I did put it on my "to do at league" list on Tuesday night. And you don't need a removable thumb product to do it. Reduced my lift and loft substantially, getting me through the front of the lane much better than I've seen in months. (Maybe that's why Billy Welu liked it, Wal. That would have helped a lot on lacquer.) Made a fresh 2000 grit ball read the house ditch like a book and I shot 676 with about 10 stone 10's. That's the next bit I'm working on. Gotta get a reaction that slows the ball down a bit more to increase my carry. (It's so easy to overthrow a 15lb ball...)
I'll keep playing with that one.
jason_doust
The Bowling Geek
I think you're right. I used to drill for Billy many years ago when I ran the pro shop at Chester Hill. He's got an unusually short thumb for such big, strong hands. (I remember getting a slug stuck about a ½" short and it was no problem!) Sure helps him clear the ball! He's bloody close to no-thumb and made Belmo look slow!
I only saw one guy throw a 16lb ball harder than Billy when he wanted to. And that guy was something else. He did it fom the shortest back swing you ever saw!
