Reddit mentions: The best bowling accessories

my friend has the same problem. he has issues because he squeezes the ball on his approach. this makes the thumb flare (get larger from side to side) and the ball sticks on the release.. he has a tendency to develop blisters on the inside and outside of his thumb. this causes swelling too, which makes the problem worse.

he has reslugged his ball 3 times just because he kept asking the driller to open it up, against the driller's advise, and had to close it back because the hole was simply too large and forcing him to squeeze the ball.

important to note that your thumb hole should be an oval and not a perfect circle. this is a common issue, but it depends on your thumb's shape and your driller.

another option is pitch. some PSO's won't bother with it. the short of it is... you can have your thumb hole (and finger holes, far less commom) pitched forward, back, left and right. normally, a PSO will drill the thumb hole straight into the ball, resulting in a hole where the centerline makes a 90 degree angle with the line tangent to the ball. this angle can be adjusted to optimize your release. i would suggest this as a last option because its kind of hit or miss. you need a good PDO/driller to know which way to go based on you grip. my friend did end up getting a slight pitch adjustment, but jury is still out (after like 16 weeks) if this helped or not. his release has improved over time.

idk where you live, but consider finding a PSO with IBPSIA certification. enter your state in the following link and try to find an advanced certified technician, or better. not to say a driller must be IBPSIA certified, but i stand by my PSO, who happens to be. he fit all three of my drills perfectly just from an old ball, its track, and checking my natural thumb position and thumb grip pressure when i squeezed his wrist. i can't tell the difference between any of the three balls and i have had zero issues. take this with a grain of salt because i would consider myself an advanced bowler with a relatively smooth and consistent release.

https://ibpsia.com/find-a-pro/technicians/find-a-technician-in-your-area/#

also..try to use some release tape, this stuff was a game changer for me..

https://www.amazon.com/Storm-S570-P-Thunder-Tape/dp/B00BUICA0O

Yeah man, I was thinking of doing my Lebron Sprite 8s but I just couldn't convince myself to touch one of my all time favorites, here is a pic of the soles.

http://ibb.co/n9ZOHc

I found the best pairs that work are anything that has a flat bottom like these pair. Next what you do is get the soles from dexter now they have a bunch of different slide types just buy whats best for your game, I like more slide so I bought these for the slide shoe and you see what I got for the stop shoe.


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000V7ZXH2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Cut them to size then take some 00 steel wool and scuff up the soles of the shoes, basically just enough so the glue can grip better, Youre going to need some velcro as thats how the dexter soles go on and off I got some from a local shoe repair place. from there you just cut the velcro to size glue it on the sole and add the dexter soles and boom you are you have the freshest pair of shoes in league.

You don't necessarily have to slide all the way from the dots to the foul line, but fronm a fellow ex-planter here is some advice:

• First off, it doesn't look like you're using house shoes, so make sure and take care of your shoes. Invest in a wire brush to keep up the slide sole example
  
• Make sure you can slide at all - standing on the approach, try to slide with your left foot. Keep your weight more towards the toes. If you can't slide this way, your sole may be dirty or the center may have really tacky approaches. In that case...
  
• Try a slide sock (I can't tell a difference between brands, I've used these, Storm and Ebonite).
  
• Once you're comfortable sliding, try some One-step drills without the ball, then with the ball.
  
• And, finally, once you get comfortable with doing that, keeping balance, try an entire (slow) approach to work it in.
  
  I don't think you have a "slow" approach, necessarily, but you do seem to take a big pause between 3rd and 4th step to let your body catch up since your pushaway isn't happening in sync with your second step. In fact, one drill my coach had me do at my first lesson (which felt like a real waste of money) was to step left, then hinge the ball down in along with my second step several times in a row.
  
  Once you can burn that into muscle memory, you won't have to think about it anymore.
  
  Anyway, TL:DR - keep your weight forward (torso bent forward over knee, weight (mostly) on left toes and try and keep the knee bent to get into a slide.
  
  (/u/akimbojimbo229)

My favorite is the Turbo tape, specifically the blue or beige depending on how swollen my thumb is. I've tried Vise and Turbo both, but my hands get a little sweaty, and I find that the turbo tape's adhesive is much stronger.

But to answer your question, I prefer red for Hada. I think it provides the best balance of protection, and a quick release.

