I bowl without using my thumb on my first shot, when going for spares i put the thumb back in to straighten the ball out
high game is 267 avg is around 180. I bowl in a fun league sunday nights during the winter.

My equipment is Dexter SST4 shoes, a 15lb Ebonite Crossfire drilled conservatively for a later break, and a Blade hammer drilled agressively that will hook like a champ. I tend to use the Hammer more because it is the ball i have had longer and am more used to reaction.