Been doing it that way solely since 1997. Practice, listen to your body---it will tell you when not to do something. Because you arent using your thumb, use your hand. Some people put the ball too far back on their thumb as opposed to centering it on their palm. Forces your hand to come on top of the ball---creates great tilt, but tends to be less consistent reaction.

As for your ball speed issues---if you cannot naturally and easily add ball speed, I would suggest against going NOTHUMB. I have a buddy who couldnt get any extra ball speed. If he did, he sacrificed accuracy. He maxed out averaging 178 NOTHUMB---now he is averaging 211 bowling with his thumbin.

Do what you have fun doing. Do what you can repeat. Thats it.
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Only Losers Feel Pressure
www.myspace.com/crushgroovecg

Thanks for the replies guys, appreciated...

Now Nothumb, I guess what I am seeing and have done myself and for all thumbless bowlers, is for them to really bend their bowling elbow inorder to improve stability in your hand/arm in their delivery by cupping ball...

I have been getting frequent elbow pain, this is NOT good, this began after two or three months of beginning this style of bowling.. I have to change, so now I keep my bowling elbow straight, and have a modest armswing now (this has improved with the reduction of stress on my elbow), with greater speed, and the pin action improved, although I have gone down to a modest weight. It is my intention to build up to a comfortable weight as you need to be able to hold ball almost exclusively in your hand during backswing.  Since you have 11 years Nothumb exp with this style, love to get yout thoughts on a straight arm swing going thumbless???  Are there any/many thumbless bowlers who are using straight arm swing instead of bent elbow..

Greg, I know of Mike Miller, the Guru of the tech, and yes, won 1 National title.. suffered back, knee and wrist problems I believe.. What you have stated is correct, the only man in over a 1000 PBA tournies over a 50 yr period to have won a national..He also bowls around 50 - 150 games a week in his day, I bowl two leagues a week..  Its not about the "gee wow" factor from kids that I am after.. This has helped me continue bowling, as knee used to really suffer bowling the traditional way, thumbless places a lot less stress on my knee.. So what do u do...

If bowling is about fun, then I am certainly having it since I began thumbless Nothumb, and my consistancy is ok, I pick up the majority of my spares I am just not moving much past 175. Prior to going thumbless, after a slump of over a couple of months, I was getting a little jacked off with the game.. Now I have a new spring in my step.. Its all GOOD!!!!!!

Love all feedback.

LL

I bowled this way for nearly 25 years and got pretty good at it but I don't recommend it.  I used a 15 pound ball and unless the lanes were flooded I had to keep my ball speed around 20mph at the pins just to stay right of the head pin.  On good lanes with a lot of oil I could crush a rack but when the lanes were medium to dry I had to go to a VERY weak ball which negated most of my advantage.  Being so condition specific was the main reason I used to advise people not to imitate me but now I have another reason.  Unless you are very strong it's hard to bowl this way and maintain a decent speed/rev ratio.  I've always been in good shape and never had a problem with the strength necessary to do this until last spring.  I was bowling in a tournament and shredded my bicep tendon.  Surgery, rehab, etc. and now I'm bowling again but I'm using my thumb now and having to break myself of all the habits I developed.  I've also got a huge knot on my right arm where my bicep used to be.  I don't want to sound like I'm preaching but you need to decide if you're willing to risk permanent damage.  If I could go back and know what I know now I might have still have bowled no-thumb just because I have a tendency to be pretty reckless and not worry about the consequences but I'd hope I would have considered bowling with a more conventional style.  It would have been easier to change when I was 18-20 than it is trying to change now that I'm in my mid 40's.