Expert: Chip Aki - 12/15/2008

Question
Hi. I'd like to start out by saying that I live in a
country with no IBPSIA certified proshops. So I'm hoping
you yourself will be able to give me the complete answers.

1. is it true that if your span is correct, you should be
able to put the thumb in the ball and lay your fingers over
the holes so that the leading edge of the finger hole is
exactly in the middle between the first and second crease?
should your hand be relaxed completely or should you
stretch it (at least a little)?

2. I know more forward is the way to go. I currently have
5/8" forward and that seems pretty excessive, although I
have no problems getting out of the ball. If anything, I
feel like maybe I still need to grab the ball a little to
keep it from falling off. Does any pro have that much
forward pitch?

3. My hole is nice and oval so it conforms to the shape of
my thumb. But my second thumb joint (at the base of the
thumb) is much bigger and rounder. This prevents me from
putting the thumb in the ball all the way if I leave the
hole with zero bevel. That's why I have now started adding
bevel (1/2" deep) to the non-gripping side of the hole,
while keeping the bottom side (the thumb pad side) without
any bevel, so the edge can lock onto the webbing. Is this
OK or should I be beveling the hole all around?

4. How do you generally determine the lateral finger
pitches? My thumb is at 0 lateral and I have different
lateral finger pitches on different balls. Should I add so
much left pitch to the fingers so I'm able to easily place
all the pads just below the fingers on the ball?

thanks in advance!

Answer
1.  Stretching a litte when checking the span that way is ok, but I would be carefull in stretching too much.
2.  That does seem to be an excessive amount of pitch, in any direction.  I know of bowlers that use as much as 3/8, but no more.
3.  That might be why you feel that you are still having to squeeze the ball and having to bevel that much seems to point at too much forward pitch in the thumb.  If you lessen the pitch, you may not have to work out the hole as much.  I would also try to work the hole in a consistant pattern around the hole.
4. Unless you are having discomfort with your fingers, I see no need to change the lateral pitch on them.  If you do have soreness, adjust the lateral pith in your fingers in that direction.  Usually the most important thing with lateral finger pitches is to keep the holes from meeting at the bottom.

Good luck,
Chip