The THUMB Part 1 - Getting the right fit

This video is geared towards 1-handers and talks about how to get the right fit and feel for the thumb, and how you should be using it. If you are a 2-hander, you can skip to Part 2: • The THUMB Part 2 - BOT...

[@chasingpixels5325]

Holy shit. This singular video fixed my entire swing. I’ve been muscling it and really holding the ball with my fingers. The “thumb hinge” makes so much sense and fixes everything I’ve been doing wrong.

[@baldbrothersbowling]

That's is so awesome to hear.

[@SoCalGambler]

Finally someone made a video about this!

[@baldbrothersbowling]

Thank you. Been preaching this to our high school kids for years but never hear anyone else talk about it. They talk about what NOT to do (grabbing it), but not so much what to do. Thank you for watching and for the comment.

[@baaadddmannn]

@@baldbrothersbowling thank you for such prompt reply, question.....if thumb is suppose to point 45 degrees to left at release, hand is putting rotation on the ball, how do you throw stay behind ball and roll it straight using same thumb position, I don't see that happening....I hook my thumb for pressure in ball, when I think I am not, think need to try putting pressure from top thumb nuckle at home, practice tomorrow gonna try rolling ball with no fingers, could it be all the problems I create from my game COME FROM SQUEEZING BALL WRONG????, inconsistent arm swing and follow thru, coming around ball with hand on top of ball at release, jajajaja, I do that seldom now, but still once in while. funny like two years ago I couldn't do anything wrong, this past season was exact opposite. high school bowlers are fortunate to have someone as skilled and talented as you to teach them the art and skills of bowling. Found your you tube videos by accident, good thing for accidents, will keep coming back for more, may you and brother have a good next season bowling both teaching and bowling itself, like your ball elimination videos...watching it makes me think?????

[@baldbrothersbowling]

​@@baaadddmannnWhen you ask about staying behind the ball, are you talking for spares, or a different roll? I say 45 degrees, but it is really pointing out the direction you want the ball to rotate. If want it a little more forward, you want to point the thumb more forward. I do this a lot on a strike ball if I need a different reaction. I might go from 45 degrees to maybe 20. On spares if you wanna roll end over end, you point the thumb at your target. That said, with arthritis in my wrist, I can't keep my hand that flat thru the release, so I actually relax my wrist, throw a more suitcase release at spares, and don't lift the fingers to deaden the hook.

[@ValentineWS]

Mate, you are the best! From Russia with appreciation!!

[@ThePunisher0313]

I needed this two years ago! when I told the guy at the pro shop that my thumb gets stuck he just made the hole bigger!

[@baldbrothersbowling]

Yeah, that is the go to without them really talking thru what you do when you bowl. You can always add tape. Lol.

[@jeramiescott3364]

A lot of YT tutorials just tell bowlers what to do, but fail to explain how to do them. I really wish people would stop saying there should be zero grip pressure. There has to be a little, this was a good video 👍🏽

[@baldbrothersbowling]

Appreciate that.

[@darrenthedude1]

Damn! Pulling Back with the Thumb!! I've been trying to do CURLS just like you said! No Wonder it's not working!! Thanks a million for this!!

[@baldbrothersbowling]

Absolutely. The ball SHOULD feel a bit lighter, thus easier to manipulate the way you want. Takes practice and getting used to, but it works. Glad we could be some help, and good luck!

[@jeffreybritton3338]

I never knew how to get my hand under the ball. I tried the wrist curl and it just injured my wrist. I could hardly get any rev rate. Definitely going to have to try this.

[@tymarmaras]

That thumb cue to keep the wrist straight or cupped is genius. The minute you said hinge my brain had the aha moment. I was always wondering how your hand can be relaxed while maintaining that wrist position.

[@baldbrothersbowling]

That's great. Thank you for commenting. Always great to hear when something works for someone.

[@philliplagreco6453]

I have watch so many different videos on this! You just made it a hell of a lot easier the way you explain it, I have a problem with gripper the ball and my thumb knuckle was hurting,so after watching this several times I added a little more tape in the thumb back and front of the hole and I found that releasing the ball was a lot better and didn’t find myself gripping it at all and the thumb came right out, also I bowled so much better with a better release! Thanks! Great video so is part 2!

[@baldbrothersbowling]

Thank you. I am glad this worked for you.

