Thumbless vs Two-Handed: Should You Drop Your Thumb?

Short answer: probably not, and definitely not just because Jason Belmonte does it.

Dropping your thumb is not a tweak. It is a full rebuild of your game. You will trade your whole spare game and a year of muscle memory for a big jump in revs. For some bowlers that trade is worth it. For most established one-handers, it is not.

Let’s break down what dropping your thumb actually gets you, what it actually costs you, and the honest way to decide if the switch is right for your game.

First, get the terms straight

People mix these up constantly. There are three different styles here, not two.

One-handed with a thumb. The traditional release. Thumb in the ball, two fingers, thumb comes out first. This is what most league bowlers throw.

Thumbless one-handed. Same one-handed motion, but you leave the thumb out of the ball. Just two fingers, cupped, no thumb hole used. The ball sits deeper in the hand.

Two-handed. Your bowling hand has no thumb in the ball, and your off hand rides on top of the ball through the swing until release. This is the Belmonte style. Osku Palermaa helped put it on the map too.

There is even a fourth version, two-handed with the thumb in, but it is rare and it gives up most of the rev advantage, so we will leave it out.

When people say “drop your thumb,” they usually mean going to one of the two no-thumb styles. So the real question is two parts. Should you drop the thumb at all, and if you do, do you go thumbless one-handed or full two-handed.

What dropping your thumb actually buys you

One thing, mostly: revs.

When your thumb is in the ball, your release is on a clock. The thumb has to clear cleanly before your fingers can lift, and that limits how much you can stay behind and around the ball. Pull the thumb out of the equation and your fingers get way more time and leverage to turn the ball.

The numbers back it up. Most one-handed pros live around 350 to 400 RPM, and plenty of strong one-handers carry 450 plus. Two-handed bowlers routinely sit at 500 to 700 plus RPM. Belmonte runs around 600.

More revs means more hook, more entry angle, and more margin when you miss the pocket a little. That is the whole appeal. It is a real advantage, and it is why the style took over the pro ranks.

But revs are not free, and they are not the only thing that scores. Here is the bill.

What dropping your thumb actually costs you

Your spare game, day one. This is the big one nobody warns you about. All those extra revs do not turn off when you have a 10 pin standing. A no-thumb release wants to hook, hard, even when you are trying to throw it straight at a corner pin. You will hook through the nose of the 10 pin for a month.

The fix most no-thumb bowlers land on is a plastic spare ball thrown at the corners, because it skids and stays straight. So budget for that ball and the practice to trust it. And know that the classic 3-6-9 and 2-4-6 spare systems do not map cleanly for two-handers. You already play deep inside, so the big lateral moves those systems ask for run you off the approach.

Control and timing. With no thumb anchoring the ball, the ball leaves your hand on its own schedule if your timing is off. Early and it dumps behind the line. Thumbless one-handers especially fight this, because there is nothing riding on top of the ball to hold it in place. Two-handed gives you more control here, since your off hand keeps the ball seated through the swing, but you are still learning a brand new release from zero.

Your body. Two-handed is an athletic move. It leans on your legs, core, and lower back far more than a traditional release. Younger bowlers adapt fast. If you are carrying some miles and a cranky back, be honest about whether you want to load it up 20 games a week.

A year of your average. This is the real cost. You are not adjusting your game, you are replacing it. Expect your average to drop hard before it climbs back, and give it months, not weeks. If you bowl in a competitive league where every pin counts, going backward for a season is a real decision, not a footnote.

The rule nobody mentions: the thumb hole has to go

Here is a piece that trips people up, and it is a hard USBC rule, not an opinion.

Since August 1, 2020, USBC eliminated the balance hole and requires that every hole in the ball be used for gripping on every delivery. That means you cannot drill a thumb hole and then just not use it.

So if you commit to a no-thumb release, the ball gets drilled with finger holes only. No thumb hole at all. You cannot keep an unused thumb hole “just in case,” and you cannot switch back and forth on the same ball mid-set.