I've been using Hada Patches for awhile, and it definitely helps with the ball sticking on the back of the thumb. Over the last couple of years, I have developed a nice callus on the back of my thumb, which would cause the ball to stick every now and then, but the patches definitely help to prevent that.

it's this item, there are more out there, even on ebay , search bowling shoe slide and look for the best deal or best reviews. https://smile.amazon.com/BOWLINGBALL-bowlingball-com-Bowling-Shoe-Slider/dp/B07PH2L2VM/ref=pd_sbs_200_1/144-9724213-0608219?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07PH2L2VM&pd_rd_r=0c89a5c3-833a-11e9-b428-7d17b7108ea6&pd_rd_w=DZOLC&pd_rd_wg=48O6N&pf_rd_p=588939de-d3f8-42f1-a3d8-d556eae5797d&pf_rd_r=DX7RFCR53XJG1G4QHXXH&refRID=DX7RFCR53XJG1G4QHXXH

New shoes will take some getting used to. If you look at the bottom of rental shoes they are (almost always) entirely leather except for the heel. Most bowling shoes the slide portion is only on the sole of the foot ending just past the balls of your feet.

So if you learned to slide more whole-footed with rental shoes then you will get that catching feeling with your new shoes. You'll probably need to learn to slide more on your toes and ball of your foot.

An option that may help is a shoe slide. I've been bowling with a shoe slide because my shoes are too tacky. The shoe slide tends to cover more of the shoe and might help you not to catch. Though it may not help in the long run to become reliant on a shoe slide.
https://www.amazon.com/bowlingball-com-Shoe-Slider/dp/B004KQ75ZS/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1510862214&sr=1-1&keywords=shoe+slide

What kind of rosin bag are you using?

There are the white ones like this that emit a ton of rosin, so much that it will coat your hand:

http://www.amazon.com/Ebonite-Ultra-Grip-Rosin-Bag/dp/B000MEFSHY

I would only use those in very, very humid/sweaty environments and very sparingly at that, otherwise it will eventually cause sticking.

Then there are "dry bags" like these, which are more of a middle ground:

http://www.amazon.com/bowlingball-com-Microfiber-Ultra-Grip-Ball/dp/B004KQ393U/
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000MECMN2/

I'm not sure if these are technically 'rosin' bags, per se, but that's what I call them anyway. The rectangular "dry bag" is what I use nowadays and can use it to combat moisture all night without getting sticky. However, I still make it part of my routine to rub out my thumbhole, just in case there's buildup.

There's going to be variance between brands, so you'll just have to ask around or try a couple different versions until you find one that suits you.

If you happen to overdo it, you can sneak off to wash your hands with soap and water and start over. Just make sure to dry them thoroughly obviously. I don't like doing that when I'm bowling well, mainly for superstition, but there have been nights it helped me regain my grip.

I wear a Robby's Original wrist support. It's nothing fancy, but it breaks in well and it's comfortable. I have tiny ass wrists and it's never felt too bulky:

https://www.amazon.com/Robbys-Leather-Original-Right-Support/dp/B00BCVJFJI/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1UN3SUO10OOKX&dchild=1&keywords=robbys+original+bowling+glove&qid=1570565244&sprefix=robby%27s+origin%2Caps%2C173&sr=8-2

I have 3 different thumb tapes. They are all different thickness.

https://www.amazon.com/Motiv-Flex-Protective-Performance-Black/dp/B01KP41V2G

is very thin.

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Black Storm is pretty thick.

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I also have the Lind tan stuff it is in between both of them.

I suggest trying one of these to develop your slide. Your knee will thank you later.

https://www.amazon.com/bowlingball-com-Shoe-Slider/dp/B004KQ75ZS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1493157579&sr=8-2&keywords=shoe+slide

Like this
bowlingball.com Monster Bowling Tape 30-Piece Pack (Black Smooth, 1") https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XTTH66J/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_CMOiDbA3KPK6X

I use both white and black tape on my ball (multiple pieces when needed) Nothing wrong with that.

I also use https://www.amazon.com/Vise-Hada-Patch-Pre-Cut-40-Piece/dp/B00EREJ3EO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492550859&sr=8-1&keywords=vise+blue+tape on my thumb to prevent blistering

What if I were to get the dexter jack and put one of these on my shoes?

I was developing a callus on the back of my thumb from it rubbing because I was gripping a little too much and started using [tape](http://www.Motiv.com/ Flex Protective Performance Tape Black - Pre Cut 40 Pieces https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KP41V2G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_wSyoDbJQ7863T) on the area and it's helped tremendously.

The other thing I have found in my own experience and wether it's a mental thing in my head or not with thumb slugs, but any colors other than black or white feel rough on my thumb and irritates it and increases swelling. I have no proof if the color matters, but it seemed to for me and is why I went to switch grip insert.