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Author Topic: Anyone use (or want to comment on) a non-standard grip (4- or 5-finger)?  (Read 1743 times)

JessN16

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I use a ball with four grip holes in it -- thumb, middle, ring and pinky. I made the change about eight years ago and wouldn't go back if you threatened to shoot me. I have an easier time getting the ball off my hand, better revs and less stress on my third and ring fingers.

I'm considering experimenting with drilling another finger hole for my index finger. Does anyone here bowl with a five-finger setup, or can you tell me what I might expect -- both from a positive and negative standpoint -- to drilling an index finger hole?

Jess

 

Long Roller

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Re: Anyone use (or want to comment on) a non-standard grip (4- or 5-finger)?
« Reply #1 on: February 22, 2006, 09:01:32 PM »
Is this even legal to have 5 holes?
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Shane Soule

a_ak57

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Re: Anyone use (or want to comment on) a non-standard grip (4- or 5-finger)?
« Reply #2 on: February 22, 2006, 09:03:23 PM »
quote:
Is this even legal to have 5 holes?
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Shane Soule

Yes.  You are allowed to have a thumb, index, middle, ring and pinky finger holes.  You could throw in a balance hole, and put in the little vent holes for each of the fingers/thumb.  So you could technically have 11 holes (12 if you count a mill hole used for testing purposes).
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- Andy

burly

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Re: Anyone use (or want to comment on) a non-standard grip (4- or 5-finger)?
« Reply #3 on: February 22, 2006, 10:47:41 PM »
I remember Ron Williams doing this many years ago on tour...can't tell you what years to be exact...but he made the telecast...he had a hole for his index finger...but not the pinky

CORDOG

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Re: Anyone use (or want to comment on) a non-standard grip (4- or 5-finger)?
« Reply #4 on: February 22, 2006, 10:48:04 PM »
I too have recently expiramented with pinky hole in my ball and i love it!! The ball feels so much more relaxed in my hand and sits very flat on my whole hand. Only difference is, Ive since had to change the degree of oval in my thumb from 55 to 45. Fits like a glove.  If anyone is interested ill give ou the method  used.
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greggo

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Re: Anyone use (or want to comment on) a non-standard grip (4- or 5-finger)?
« Reply #5 on: February 23, 2006, 07:40:07 AM »
quote:
Yes. You are allowed to have a thumb, index, middle, ring and pinky finger holes. You could throw in a balance hole, and put in the little vent holes for each of the fingers/thumb. So you could technically have 11 holes (12 if you count a mill hole used for testing purposes).
 


I would like to add that in order to remain legal during play:  If you have them, you must use them.  In other words, if you have five finger holes and only use four, you are breaking the rules.

burly

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Re: Anyone use (or want to comment on) a non-standard grip (4- or 5-finger)?
« Reply #6 on: February 23, 2006, 08:30:48 AM »
John Mazza only places his ring finger and pinky to kill revs on his spare shots

alzgarvin

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Re: Anyone use (or want to comment on) a non-standard grip (4- or 5-finger)?
« Reply #7 on: February 23, 2006, 08:32:07 AM »

Last year I injured my middle finger and needed to bowl on our scratch team to avoid forfeit, so I drilled a pinky and index in an old ball to see how it would relieve the finger injury. Ball sure did feel weird but it didn't hurt any. So I went to league, won my first match with a 230 game, with much heckling from my bowling buds, esp since I punched the holes with a cordless drill and a spade bit. So I thought the night was a success since I won a point and we didn't have to forfeit....but the next game, I rolled a 300....all 12 were in the 1-3, and had three trip 4 shots.  By next week everyone wanted me to bring in my drill and spade bit to fix them up !   My ball speed was slower than normal, but you do get a real good feel for the ball and a very good roll release. It seemed to give a very predictable ball path and great ball reaction at the pins even on a night where some were struggling with backend fade. I was high with a 730..next was 680.  Only drawback was when a pattern breaks down and you need higher ball speed, it seemed I couldn't clear all the digits and still get a good release and carry would suffer. Also, you can't really crank one up either. But for a good moderate speed and release it felt great.
Go for it, Al

