 Another successful no-thumb bowler is Eric Copping, who holds the Vermont state record for average in a season with 246 and, as of April 2019, has bowled over one hundred perfect games and over ninety 800 series, with a best of 878.The half-thumb variation is a technique employed by Tom Smallwood, the surprise winner of the 2009 "PBA World Championship", and involves putting the thumb in the ball only up to the first knuckle.Thus, the ball is thrown almost entirely with the fingers as a "no thumb" bowler would throw it, with the thumb only providing some control during the backswing.