[@maqmigh4746]

Really nice video about the thumb. Looking forward to trying these tips. Pulling back on thumb.... Definitely going to try that. Thank you. Not enough videos like this out there. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@baldbrothersbowling]

I greatly appreciate hearing that. Thank you for watching.

[@lawrencebennett8175]

Fantastic video never heard it explained that way. I saved it and I will watch it a few more times.

[@baldbrothersbowling]

Appreciate that.

[@timothya.2920]

Thanks for this video! Been searching for a specific topic and this one is bang on! Subscribed!

[@baldbrothersbowling]

Thank you for subscribing and for watching. Glad it is hitting home for some.

[@aalkhoori1]

Thank you so much for this informative video👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@MeanDean74O]

A hero! I just recently switched from conventional to fingertip grip but I never knew how much thumb affected grip and release. I only used it to aim

[@baldbrothersbowling]

Thank you for watching and for the comment.

[@jimmyscott6159]

New subscriber here. I used to have 2 to 3 pieces of thumb tape in my balls. After using your technique I had to add 3 more pieces to the thumb and was able to clear it easily. Thanks a million.

[@baldbrothersbowling]

That's awesome. So glad we could help.

[@billylusk3515]

I was always scared of hanging up in my ball so i would have my thumb hole drilled too big. I usually have up to 5 pcs of tape in it. Works so much better being snug

[@5stringaustin]

Thank you so much for this video!! Outstanding explanation!! I just picked up bowling a few weeks ago. At my lesson today, I wore a nasty blister on the inner side of my thumb. Looking online, it seemed that my grip/fit is likely the culprit. This helps a TON in giving me the information to work on taping up my ball to get the right fit.

[@baldbrothersbowling]

That's great to hear that this helped. Thank you for watching and commenting.

[@theresaj1467]

I'm currently getting my fit adjusted. Always felt like I needed to apply a death grip to avoid dropping. Can't wait to try your tips with my new fit. Thanks!

[@baldbrothersbowling]

Thanks for watching. Hopefully this helps.

[@SethRagin]

Thank you so much! I just bought my first ball last week and constantly struggle with pinching my thumb. I have been looking for videos on exactly this.

[@baldbrothersbowling]

Thank you for watching. Hope you find this helpful.

[@frankschmidt8001]

Wow, amazing instruction! I will work on this, it's been a huge issue for me.

[@amarucb4]

Very well explained…. Looking forward to trying this approach, usually I think of pressing the thumb nail back..

[@baldbrothersbowling]

Thank you.

[@magolisllll147]

Nice tips

[@baldbrothersbowling]

Thank you

[@StephRenee812]

Holy chit what a huge difference!!! This is awesome. This along with relaxed wrist and arm it is easy to to the "yoyo" Now to make some molds instead of just drilling a hole to get a better fit. Using my couch to test this out o can not wait to get to the alley. I am consistently doing everything wrong i see. I hope you have other vidoes. New to channel. Im excited to learn more. Thank you for this video

[@baldbrothersbowling]

We have several videos, and more to come. Appreciate you watching.

[@MrSin360]

Thank you so much!!! Mind = Blown!

[@akoni53]

Great video, will try pulling thumb back to get under ball instead of trying to curl it.

[@baldbrothersbowling]

Thank you. Give me an update on how it goes. I am always interested to hear the results.

[@mariansowinski8967]

I'll be trying this as well.

[@adrsit]

Great tip. Pulling the thumb instead of lifting with fingers. Center of gravity.

[@baldbrothersbowling]

Thanks

[@coldkillah415]

This helped me a lot! Thank you! New Subscriber 👍🏽

[@baldbrothersbowling]

Glad to hear, and thank you for subscribing.

[@scotthoward6070]

I don't know. I must have a weird thumb joint. My thumb actually starts to separate from the thumb joint and my skin on the thumb shifts a good 1/4 inch. I don't see that happening for you. I know I'm not knuckling the ball. I've never done that. I pick up the ball like you are showing but it looks like the thumb is coming out a bit. Really it's just my thumb joint and skin moving from the weight of the ball. I'm not at a bowling lane so I haven't tested that part yet. I like the video. It was a lot more help than the pro shop guy. I just feel so much of the ball weight on my thumb at the bottom of the swing. It doesn't seem normal. I watch the pros and it looks to be no problem for them. I just feel lost.

