I used 5/16 reverse for years.  Good release, no thumb problems.  I let Ron talk me into trying one of his balls.  Didn't tell me the pitch until after I threw it a few times.  Told me to relax my hand and not squeeze.  Threw it pretty well considering everything was different.  I was amazed that it was 3/8" forward.  Really big change.  The key is to NOT SQUEEZE THE BALL.  I used to hang up if I tried even a little more forward of what I was.  Now I am at 9/16" forward and could probably go more.  I just don't want to reslug a bunch of balls.  Sure I shortened my span about 1/4", but I was a little stretched before.  Of course it's not for everyone, but if you give it a chance and learn not to squeeze, you might be surprised.
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Ron Clifton's Bowling Tip Archive

Nollster,
No because your hand is not closed up that tight, like when using a pen.
Just relax your hand and look at it. Does the thumb point backward or forward?

If I look at the thumb side of my hand with it in a relaxed position my thumb points well forward and the rest of my fingers kind of curl in to form a “C”.  

I look at forward and reverse pitch like palming a ball. The more reverse you have the more you are trying to palm a basketball. The more forward you have the more it is like palming a softball, which everyone can do.

Is there a limit? Yes and you will know you have hit the limit when you start having trouble clearing ether the front edge of the thumb hole or the back of the thumb hole with your nail.

Someone mentioned Bill Taylor’s chart above. Well Bill and I both say nearly the same thing in regards to forward pitch. “You keep moving more forward until you hang and then back up a notch”. Bill says back up 1/16 and I say back up 1/8. That is t he only place where we differ. Bill’s chart is just a starting point not an ending point. Most ball drillers have taken Bill’s chart and added ¼ more reverse to it anyway.

I don’t know if Bill Taylor has ever written the above statement anywhere or if that is what he teaches in his clinics. He may reserve that statement for more expert bowlers. I found out what Taylor believes through working with Eric Forkel. Of the many things we changed in Eric’s game a few months ago, one was his thumb pitches.

Eric had 1/8 reverse when we started and we drilled balls all the way up to 5/8 forward. He threw 5/8 forward very well but I think he finely decided on 5/16 forward. He was afraid if he went much more forward and was bowling on TV for a title he would get nervous and squeeze the ball too much; launching it through the ceiling. That would never happen but I could never convince him of that. The guy had bowled on TV 28 times I don’t think he will get THAT nervous.

 In our discussions on forward pitch he told me that Bill Taylor had told him the same thing years ago. Keep going forward until you hang and then back up a notch. Eric has worked with nearly every “famous” couch in the country and spent a lot of time with Bill Taylor so he knows Bills thoughts on the subject.

Bowl great!
Ron Clifton