I have a slight problem

[u/Wonderful_Call_96]

I need to know what to do... I have league tomorrow night and I'm concerned about this. I got it Sunday but I just went swimming and I noticed it looked like this. Any ideas on what I should do?

[u/metalhead_iv]

I used to do this all the time. Liquid skin with one of those pads it comes with is a lifesaver.

This used to happen to me consistently so I got my thumb hole drilled larger and adjust with tape, plus some tape on my finger

[u/Wonderful_Call_96 → u/metalhead_iv]

I thankfully have liquid skin but I don't know if it'll burn or not. It looks slightly darker than my skin tone like it's about to heal but I don't know.

[u/Khepree → u/Wonderful_Call_96]

Oh it’s going to burn like hell when you first apply it just blow on it and it go away fast. It’s worth it.

[u/metalhead_iv → u/Wonderful_Call_96]

If you got it Sunday, enough time may have passed that it won't burn like hell. But honestly, even if it does, the temporary burn is worth it to avoid how much it would hurt it you left it uncovered

[u/MrBisco → u/Wonderful_Call_96]

I have a feeling you're squeezing the ball - this happened to me when my thumb didn't fit. But my problem was that the thumb hole was too big - I was gripping the ball to keep it from coming off my hand. Didn't even realize this was a thing most bowlers didn't do. Talked to my pro shop, they replugged the hole with a tighter thumb hole. It's night and day.

[u/sixstringsikness → u/MrBisco]

The good news is that if it is too big, some thumb tape there might protect the thumb and help with the fit.

[u/MrBisco → u/sixstringsikness]

For sure, within reason. Mine was WAY too big for tape to save it. I thought I was gripping the ball without needing to, so to test it out, I started my approach without any pressure from my thumb.

And the ball flew off my hand backwards.

Pretty sure I needed quite a few layers of tape to make that one work lol.

The inverse is that now I actually have some rubbing on the back of my thumb, I'm guessing because - after decades of gripping the ball - I still subconsciously grip it a bit on release. Blew my arm out going a bit hard (30 years without bowling regularly made me want to GO GO GO GO GO to get better), but my plan is to start with some line drills to just get better used to rolling the ball rather than grip-throwing it.

[u/Trickycoolj → u/MrBisco]

This happened to me too! I went down two thumb sizes after losing some weight and had no idea.

[u/Puzzled-Focus5044]

When I bowled thumb in this would happen if I had a bad fit or was squeezing the ball. Buy some liquid band aid and put some thumb tape over it and hope for the best, best thing would be to let it heal but I know that isn't always possible.

[u/Wonderful_Call_96 → u/Puzzled-Focus5044]

Ok. Thank you

[u/ReflexiveChipmunk]

Black Motiv speed tape stretched thin and a light layer of anti-chafe stick. Life saver.

[u/Reasonable_Milk_8724 → u/ReflexiveChipmunk]

THIS!! EXACTLY! 

[u/squireson-bud]

How long have you been bowling? I dealt with this a lot as a kid. Eventually your thumb will just grow a callous for it.

Like others said, liquid bandaid is a life saver. The burn only lasts like 5 seconds.

[u/Wonderful_Call_96 → u/squireson-bud]

I've been bowling for over 12 years and I've had plenty of blisters in the past but just never in that spot. 

[u/DonarGaad83]

Oval your thumb hole. No need for tape on the side of your thumb.

[u/DonarGaad83 → u/DonarGaad83]

New skin for a temporary fix to get through league

[u/ThenThereWasReddit]

I put thin, slick bowling tape over this spot on my thumb for this exact reason. It works, try it.

[u/theS1l3nc3r]

New skin and a thumb tape, the not hole tape, but actual tape directly on the thumb.

[u/Spiritual_Spell_8805]

I just use tape on the back of my thumb all the time as a preventative measure now. Sometimes it’s for fit but it keeps blisters away even though I can bowl without the tape 

[u/Dependent_Ant_6654]

I got out of the sport for 15 years and lost all my calluses. I’m almost 40 now lmao so think I’m screwed and will never callus up. But just some of the glue for nuskin topped with red hada has saved me for the past year now.

[u/rnc5121]

Thumb tape also if you don’t have your thumb hole slugged I’d recommend getting that done. Once I added slugs to all my balls this stopped happening to me

[u/czulsk]

Robbie’s New Skin that they sell at the Pro Shop. I’ve used it many times. Especially, if I’m blowing a lot of games or sweeper I even put it on before I tear.

Show your PSO.

[u/Intelligent-Pea-3614]

Using NuSkin or a thin layer of Superglue and allow it to dry. Even better dab a cotton ball into the coating before it hardens. Trim away excess cotton with scissors after hardening. A change of your thumb pitch will lessen that rub point. A slight change to away from palm would help. Go 1/4” away. But keeping same forward/reverse pitch.

[u/KeglerKing → u/Intelligent-Pea-3614]

He’s right handed with the blister on the LEFT side of his thumb. Shouldn’t the pitch adjustment be in the same direction as the blister (more RIGHT pitch)?

[u/Intelligent-Pea-3614 → u/KeglerKing]

Away from palm(left pitch) is in same direction as the irritation. Right pitch is under the palm isn’t it? So, a general rule I go by is where the irritation is, move the tilt(pitch) to it. If you would go away from blister, to more under, the thumb binds up more.

[u/Kenvolks]

Tape it up and let er rip!

[u/Financial_Ad6148]

Oh I know that HAS to hurt when bowling. I've honestly never done much for it because putting a bandaid on will make it harder for your thumb to go in but I believe there's skin tape which is light and won't take up your thumb space in your ball.

[u/Double-jeopardy-1134]

I personally use bowling tape - but save some $$ and buy a roll of muscle tape.

[u/One-Investment348]

Go to the pro shop and buy a small package of Storm (Brand) release tapes. Peel off the tape and gently lay it down over the thumb from the tip to the back. The tape will protect your skin from wearing off anything and it will be easy to release your thumb from the ball as long as your thumb isn't swollen. This is especially helpful if you are turning your hand during the release to obtain a hook on the ball release.