[@baldbrothersbowling]

Have you adjusted the amount of tape as you try this? It is possible you may need to add more tape. You really want it snug, but not sticking. You basically want enough tape where just 1 more will make you stick in the ball. I think the issue most have is that it is too loose because of you don't keep the thumb straight thru release, it can stick. But if you get that snug feel and straight thumb release, that is the sweet spot. Not sure if that helps. You may just have to play with the amount of tape and release a little.

[@deethompson8436]

Good video

[@baldbrothersbowling]

Thank you

[@badknees82]

Have you made a video using a wrist brace....(pro release is what I use...)

[@baldbrothersbowling]

Hoping to record it Friday and post maybe this weekend or start of next week.

[@waynef3s310]

Great video 👍must have watched it 4 times. I have been getting the yo yo and hand shake release mixed up as far as my thumb release. Been hearing in the yo-yo the thumb will kind of automatically come out of the ball whereas the other release you should have some kind of conscious thought to release the thumb. Am I correct?

[@baldbrothersbowling]

Somewhat. The idea of the yo yo is that you are rolling the ball off your hand. You do need to make sure you release the pressure of the thumb first either way. You MIGHT still have to think about it with the yo yo at first, but it might come a little easier. With a traditional/handshake release, when you let go with the thumb, the ball it still starts to roll off your hand, it's just doing so by falling off the thumb first. In the yo yo, when you uncoil at the release, you are rolling it. You can still let go of the thumb and fingers at the same time with that release, so you will need to ensure you are still letting go with the thumb first. Either way, I suggest you do several 1-step or no-step drills to take everything else out of play and practice rolling the ball off your hand, thumb first, fingers second. I hope this helps.

[@waynef3s310]

Thank you , great explanation. I’ll start practicing thinking of releasing my thumb. I‘m not trying to use the yo-yo release. I tried it and it’s not for me😊

[@ninety9million928]

THank you

[@williemorrison5006]

I use a glove the one that mike strogger use on tour any help with that please.

[@baldbrothersbowling]

I assume there is no thumb in the glove. If not, the fit lesson is the same. The only change is that if it is a brace and has a firm backing to hold your wrist, you won't be able to uncup at the release. You will stay in a cupped or neutral position the whole way. With these, it is important to not roll your hand over. These gloves help get revs for those with a weaker wrist who need a little help, but will limit your ability to get a ton of revs, which is okay. Usually players who require these braces I suggest trying to keep your hand at about 45 degrees, not behind or beside the ball. You still want to use a flat thumb to hold the ball, and relax the thumb and strengthen the fingers right at release to get the ball to roll off the hand. If your hand is positioned at 45 degrees or so, it should have correct ball roll. You can increase revs a little even with a brace by going from behind the ball and rotating to 45, but don't roll it over. Watch Shannon Okeefe videos. She uses a brace and does this better than anyone. Note that if you use a brace for support, you MIGHT NOT be using the thumb to pull back and cup the wrist. I would suggest trying that to see if it eliminates the need for the brace, but if you need the brace, then follow above. I hope this helps.

[@williemorrison5006]

Question is 45 degrees is about 11oclock when your thumb exit

[@baldbrothersbowling]

​@@williemorrison5006about. If 12 o'clock is forward and 9 is 90 degrees, 10:30 would be 45. So anywhere from 10 to 11 o'clock is good.

[@EviLNox8]

I've been struggling with "curling" the ball. I keep thinking that it's too heavy and I'm just weak but perhaps I'm just using incorrect technique. I'm going to try that tomorrow. I'm always throwing with a bent wrist and thought I needed to just do more forearm exercises to build strength.

[@baldbrothersbowling]

I hope this works. Follow up and let me know how this goes.

[@EviLNox8]

@@baldbrothersbowling I just tried it. It's definitely easier to pull the thumb back. It's not a LOT of difference but maybe 20% easier. For me though, that 20% is the difference of me being able to keep my hand behind the ball. So definitely a good tip, i guess the thumb pull back activates another muscle to help out. Thanks for the tip.

[@baldbrothersbowling]

​@@EviLNox8so glad to hear it

[@hawjfamily321]

I wish you had made this a few years ago. I wouldn't have had to buy so many balls just to get the right thumb.

[@baldbrothersbowling]

Lol. Sorry.

[@aesthetic7837]

Thanks for the great video. Do you rest the ball at the base of the thumb or let the thumb be as relaxed as possible?

