Pressure areas of thumb in ball?

[slayer]

Hi,

I was just wondering where people apply thumb pressure while inside the ball?

I have been told that i am probably gripping the ball on release as i am getting a pop sometimes and the last time i bowled i ended up removing skin from the outside side of my thumb by the knuckle (looks like a burn)...

the thumb size is fine as i can insert and remove my thumb smoothly while just holding the ball.

just starting out so im sure it is a technique thing...

i am seeing a coach (only 1 session so far)... but thought i would see if anyone has any suggestions that has helped them...?

cheers!

 

[Pozza]

I had the exact same loss of skin. I was told these things
1. Keep the thumb straight
2. Apply the pressure on the inside of the thumb - close to the webbing
3. Don't grip like a claw - hold the ball more like a pair of scissors where you squeeze your fingers and keep your thumb straight.
It helped me but they may not mean it will help you. Give it a go and see what happens until your coach can give you the same or better advice.

Cheers
Pauline

 

[PoITeR]

hi slayer,

sounds to me like you are bending your thumb inside the hole, as pozza said try and keep it striaght, mind you that is easier said than done.

 

[Troyza]

There is a method I read about & employed -- thus far successful, thanks to bowling this month magazine;

(This is working off a firm-but-not-tight thumb hole.)

Insert your thumb straight, then pull your thumb up a little whilst still keeping it straight, with slight pressure on the front of your thumb. Assuming your thumb hole is not too loose (or tight) this should create a sort of suction. If done properly you'll find you can relax your thumb totally, & your ball won't fall off... until you bowl it though.

 

[jason_doust]

All good advice so far.

This same technique described by Troyza was employed by the late great Earl Anthony. With 41 PBA titles, I suspect he knew a thing or two.

Your span could be too long, your thumb hole too loose (was it drilled in summer?), it may have too much bevel or you may just be clenching too hard all by yourself!

Learn how to use tape to keep a snug fit. You may also have too much bevel on the top of the hole. (A common error made by drillers.) A sloppy thumb hole requiring tape or too much bevel lets your thumb move forward slightly at the top, causing the knuckle to bend easier than it should.

Remember that your thumb stays pretty straight and the ball comes off via swing speed and gravity. If you can just whip your thumb out of the hole when the ball is on a bench, it's probably too loose and you're grabbing it in the swing to hang on. This causes a knot at the back of the knuckle.

So many variables to a good fit...

 

[Coach Garvin]

Unfortunately until you check with a coach there could be several correct answers and only one could apply to you.

What has been mentioned are all possibilities. I would check with a ball drill / Level 2 coach to provide you the answer as your problem could lie in the drilling, technique or both.

A level 2 Coach will know a training drill called thumb out corrective drill (Dick Ritger Drill)
This is a simple and very effective drill to establish correct thumb out at the bottom of the swing.

I'll give you some very common reasons why you could be having the problem.
1/ Your release point could be too late (thumb is recommended to relax at the bottom of your swing arc. If it is later, then the thumb is actually angled which will restrict proper thumb relax. This could also cause over rotation of the hand)

2/ You struggle to hit pocket side consistently. ( this impacts more on your mental game where bowlers who struggle to hit pocket actually try and force the ball towards pocket. More force unfortunately equals more finger and thumb squeeze and forearm and so on)

3/ previous experience of dropping the ball too early (this could be the result of poor drilling, eating foods with your bowling hand and leaving oily residue etc. If an external factor caused you at some previous time to drop the ball early then possibly you could have gripped the ball more with the thumb to stop the early drop. This sub conscious process could be why you have a problem today.

4/ Ball drilling layout can definitely cause technique problems. have your ball checked by a different driller that you normally go to for a second opinion.

5/ Natural gripping influences. As humans we are all conditioned to grip objects to hold them. Gripping involves the fingers and thumb to wrap around the object to ensure the object does not slip from our grip. Like the earlier comment of gripping like scissors, this is the best simulation you can have to make sure you keep the thumb in straight. If this is a major reason why you grip the thumb and east solution to assist the transition is to put pressure (squeeze) with the top knuckle area of the thumb in the ball and lightly bend the thumb in the ball.

Lightly means just that. This technique is to solely influence the brain that you have natural grip of the ball (brain thinks thumb is bent and gripping the ball) and the brain will not resist the correct thumb relax. It will feel like you are dropping the ball if you do the thumb relax technique correctly and this is good.

What is not natural is the drop feel. We are conditioned if we relax our grip the object will fall and then there will be consequences. You must tell yourself in tenpin that it is okay to drop the ball. Reconditioning the brain to stop any excess thumb grip.

If you want more information please contact me. There could also be other reasons.

Coach Garvin
HP2 Coach
www.tiffanyaine.com.au