Practically, that means a redrill or a plug and redrill on the balls you want to convert, and a real conversation at the counter about layout for a no-thumb grip. It is not a huge cost, but it is a commitment baked into the equipment, not just your hand. When you are ready to map that out, our pro shop is the place to start.

Thumbless one-handed vs two-handed thumbless

Say you have decided to drop the thumb. Which way do you go?

Thumbless one-handed keeps your existing footwork, timing, and approach. You are only changing the hand. It is a smaller leap from where you are now. The downside is control. With nothing on top of the ball, ball retention gets tricky, and a lot of one-handed thumbless bowlers cap out at a lower level than two-handers because the release is harder to repeat.

Two-handed is the bigger rebuild. New footwork, new timing, the off hand doing a job it has never done. But it gives you more control and a higher ceiling. Nearly every pro who went no-thumb went two-handed for a reason.

Rough guide: if you are young, athletic, and starting fairly fresh, two-handed has the higher ceiling and is worth the bigger investment. If you are an established one-hander who mainly wants a few more revs without rebuilding your feet, thumbless one-handed is the smaller step, but go in knowing the control tradeoff is real.

Should you drop your thumb? A straight framework

Run yourself through these. Be honest.

Lean toward switching if:

• You are early in your bowling life, under maybe 25, and still forming habits.
• Your rev rate is genuinely holding your game back on oil, and you have already tried to build revs the normal way.
• You have the time to eat a down season and grind the new style in practice, not just in league.
• Your body can handle the added load on your back and legs.

Lean toward staying if:

• You already carry a solid average and a dependable spare game.
• You bowl to compete right now, and a season in the tank is not on the table.
• Your thumb and body feel fine, and revs are not actually your main problem.
• You have not yet maxed out the revs you can add with your current release.

That last point is the one most people skip. You can add a meaningful chunk of revs with better wrist position and a cleaner one-handed release, no rebuild required. We walk through exactly how in how to increase your rev rate without going two-handed. Try that first. It is a weekend of practice instead of a lost season.

And revs might not even be your real issue. If you are getting beat by over/under and inconsistent carry, the fix might be speed and matchup, not a new release. Figure out whether you are rev dominant or speed dominant before you tear your game down to the studs.

FAQ

Is it better to bowl thumbless or with a thumb?
Neither is flat out better. Thumb-in gives you the most control and the best spare game with the least effort. No-thumb gives you more revs and hook. The right answer depends on your age, your body, your goals, and how much rebuild time you can stomach.

Do you get more revs bowling with no thumb?
Yes, that is the main reason bowlers do it. Removing the thumb lets your fingers stay behind and around the ball longer. Two-handed bowlers commonly hit 500 to 700 plus RPM versus 350 to 400 for most one-handers.

Is thumbless one-handed the same as two-handed?
No. Thumbless one-handed keeps your normal one-handed motion with the thumb out of the ball. Two-handed adds your off hand riding on top of the ball through the swing. Two-handed usually gives more control and a higher ceiling.

Can you leave your thumb out of the ball in league?
Yes, no-thumb bowling is fully legal under USBC rules. But since August 1, 2020, every hole in the ball must be used for gripping, so you cannot have an unused thumb hole. A no-thumb ball is drilled with finger holes only.

Do two-handed bowlers need a plastic spare ball?
Almost always. The extra revs make a strong ball hook into corner pins even when you try to throw it straight. A plastic ball skids to the corner and takes the hook out of the equation, which is why nearly every two-hander carries one.

Will switching to two-handed lower my average at first?
Expect it to, and expect the dip to last months, not weeks. You are replacing your release, footwork, and spare game all at once. The payoff comes later, so only make the move if you can afford a down season.

10th Frame Final Thoughts

Dropping your thumb is a real tool, not a magic trick. It buys you revs, and it charges you your spare game, your control, and a season of your average while you rebuild.

If you are young, athletic, and rev-starved with time to grind, two-handed has the highest ceiling in the game right now, and it is worth the climb. If you are an established one-hander who competes every week, chase the revs you can add without a rebuild first, and keep the spare game you already trust.

Whatever you throw, throw it all the way. Go down swinging.

Stay hungry.