Expert: Susie Minshew - 1/1/2010

Question
where is the proper way to insert tape if needed ie., in back or front or one sides of the drilled hole to get a snug fit? what tape is recommended?

Answer
Hi, LD!

Taping is an art. How you place tape in the thumb hole and what type of tape you use is really important. Tape is used to snug the fit since the tighter your thumb hole, the faster you can exit.

You want a quick, clean exit out of the ball so smooth black tape or teflon should be used on the back (nail side) of the hole. In my opinion, you should use white textured bowling tape in the front of the hole. Even better is a product called Ed Thomas Thin Grip. This product is a bit thicker than regular bowlers tape and is more textured. Regular tape usually can't be reused while Thin Grip can be used many many times. It gives you a great secure feeling in the ball.

The tape is supposed to be directly on the pad of your thumb, not off to one side or the other. How do you know where to put it? Look at the ring finger hole and the thumb hole. Draw an imaginary line from about ½” outside the ring finger to the thumb hole. Put the tape in the hole on either side of that line. This works for a very high percentage of the population. If your thumb has more of an angle, the tape will need to be moved clockwise. Put your hand in the ball to be sure the tape is exactly on your pad.

You might think that tape should be centered in the "middle" of the thumb hole. It does go in the middle of where your thumb is in the hole. However, you don't find the "middle" by drawing a straight line from the bridge (space between the finger holes) directly down to the thumb hole. If you place the middle of your thumb in the thumb hole squarely on this line and spread your hand out over the ball, your fingers will be far to the left of where the finger holes are currently drilled for a right-hander and far too right for a lefty.

With your hand in the ball, you can gauge easily where the tape belongs. The LEFT edge of the tape should be close to that 'middle' of the thumb hole. The pad of the thumb actually fits in the thumb hole from about 1:00 to 3:00 on a clockface (12:00 being that line directly down from the bridge). The tape should match perfectly with this angle of the thumb in the ball. Any other placement is done to produce different types of releases, might be uncomfortable, could cause ridges on the pad of the thumb, and can cause a burning sensation as the thumb exits the ball.

Learn to put tape in the hole quickly and IN THE RIGHT PLACE. Once you've determined where the tape goes, you can mark the thumb hole if necessary. This can be done with any sharp tool that will make a small scribe mark on the ball just outside the thumb slug. You can make the mark so that you match up the left side of the tape to the scribe mark or so that the tape goes on either side of the mark.

Since you can't reproduce shots with a ball that doesn't fit, you can see that tape is serious business and a huge help to your repeatability.

Susie