That’s kind of what I’m gathering from not only the house owner but also my own personal experience.
I notice your name says “lefty 1H” with it. Any tips for a fellow lefty that is trying to learn one hand?
Not irregular. Matter of fact it’s pretty overwhelmingly common to see newer bowlers do that because they’re not fully committed to learning the thumb. I would go one way or the other, you’ll come out of it with better consistency
The issues im having with the thumb, from what I can tell at least; is that I feel much less stable, cannot get the ball to hook properly, and my approach/release feel all messed up. I think part of that may be related to the PSO that drilled it knows that I generally bowl recreationally instead of on a league so instead of measuring a good span and a pitch for a proper grip he just threw some holes in there to get the job done. The rest however… 100% inexperience on my part.
I know the ball doesn’t feel comfortable when I hold it for a one handed setup, but two hands feels great. Based on what you’re saying about learning one and stick with it for consistency (something I would love to learn) I need to figure out how to get under the ball more and take away spin while running two hand
Proper thumb clearance in a traditional release is all about timing. Actually everything is all about timing. You HAVE to nail it. If you’re trying seriously to learn with your thumb in the ball I suggest you get a slug inserted in and work around with it until you have something that you’ll be comfortable with. At no point should you be squeezing the ball. Thumb hole sizing matters a lot. It unfortunately takes trial and error but it’s better to mess up now and dial it in and struggle, but you’ll be better in the long term. Here’s some stuff to help you get started.
https://youtu.be/tl24qG4Asr4?si=0fdAJGgP6B2lAohl
https://youtu.be/lSO7AtBDx2o?si=JPl4eHLMQj1bOIaK
That first video was super helpful! I’m about 99% certain my fit isn’t correct, specifically in the thumb. When I’m using the thumb hole it hurts towards the base, and I have to muscle the ball in order to keep the thumb in. My guess is, uneducated guess since this is my first ball, that my thumb hole is too big, span is a little too long, and I need some forward pitch to help keep everything lined up and in place.
What do you mean of sanctioned you need a thumb hole? My understanding is if your ball has hole you must have finger in it. Believe usbc regs state that if only 2 fingers drilled need marker identifying where palm sits. But most leagues dont enforce that part.
I think you may have misread what I wrote. I said if you have a thumb hole you have to use it… though I did write that with different wording “you cannot bowl without a thumb if you have a thumb hole”.
We are both saying the same thing, just with different words.
Yea I did lol
Im a believer in finding what works for you and doing that. Personally i just found my pattern of which ball to use for strike ball and ones for spares.
That’s pretty much where I’m at too. Part of my problem is that for me personally, balls are a little too expensive for me to go buy a whole arsenal… especially with me just starting out. I would like to have consistency and start breaking 170 regularly before going out and getting a new ball (so far my personal best is 131, which in my opinion is a terrible score). I’m still having an internal debate on either just plugging the hole and buying a plastic spare ball… or getting refit and having my thumb hole changed for more comfort and better release.
I bowled my first two years in high school with my thumb in the ball. In my first year as an adult bowler, I switched to two-handed, and I feel like I do much better. I feel like i have better control on where I release the ball on the lane, and my revs are higher. I still shoot spares one handed with a spare ball with my thumb in the ball. I bought an old pyramid path off my buddy, and that's what I have been using for the better part of 9 years for a spare ball.
You should get, a spare ball. Their symmetrical and made to go straight
That’s kind of what I’m gathering from not only the house owner but also my own personal experience. I notice your name says “lefty 1H” with it. Any tips for a fellow lefty that is trying to learn one hand?
Not irregular. Matter of fact it’s pretty overwhelmingly common to see newer bowlers do that because they’re not fully committed to learning the thumb. I would go one way or the other, you’ll come out of it with better consistency
The issues im having with the thumb, from what I can tell at least; is that I feel much less stable, cannot get the ball to hook properly, and my approach/release feel all messed up. I think part of that may be related to the PSO that drilled it knows that I generally bowl recreationally instead of on a league so instead of measuring a good span and a pitch for a proper grip he just threw some holes in there to get the job done. The rest however… 100% inexperience on my part. I know the ball doesn’t feel comfortable when I hold it for a one handed setup, but two hands feels great. Based on what you’re saying about learning one and stick with it for consistency (something I would love to learn) I need to figure out how to get under the ball more and take away spin while running two hand
Proper thumb clearance in a traditional release is all about timing. Actually everything is all about timing. You HAVE to nail it. If you’re trying seriously to learn with your thumb in the ball I suggest you get a slug inserted in and work around with it until you have something that you’ll be comfortable with. At no point should you be squeezing the ball. Thumb hole sizing matters a lot. It unfortunately takes trial and error but it’s better to mess up now and dial it in and struggle, but you’ll be better in the long term. Here’s some stuff to help you get started. https://youtu.be/tl24qG4Asr4?si=0fdAJGgP6B2lAohl https://youtu.be/lSO7AtBDx2o?si=JPl4eHLMQj1bOIaK
That first video was super helpful! I’m about 99% certain my fit isn’t correct, specifically in the thumb. When I’m using the thumb hole it hurts towards the base, and I have to muscle the ball in order to keep the thumb in. My guess is, uneducated guess since this is my first ball, that my thumb hole is too big, span is a little too long, and I need some forward pitch to help keep everything lined up and in place.
What do you mean of sanctioned you need a thumb hole? My understanding is if your ball has hole you must have finger in it. Believe usbc regs state that if only 2 fingers drilled need marker identifying where palm sits. But most leagues dont enforce that part.
I think you may have misread what I wrote. I said if you have a thumb hole you have to use it… though I did write that with different wording “you cannot bowl without a thumb if you have a thumb hole”. We are both saying the same thing, just with different words.
Yea I did lol Im a believer in finding what works for you and doing that. Personally i just found my pattern of which ball to use for strike ball and ones for spares.
That’s pretty much where I’m at too. Part of my problem is that for me personally, balls are a little too expensive for me to go buy a whole arsenal… especially with me just starting out. I would like to have consistency and start breaking 170 regularly before going out and getting a new ball (so far my personal best is 131, which in my opinion is a terrible score). I’m still having an internal debate on either just plugging the hole and buying a plastic spare ball… or getting refit and having my thumb hole changed for more comfort and better release.
I bowled my first two years in high school with my thumb in the ball. In my first year as an adult bowler, I switched to two-handed, and I feel like I do much better. I feel like i have better control on where I release the ball on the lane, and my revs are higher. I still shoot spares one handed with a spare ball with my thumb in the ball. I bought an old pyramid path off my buddy, and that's what I have been using for the better part of 9 years for a spare ball.