AboutWarren Friedl Expertise 20 Years Pro Shop Owner/Operator, 17 Years Bowling Center Operator (Manager/General Manager), Certified Coach since National Bowling Council and YABA days. Also Dick Ritger and USA Bowling Bronze certified. International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association (IBPSIA) Charter member, IBPSIA Certified, IBPSIA "On Lanes" Certified, 2 Time Member of the IBPSIA Board of Directors and Past Secretary/Treasurer, Small Shop columnist "Pro Shop Operator" Magazine, contributor to "Bowlers Journal International" magazine, editor of IBPSIA NET NEWS weekly e-newsletter, editor of "The Bowling Tree" blog and webmaster of www.revbowl.com.
Experience 20 Years operating Revolutions Pro Shops in 2nd Largest bowling ball market in the country, Chicagoland.
17 Years in Center operations as Marketing Director, Asst. Manager or General Manager, becoming GM in every Center I worked.
Organizations American Bowling Congress/USBC Member since 1976, bowling 50 years.
International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association (IBPSIA) Charter and continuing member (18 years), 2 time member of IBPSIA Board of Directors, former Secretary/Treasurer.
US Bowling Coaches Association (Bronze Coach)
Bowling Writers Association of America (BWAA)
Publications “Bowlers Journal International” and “Pro Shop Operator” Magazines.
Chicago Bowler, Windy City Bowling News, Centennial Lanes.com, The Bowling Tree Blog, IBPSIA.com and IBPSIA Net News (e-newsletter).
Education/Credentials IBPSIA Technically Certified. Multiple Seminars from AMF, Brunswick, Columbia, Circle, Ebonite, Hammer, Mo-Rich, Storm, Track, Dexter, Etonic, and others. Kaploe and Davis Bowling Marketing training.
Certified with the Young America Bowling Alliance (YABA) and the National Bowling Council (NBC) as a coach in 1982. Other coaching credentials include: Dick Ritger Level One, Dick Ritger Coaching Coaches, and USA Bowling Bronze Level.
Awards and Honors Created and executed Promotions highlighted in Bowlers Journal Magazine and included in the “150 Promotions for Bowling Centers” organized by the Bowling Proprietors Association of America (BPAA).
First Pro Shop featured in Bowling Industry magazine, for customer service and merchandising, October 1996.
Identified “One of the best ball fitters in the country” by then Track, Inc. President Del Warren, September 2005.
Tournament Promotions lead to top performance in center, or for center hosted events including: Chicago City Championships, US Open Qualifiers, Amateur Bowlers Tour.
Past/Present Clients Presenter at the IBPSIA National Convention.
Presenter at Bowling Proprietors Association Management School
Question I had all my balls drilled with 2 finger holes, and later added the pinkie. I also change to slightly forward thumb pitch. My thumb has built up a huge calous on the knuckle. Is the span that is correct for two-finger drilling is actually too large for 3-finger? Or is it the pitch that's doing this to me? Or both?
I was thinking I would shorten the span 1/4 inch and ditch the forward pitch to allow me to stop gripping....
Answer Roger,
Ball fit is a combo of span, pitches and hole sizes (Is your hand flat on the ball?). The size of the holes and their angles will help the ball hold onto you (and let go of you at the proper time).
Not knowing why you added the pinkie holes, if they changed the orientation of your hand on the ball, they could cause a problem. The simplest way to explain pinkie fit, is drill what you see (or measure a relaxed span with the other fingers in the ball, lay the pinkie out flat, mark where the crease falls on the ball and drill slightly short of that point, with an eye to flexibility).
Without knowing any specific information about your fit, forward pitch in the thumb, with NO OTHER CHANGES, should help you hold onto the ball easier - with less grip pressure. So, if you are gripping, resulting in the callus, your span could be too short, or too long (Is your hand flat on the ball?).
Bending the thumb in the ball is pushing the knuckle back against the back of the thumb hole. A loose thumb hole also leads to the problem you are experiencing, is that an issue?
What was your span before you tried the new thumb angle? Multiple changes don't often provide the right answer, but can potentially provide relief. Please provide more information, like your fit. We can figure out what's going on. Thanks for the questions.