[@baldbrothersbowling]

The thumb does most of the heavy lifting, so I wouldn't say it is relaxed. However, you don't want to grab the ball or hinge at the knuckle closest to your nail. That should be relaxed. The muscle in your palm at the base of your thumb is going to be the one that contracts when you hinge at the base of your thumb. When you hinge there, the main contact will be the whole side of your thumb opposite the nail. When you apply pressure there, the thumb will slightly widen, closing the gap in the ball giving you that grip you need. I am not sure if I am covering what you are asking, but hopefully.

[@aesthetic7837]

@@baldbrothersbowlingthanks for the prompt reply. I will go try again. I am having problem with a smooth thumb release especially after a few games when my thumb swell and sweat.

[@elbowloloco7499]

Great video. No one has ever addressed thumb dynamics this well. But I guess I don't understand what you mean by "pulling back with the thumb" in order to flatten the wrist. Wouldn't this cause the thumb to release early?

[@baldbrothersbowling]

In the first part of the video, you need to make sure the fit is right and that you are hinging where the thumb meets the hand, not at the middle knuckle. If you do this and the fit is right, and you can pick up the ball with the thumb only like I show early, then the ball only comes off the thumb when you relax it. This is why I can swing the ball with just my thumb in the ball. So when you pull it back, you are pressing in with the thumb, and the ball won't release. You will get that cup and be able to swing your arm with the ball staying in your hand. As you start the down swing and start to rotate your thumb, that is when you will relax the thumb to let the ball start to come off your hand at the right time, and at the same time, lift with your fingers. I hope that makes sense.

[@BigJim5754]

Looking at say the 9:50 mark it looks like you have a pretty good gap at the back of your thumb to the rim of the thumb hole. I've been doing the "hinge" point thing for awhile like you describe and it works fairly well but my thumb has no spacing like yours at the 950 mark. I do use tape in hole on front and back and back of thumb tape for consistency as I'm a sweaty dude. Is that "gap" u have more rim beveling then straight down the hole? I went on a pitch change adventure recently, I was 3/8th away for years, big span, and slowly changed it in 1/8th a time tillI settled on 0 pitch across all my balls. Now I'm trying to redial in my fit to get a more consistent release while doing the yo yo. Thanx in adavnce!

[@baldbrothersbowling]

I hadn't noticed that before. I have skinny fingers, so the hole is snug around my thumb knuckle. You just can't see that because it's in the ball.

[@fullcircledojang]

What about a video on finger tension using index and pinky

[@baldbrothersbowling]

Sounds good. The pinky won't have much tension as some even tuck it, but I can talk about pros and cons of fixing it, and tension on index finger. Thanks for the idea.

[@nicholauscurphey3925]

My ball fits good but the pitches are off. With too much forward pitch the ball stays in my hand longer and with a negative pitch, I drop the ball on release.

[@baldbrothersbowling]

Yes, that will certainly have an effect. I used a friend's ball that was too much reverse and the ball would come off too quickly. If you have the ability to, change pitches on an old ball just until you get the right feel, then adjust any other balls accordingly.

[@StephRenee812]

I hate the feel of all the slugs. I just drilled a ball the thumb the size a rubber grip put thumb in rubber grip and incerted in ball. And i love the feel way better. Would that be a bad idea to use?

[@baldbrothersbowling]

Don't think I have seen anyone use an external thumb grip. I have seen some use a glove with a thumb. As long as you can get a consistent release and the grip doesn't come flying off, I suppose that would be okay. I also find that I prefer the feel of tape, so prefer a larger thumb hole, and then insert tape to get right fit and feel.

[@die7fox]

I just recently discussed this with one of my leaguemates, whose thumb hole was way too big. I told him the ball will actually feel lighter if his thumb fit is correct, because he'll be able to hang onto it with much less grip pressure, and a tighter thumbhole will make his thumb exit QUICKER because he's not clawing it. Also, is that a Sarge Easter grip on that light blue Hammer? You don't see that very often!

[@baldbrothersbowling]

YES! It's amazing how much of a difference that feel in the thumb makes. It can really relax the hand and gain power. And YES, it's not only Sarge Easter, but what we call Nanu Nanu Sarge Easter (meaning the ring finger is not only conventional, it's also spread away from the middle finger a little like the Mork & Mindy Nanu Nanu handshake). In addition to all that, my thumb is shifted left and has quite a left pitch. All of this was done thru experimentation with my PSO to help alleviate arthritis pain in my index finger. I have arthritis in my wrist also, but the index finger was unbearable, and with the "V" created from the middle finger to the index finger, too much weight was distributed to the index finger causing pain. All of these changes together help set the ball more into my palm, and redistribute the weight more between the middle finger and the ring finger. It has almost completely removed the pain in that finger, and I don't feel like I've lost ANYTHING in my power or rev rate, so well worth it. I'll probably do a video on that at some point. Thanks for watching!

