Weather and physical conditions affect the fit of a bowling ball. Colder weather usually equates to a smaller thumb, while warmer and humid weather makes your thumb swell.

There are some who advocate that you get a ball drilled when your thumb is at its largest. There is an axiom that says your thumb size can change, but your thumbhole can’t.

Most of us who bowl realize that tape is an ideal tool for regulating thumb size. Remember the tighter the thumbhole, the faster you get out of it. If your thumbhole is too large, and you don’t use tape, you have to do something to fill up the space.

Chances are you’re going to bend your knuckle to hold on to the ball. That causes squeezing, and that leads to muscling the ball. Muscling the ball leads to an improper swing and that usually affects pin count.

It’s very important that you insert your thumb completely in the hole. Remember, when you purchased your ball, your hand was measured with your thumb all the way in the ball. If you fail to put your thumb completely in the hole, a variety of problems that might occur.

Poor roll, squeezing the ball, dropping the ball and no backswing are just a few of them.

Here’s another tip that bowlers overlook. When you insert your thumb all the way, make sure you swing the ball back and forth a few times. There is a different feel in a still ball than there is when you swing.

Finally, here is something to keep in mind for future reference.

We have always been taught to put our fingers in the ball first and then the thumb.

If you put your thumb in the ball first, you will get an entirely different feel. This can be an important tool for certain conditions.

Inserting your thumb first will usually give you less rotation and it really works well for straightening the ball out for spare shots. However, don’t attempt this without practicing.

Gabe D’Angelo is a local bowler and member of the Professional Bowlers Writers Association who writes this weekly column for The Herald