greggo

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Re: Anyone use (or want to comment on) a non-standard grip (4- or 5-finger)?
« Reply #8 on: February 23, 2006, 09:28:35 AM »
Bones,  I believe my statement may have been too general.  I was thinking of this post when I made it:

http://www.ballreviews.com/Forum/Replies.asp?TopicID=114245&ForumID=16&CategoryID=5

 
quote:
shelley
         Posted: 2/8/2006 10:45 AM    
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I believe it has to do with having two holes for the same finger, Greg. They say that non-gripping holes (excluding the balance hole) must be covered if not in use. That allows no-thumb bowlers to drill a thumb hole (making legal statics much easier) since the hand typically covers the thumb hole.

If he ever used the fingertip holes, the other two would, of course, be covered, but I don't ever remember him using those hole. He was conventional, through and through.

SH
 
 

I didn't see it in the rule book either, but I thought that if Shelley was correct, then how can a bowler cover all 5 holes if all 5 holes aren't being used for gripping purposes?

If you don't have to cover the non used holes, then why not just drill one thumb hole and four other finger tip holes that could be used in different combinations depending on lane conditions?

shelley

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Re: Anyone use (or want to comment on) a non-standard grip (4- or 5-finger)?
« Reply #9 on: February 23, 2006, 10:42:19 AM »
Seems like it'd be difficult to maintain statics with a whole extra set of finger holes.  I'm not sure how my friend managed it with the fingertip and conventional holes so close together.  It wouldn't surprise me in the least to learn that regardless of the legality of the holes themselves, it was not statically legal.

SH

greggo

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Re: Anyone use (or want to comment on) a non-standard grip (4- or 5-finger)?
« Reply #10 on: February 23, 2006, 10:59:16 AM »
quote:
One thumb hole and then 2 finger holes on one side of the ball and then 2 holes on the opposite side of the thumb hole. That way, he could alter the reaction of the ball depending on the condition and as far as I know, it was perfectly legal, however, that was more than 40 yrs ago, but I am not aware of any changes in the rules regarding holes since that time.


Bones...this is cool.  Everyone here could practically cut their arsenal in half.  Or at the least, they could effectively double their current arsenal.

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shelley

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Re: Anyone use (or want to comment on) a non-standard grip (4- or 5-finger)?
« Reply #11 on: February 23, 2006, 11:06:05 AM »
quote:
Bones...this is cool.  Everyone here could practically cut their arsenal in half.  Or at the least, they could effectively double their current arsenal.


But what would the other half of the arsenal look like?  Assume you've got a reasonably normal drilling for half of the ball.  The other half would have some bizarre inverted drilling, probably with a mountain of thumb weight.  Also, that assumes you have a straight thumb, with no forward/reverse or lateral pitch.  If you have any amount of forward/reverse pitch in the thumb, turning it around and throwing the ball might snap it off at the base.

SH

greggo

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Re: Anyone use (or want to comment on) a non-standard grip (4- or 5-finger)?
« Reply #12 on: February 23, 2006, 11:09:57 AM »
quote:
But what would the other half of the arsenal look like? Assume you've got a reasonably normal drilling for half of the ball. The other half would have some bizarre inverted drilling, probably with a mountain of thumb weight. Also, that assumes you have a straight thumb, with no forward/reverse or lateral pitch. If you have any amount of forward/reverse pitch in the thumb, turning it around and throwing the ball might snap it off at the base.


Oh stop it Shelley...you're bringing sound reasoning into the issue.

shelley

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Re: Anyone use (or want to comment on) a non-standard grip (4- or 5-finger)?
« Reply #13 on: February 23, 2006, 11:11:38 AM »
quote:
Oh stop it Shelley...you're bringing sound reasoning into the issue.


Sorry 'bout that.  

SH