[@StephRenee812]

Im back. Now to know where fonger holes should be drilled. Should the center of thumb and the center of ring fonger and middle finger be lined up or would that be off and poont beside my thumb. Im still not sure where the ball should be sitting most of the weight of the ball? I know my thumb if not tigjt it bends all crazy very flexible. I hope thats understandable. Hard to explain when im not a full year into bowling with a fitted ball and really getting into it. Im so determined east sleep repeat with bowling. I csnt stop until i can fully understand everything. Yes im MADD as the hatter😂😂

[@baldbrothersbowling]

Thanks for the comments. On the location of the holes, usually the pro shop will draw a center line, and the thumb is centered on the line, and the line splits the fingers. However, I think it depends on thumb flexibility. If you look at the palm of your hand, your thumb is not directly below those two fingers. With a traditional layout, the base of your palm will be off the ball. I don't like this, and I have arthritis and needed to figure out how to get it more in my palm. My pro shop draws the center line, but then offsets my thumb hole. Additionally, because my thumb is not flexible, I have a lot of left pitch. This all puts the ball more in my palm. This isn't normal, but I think way more people should try it. I hope this all makes sense.

[@pcolesjr]

When pulling back with the thumb do you do that in conjunction with the fingers. Appreciate you good stuff

[@pcolesjr]

I’m sorry there was a question in there. Just clarifying.

[@baldbrothersbowling]

Great question. The fingers act as a stop when you press your thumb inward in the ball, and they act as a pivot point when you pull back to cup your wrist. You aren't really pressing your fingers any harder than just keeping the ball still. For me, personally, the finger holes can be large. Some like a snug fit there also (and many use the vacu-grips), but I really just want the bottom of the finger holes to be a ledge for my finger to rest on. I want my fingers somewhat loose thru the whole swing until you release the thumb and lift with your fingers. When you pull back to cup your wrist, you are still pressing the base of your thumb on the inside of the ball, so the fingers are really just there to keep the ball from rotating. You don't really want to lift with the fingers or put much pressure on the fingers at this point. That gets you back into a "squeeze." I like to put my thumb in and set up. Then, I wiggle my fingers to promote a "loose" feel, and I want the majority of the pressure to be on the thumb. The main goal is to have the ball feel lighter because of the good fit. If you "curl" using your hand and fingers, you can feel how heavy the ball is. Work on pulling the thumb back and adjusting the feel of your fingers until you feel like the ball feels lighter and easy to maneuver. Another way to think about the pressure you use, I like to think of it as "strong thumb, loose fingers" thru most of the swing, and then as you start the release, you swap that to "Loose thumb, strong fingers." Going from strong thumb to loose is going from holding onto the ball to releasing the ball. Going from loose fingers to strong fingers is going from relaxed swing to lifting with power and creating revs. I know this might be confusing as it's hard to explain by text, but hopefully you get enough out of this to help you out. Let me know how that goes or if you need further clarification.

[@pcolesjr]

Please don’t misinterpret my question. My bowling release is terrible this is the best information I’ve received since taking up this game a year ago. I was just wondering on the fingers thank you thank you best gomer Pyle impression.

[@baldbrothersbowling]

@@pcolesjr Absolutely always here to help. I love putting out these videos because we get questions from all levels, and we love helping anyone improve their game. I hope this leads to some success for you.

[@Frankie-p1q]

Are you using a sarge grip

[@baldbrothersbowling]

I am. It's actually what we call the Nanu Nanu Sarge. I have arthritis in my index finger and the standard grip was painful. Too much weight on that finger. My PSO and I did a lot of experimentation and found that separating the middle finger and ring shifts a little weight away from index towards the ring. The Sarge plus shifting my thumb left with a lot of left pitch also shifts the weight into my palm more. All of this has alleviated the arthritis pain.

[@tomheise1342]

audio sucks

[@baldbrothersbowling]

It's a bowling alley with open bowlers, leagues, etc. Hard to find time when nobody is in there to prevent background noise. That said, I know there is background noise but "sucks" seems a bit harsh.

[@wilson0784]

He's in a bowling alley, not recording a pod cast. The audio was good enough for this video.