Expert: - 1/30/2008

Question
QUESTION: I am a 40 year old 'novice.'  I have a Brunswick Strike Zone, 15lb with a fingertip lift grips (Vise).  Although I managed to bowl a 187 the other day, I often have trouble getting above 120 (mostly due to missed spares).  I think I am having trouble aiming.  I am a right hander, and although I am right eye dominant, my right eye is a 'lazy eye,' and hence my left eye "does all the work" and is much stronger than my right.  I seem to pull almost all my shots way left (and after the hook am hitting like only the 7 pin).  I line up with my right foot on board 17 and aim for the 2nd arrow (from the right).  I have more of a stroker's release.  I also seem to miss my spare shots to the right.  

I also am getting some pain in my right thumb on the underside of the first knuckle (closest to the palm).  It sometimes pinches the nerve there.  I didn't know if maybe a thumb slug with a bevel would help.  After about 3 games my forearms get tired.  Even though I try to relax during my delivery, I can't seem to hold on to the ball sufficiently after the 3rd game.   I would like to be able to practice enough games to get better.  Thanks for any suggestions you can make.

ANSWER: Who put a 120 average bowler into a performance bowling ball?

You are way over equipped for your skill level. You have many things to manage as you improve. Having a bowling ball that can react as much as a Strike Zone almost guarantees your spares will be an adventure. How hard do you throw the ball? How much does it hook (sounds like only 7 boards but then you mention hooking all he way over to the 7 pin!)?

Ball choice aside, you need to work on getting more consistent. Do you slide on your left foot? Where do you slide in relationship to where you start in your set-up? Do you finish (at the foul-line) a little left, a little right, or straight forward of where you start on the approach?

Your set-up and targeting might have you crossed up. Your approach and slide may have you too tight to your target so the trajectory is away, or tugged inside of your target on the lane. Depending if you drift and how much you drift, or potentially the misalignment demands THAT you drift. That could account for the tugged shots and the missed spares right.

It also sounds like you have a fit issue. Your bowling ball should just hang in your hand (it should let go of YOU). The grip pressure causing forearm discomfort, is you squeezing to hold onto the ball.

Address the fatigue issue with the shop that drilled the ball, and ask (suggest they fix it) about adjusting the pitches so you need less grip pressure. The International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association (IBPSIA) fitting guidelines allow much more control with much less effort. See if they are aware of the organization.

Are your Vise grips pitched toward your thumb more than 1/4 inch? What is the pitch of your thumb hole, and length of your spans? Is you hand flat on the ball? stretched/taunt? Fixing the fit, then aligning your set-up and approach will help you gain measurable consistency.

Please fill-in some of the questions and we should be able to get you more consistent.

Thanks for the question, looking forward to your follow-up.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for your help.  I guess I should have been more specific.  My original ball is an Ebonite Tornado, and I wasn't getting much hook on it.  The guy at the pro shop said it was a beginner ball, and if I wanted to get a good hook I needed a better ball, and he suggested the Strike Zone.  I don't know if it was due to his knowledge of the local lanes or what, so I went with the suggestion.  My hook is not too severe, although I can throw a wicked hook if I cup my hands, bend my elbow in the backswing to keep my hand underneath the ball and really muscle it, but I know that is bad form (plus that really aggravates the forearm pain the next day!).  I was looking for something that would give me a stroker's nice easy hook so I could throw a ball with a relaxed armswing.  If I had to describe my ball path it would look like fairly straight up the sides (2nd arrow) with a little hook on the back end.  I can throw a curving hook, but naturally have a straighter release, so I don't want to force it.  What I meant by my spares hooking off the lane left was, the ball starts way left of target from my release, heads directly toward the head pin, and veers off dramatically to the left right before it gets there.  The hook is not more than usual, but combined with the pulled release, ends up veering off the lane.  It also feels like the ball is going to drop out of my hand sometimes on my backswing, and sometimes this causes me to drop the ball early, and/or not get my fingers around the side of the ball.  I also tense up trying to keep my wrist firm, which I'm sure is part of the forearm fatigue also.  I rarely, if ever, get that nice 'popping' sound your hear when the pros release.  When I first got the Zone, the thumb hole was too tight, and I almost hit the ceiling with the ball!  He drilled it out a bit, but then I get the thumb pain.  I should mention that my Tornado has more of a bevel around the thumb hole than the new Zone, and the Tornado has never caused me pain (but I do feel like I'm going to drop it sometimes).  I believe that my thumb holes are 'angled in' (is that reverse pitch?).  I do know that I get a blister on the outside of my 2nd thumb knuckle (closed to fingernail).  This is where my thumb contacts the ball (and holds in on during my backswing).  I don't know exactly how wide my span is, but I know it is large, because the pro shop guy commented that with a span as big as mine and a fingertip grip I should have no problem throwing a hook.  He did look at my old ball when measuring the new one.  I am 6'2" tall, about 195lbs and have large, long fingers, but not particularly "meaty" ones.  My hand does lay flat, but with the Zone ball, the edge of the thumb hole hits that area that causes the pain when I put my thumb all the way in.  I believe my finger grips are reverse pitched toward my thumb, but I can't really tell.  I feel a good stretch at my knuckles when I put my thumb all the way in.   If I am standing with my fingers in the ball and my arm at my side, it does not fall out, but the pressure on my thumb causes the nerve pain a little, where it hits that part of my thumb knuckle that I mentioned before.

