Expert: - 8/18/2008

Question
I'm 56 years old and starting getting arthritis in the finger tip joints about 1 1/2 years ago. I did  have a +215 average with medium hook, started bowling at 12. I'm 6' 190 pounds. I now use a 14 pound ball (Rival) with reverse pitch of 3/8 on the finger tips and reverse pitch on 3/8 on my thumb. When I got everything drilled out I was averaging about +220 for the first 2 months but 1 night a got a sharp pain through my thumb, close to the webbing and could hold onto the ball and haven't bowling since and that has been about 3 month. The doctors x-rayed the thumb and didn't see anything wrong, but said the nerve is hot. I have alway had the reverse 3/8 on the thumb hole, but the pro shop guy said that drilling the fingers at reverse 3/8 would put more pressure on my thumb. He didn't say it might cause a nerve problem, just more pressure. Have you seen this problem before? Has the reverse finger pitch added more pressure to the thumb? What would you suggest as a fix? Would going to a zero pitch on the thumb be better? Thanks for your time and suggestion. Roger Ramirez

Answer
Roger,
The span, angles and flexibility/texture/moistness of the hand dictates the amount of pitch I use in a grip. If you added the reverse pitch in the fingers without adjusting the pitch in the thumb, you are forcing yourself to grip to much.

How long are your spans? Are you flexible? Hands moist of dry? Is the thumb tight? or loose?

Yes, the reverse has changed your grip, you are exerting more grip  pressure with your thumb. The span and pitches represent a dramatic percent of the grip as a rule. By using tighter holes you can get away with a little less pitch. Let me know about the above.

Thanks for the questions, I look forward to hearing back.