I bowled yesterday, and did poorly, except for the 187.  I should mention that I was using the Zone for my strike shot, and the Tornado for spares, and I was wearing a Brunswick wrist glove (not the hard plastic one).  I tried relaxing my grip and swing much more than usual, and this helped with the fatigue, but by the end of the fourth game my grip was weak.  I did not have the forearm soreness that I usually have the next day, but then again, I did not score particularly well, but mostly that was due to the pulled shots, and I couldn't make a spare to save my life.  When I do hit my strike ball target, I usually get 8 or 9 pins, so when I'm on, it's pretty good.  My thumb knuckle hurt where it rubbed though.

When I don't pull the ball severely, I can hit my target (2nd Arrow).  I don't know if somehow I'm letting my shoulder's open or what could be causing the pull.  I use a four step delivery and I am fairly smooth.  I don't know how much I drift because I have not done the calculation, but I can tell you that I slide with my left foot a little bit, and end up somewhat sideways, with my left heel moving left a good bit, and I have a good, smooth slide with my right leg coming behind also.

I plan on going back to the pro shop on Tuesday night when the guy gets back, so I'll try to get a copy of my measurements, if that helps.

Thanks so much, I really appreciate your help and feed back!


ANSWER: A couple games of bowling should be pain free. Getting your measurements will be very helpful. (Lateral pitches for fingers and the thumb, forward or reverse pitch on each hole and how much pitch? Span length for each finger, style/make of finger grips, size of each grip and the thumb, pitched or non-pitched grips?

Also, put your thumb in the Zone, relax the hand, where does the second crease of EACH finger fall as you place your fingers over the finger grips? Crease at the edge of the grip? Crease at the middle of the hole? Crease at the top edge of the hole? Your fingers are long, are they flexible (easy bend to 90 degrees at the fingertip) or stiff?

As you do the same with the Tornado, do the fingers end up the same distance? (I don't want to assume) Does the Tornado have a finger tip grip as well? with the same style grips? Tighter? Looser? You said: "I feel a good stretch at my knuckles when I put my thumb all the way in." Feel the same in the Tornado?

Can the two balls be checked for span and pitches, while you watch? If there is a significant disparity you should be able to tell. A small difference, while significant and uncomfortable for some, cause no discomfort for others (you may be the former).

As a big guy with long fingers rolling a bowling ball should NOT involve having to squeeze it. The blister and pain are indicators of way to much effort having to hold on to the ball. Additional bevel (a triangular shaped cut) right at the point causing pain at the top of the thumb hole should help relieve the discomfort. The blister is caused from the bending of your thumb while inside the thumb hole and the resulting friction as it rubs as your thumb exits the ball.

The slide foot turning at the finish is an indicator of your trying to stop yourself at the foul line, or a reaction to the torque as you pull the ball down in your back swing.

Please address the fit issue and let me know what you find out. Thanks for responding. The additional information should give more insight into your problems.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello Again Mr. Friedl!

I went to the bowling alley last night and met with the man who drilled my Blast Zone.  He drilled the thumb hole a little, and put a bevel on it near where I was getting the thumb pain.  He also suggested is use some tape and place it on the outside of my thumb when I bowl (Vise brand).  I also got a copy of my measurements, some of which I don't understand, because it is on that chart that they use to record the numbers when they measure you.  He also double checked my span, which is said was correct.  As best I can tell my measurements are as follows:
My ring finger is an 11, with a reverse pitch of 1/4".  There is also a box under that, with a little arrow pointing to the left that says 1/4 also (I don't know what that means).  Forward pitch block has a slash through it, so I'm assuming that means it doesn't have any, since the hole couldn't be forward and reverse pitched at the same time.  The bridge between the fingers is 1/4".  My middle finger is a 21, with a 1/4" reverse pitch, and 3/8 in the box with an arrow to the right?  Again, no forward pitch.  My span from my ring finger to the thumb is 5 3/8", and from middle finger to thumb is 5 1/2"  My thumb hole is a 7, with no forward pitch, 5/8" reverse pitch, no deflection left, and 1/8" right?  The finger grips are PL (power lift?) size 31 for middle finger, and 32 for ring finger.  The ball is 15 lbs.  He said both balls are the same, and are pretty conventional, except for my wide span.

I should mention that yesterday I received a Dick Ritger video and attempted to put some of what I learned into practice, concerning a free and relaxed arm swing.  I helped greatly!!!  I bowled three games with absolutely no finger, thumb, or forarm pain.  I think it was a combination of the thumb hole problem along with a poor release/arm swing, and griping the ball way too tightly.  The thumb tape helped with the blister, and it was not sore after bowling.  The video definitley helped me to learn to relax.  Unfortunately, it also perfected my hook with no effort, so now I can't throw a straight ball even if I want to, as the new release (fingers at 4 and 5 o'clock, with the thumb at 12) automatical produces a nice hook.  Needless to say my spare shooting suffered.  I still threw some balls way left, but it was more of a combination of misalignment as well as missing my target (this was with the zone ball).  I did get some nice strikes when I came over the target at the second arrow, but mostly the Zone would go Brooklyn even when I hit that target, so I think I will eventually have to learn to play the angles with that ball, in order to find the pocket.  It has too much hook to just go straight down the left side.  But the good news is the pain is gone, so I think it was a combination of poor fit, and poor mechanics.  With the new armswing my shots are much more controlled and smooth.  My thumb did stick a couple of times.  From what I can gather, I think my thumb was staying in the ball too late, causing me to pull all my shots.  Ritger seemed to indicate that if you get a blister on the back of your thumb, extra squeezing causes this, which causes the late timing.  I did much better on my deliveries even after putting some of his ideas to work just once.  I know the scores will come after I get the armswing down to where I can repeat it.

The only other thing I am considering now is whether to get thumb slugs, and or whether they will help or not.

Thanks for all your help.  Let me know what the measurements tell you.  I am very appreciative of any suggestions you may have.  Now I have to figure out what kind of hard plastic ball to get for my spares!

Thanks again,
Adam Bompadre

Answer
Adam, Nice to hear back from you. Thanks for your time to address the concerns you have with your ball. Do you have a Strike Zone or Blast Zone or both?

I think I get your fit info. But you identify the first measurement as your ring finger. The size of the hole is the bigger of the two finger sizes (11/16) and has left lateral pitch of 1/4inch, 1/4 reverse, so I'll assume it is your middle finger as you mentioned you are right handed. The ring finger would be 21/32, with right lateral pitch of 3/8 and 1/4 away (or reverse, which basically negates the pitch of the Vise pitched finger grips). You pointed out the span of again the ring (which I believe is your middle finger)is 5 3/8 (the shorter of the two spans while the other finger is 1/8 longer at 5 1/2). The longer span is typically the ring finger length. Thumb hole is 7/8, 1/8 right and 5/8 reverse. The 31 and 32 designations seem to be the outside diameter of the grip holes. Does the info look like this?
^1/4          1/4^
<- 1/4          3/8 ->
   11/16    21/32  finger sizes
      \      /
  5 3/8    5 1/2
       \   /
        7/8  thumb size
  v 5/8    1/8->
Details tell me pitches etc. are fine (another fitter might pitch things a little more or a little less), I'd probably have added just a pinch more reverse because of your long thumb. But allowing more room in the thumb will make up for some of the problem. As you relax your grip, the hole size will start feeling a little sloppy, and you will need to tighten it slightly with tape, then the angle will restrict you a little. I'd suggest you wait with the thumb slugs or grips until you experience the sloppy feel. Then a small adjustment can be made when installing the slugs. Slugs finish smoother, so make sure you start with the tighter thumb and have it opened slightly. The feel changes might take weeks or months.  

A quick tip on adjustments. If you miss the pocket to the right, move your feet to the right the same distance it looks like you missed. If you hit light (14th or 15th board instead of 17th) move right two or three boards. If you miss left move left. You mentioned missing to the Brooklyn side, that's left of pocket/target, move your feet left (aiming at the same target initially) and fine tune from there. Good luck and good bowling.