How many of you bowl with a relaxed wrist, til the end?

[Ball99999]

I was thinking of swinging with a relaxed wrist (no wrist tension) until the downswing partly through press in with my index finger and get a behind the ball wrist position

[bowl1820]

I was thinking of swinging with a relaxed wrist (no wrist tension) until the downswing partly through press in with my index finger and get a behind the ball wrist position

What would you being looking for that to do for you?

[billf]

I stay under the ball the entire swing until in the release. It helps to tame my back swing down which tends to get too high and I find it easier to repeat. I've tried waiting until the downswing but found it harder to get the exact wrist position each time. Can't repeat a shot if you don't repeat everything that went into that shot. Which is why when I want to play the inside part of the ball I set it up that way in my stance, a la Chris Barnes.

[BoomGoesTheDynomite]

the only time I relax my wrist is when i'm shooting at spares which allows to throw any ball straight. I like this more than buying a plastic ball. Not sure why you would want to do that for your first shot.

[Tampabaybob]

I was thinking of swinging with a relaxed wrist (no wrist tension) until the downswing partly through press in with my index finger and get a behind the ball wrist position

I understand the "pressing of the index finger" because I do that as well. But the relaxed wrist is a little baffling. I think we had a conversation about wrist positions in another thread a while back. If you change a wrist position I'm not sure how you could keep it relaxed. To me, a relaxed wrist would be to shoot maybe a ten pin, where your wrist would bend backwards. Can you explain what you mean when you say "relaxed" ?

Bob

[The German Shepherd]

In my experience, a firm wrist works best. A relaxed wrist can move in whichever way it wills, but a firm wrist is under control and control is key.

Jay

[Tampabaybob]

In my experience, a firm wrist works best. A relaxed wrist can move in whichever way it wills, but a firm wrist is under control and control is key.

Jay


Full agreement here.

Bob

[Ball99999]

Some pros are using a relaxed wrist and then curl the wrist under before release. The point would be to reduce muscle tension in the swing

[bowl1820]

Yes, basically that's what they're doing. On their back swing they have kind of a relaxed wrist and then as they go into the down swing. They cup up on the ball. Then as they do the release, they uncup the wrist and drive the ball into the lane.

The thing to remember is , well they are pro's. They have been doing that awhile, the cup/uncup is complex maneuver to do right and repeat it.

But To answer your question , I don't do it. Mainly because I use a wrist device, so the point is moot for me. But when I don't use it, I prefer to keep just a firm wrist.

In regards to cupping the ball. There is discussion of how it's not that necessary anymore. Cupping the ball was more important back when there was just urethane and plastic balls. With the modern balls today, having just a firm wrist or a slight cup will serve you just as well.

[sukeetoshyoo88]

a few months ago i tried doing this for a few weeks, before settling into the release im currently doing.
i was trying it because at the time my wrist wasn't as strong as it is now, and it was hard for me to cup the ball all the way through the swing.
and maybe because i was watching too many mike fagan videos.
im no pro nor do i average in the 200, but it just felt like there was too much movement going on, and felt as if it would make me less accurate.
now, i cup/cock, from starting position, and on the down swing put a little more cup into ball.

[GoodGorilla]

I stay under the ball the entire swing until in the release. It helps to tame my back swing down which tends to get too high and I find it easier to repeat. I've tried waiting until the downswing but found it harder to get the exact wrist position each time. Can't repeat a shot if you don't repeat everything that went into that shot. Which is why when I want to play the inside part of the ball I set it up that way in my stance, a la Chris Barnes.


This is my problem lately, I'm having a hard time repeating a shot (cup amount, cock amount). I'm not sure if it's because of inability to repeat a shot from doing wrist action on the downswing or a weak wrist.

[AZBowla]

Might be a good opportunity to get one of those robot-arm wrist brace things that you can adjust. You could set it to the cock/cup angle you want and then forget about it and let the brace keep your wrist right where you need it. Make that one less thing to worry about.

[Tampabaybob]

Why not take it one step at a time and just concentrate on cocking your wrist using different positions. Throw a whole bunch of games over a few weeks and when you think you have it down try cupping it.

Bob

[GoodGorilla]

One experienced bowler I see at the ally insists that I get one. But he also doesn't believe in alternating your releases, which I currently believe in. I would get one so I could bowl after my wrist gets sore. However I did just think of another reason to get one. There have been a few oil conditions that I have played on that required like one exact release to hit it every time. I wonder. .

[GoodGorilla]

What I mean by alternating releases, I mean changing the release on how far out you play in the lane, or how much oil is on the lane etc.

[J Anderson]

One experienced bowler I see at the ally insists that I get one. But he also doesn't believe in alternating your releases, which I currently believe in. I would get one so I could bowl after my wrist gets sore. However I did just think of another reason to get one. There have been a few oil conditions that I have played on that required like one exact release to hit it every time. I wonder. .

For someone who only bowls in one or two leagues, always at the same center, and doesn't throw any practice games each week or do any of the drills that don't require a lane, this guys advice is probably good. Keep everything as simple as possible, one ball that reacts well in that center, a plastic ball for corner pins, same speed, same release and make whatever adjustments you need with your feet. This is basically the way my friend Dave bowls with the exceptions that he doesn't have a spare ball and will some time adjust his speed. Right now his average is around 205. Put him on a sport shot where the line isn't between the second an third arrow and he's lost. That' when you need the different releases, the speed adjustments, the arsenal of bowling balls, etc.

[Tampabaybob]

Some of the wrist guards you can buy are fully adjustable allowing you to not only change your wrist cocking angle but also being able to cup the ball. What you need is support. You can get that and still be able to change positions.....If it warrants it.

Bob

[GoodGorilla]

Some pros are using a relaxed wrist and then curl the wrist under before release. The point would be to reduce muscle tension in the swing

This is how it do it. If I have a relaxed wrist, almost always my arm is relaxed too. What is really hard is keeping the arm relaxed while cupping/cocking, uncuping/uncocking. I don't seem like I have a problem with my wrist going back or forth without me wanting it to (however on occasion when I am going to cup the ball heavily sometimes on the top of my backswing I cup the ball on accident because I normally start cupping the ball on the start of the downswing).

[GoodGorilla]

a few months ago i tried doing this for a few weeks, before settling into the release im currently doing.
i was trying it because at the time my wrist wasn't as strong as it is now, and it was hard for me to cup the ball all the way through the swing.
and maybe because i was watching too many mike fagan videos.
im no pro nor do i average in the 200, but it just felt like there was too much movement going on, and felt as if it would make me less accurate.
now, i cup/cock, from starting position, and on the down swing put a little more cup into ball.

I may have to get use to that also. That method has been on the back of my mind for weeks, I'm not fully confidant if that's what I want to try and do yet because that is a big change. Anyhow, has this change increased your consistency or cupability?

[Hammer]

I don't bowl with a relaxed wrist. You want your bowling arm to be relaxed when you swing but your wrist is locked into place by your fingertip pads pressing into the finger grips and your index finger and pinkie finger pressing down on the ball slightly. This locks the wrist into place and stays that way through the release. Plus the whole length of your thumb presses down slightly in the thumb hole. If you press down hard with the thumb it's knuckle will raise and that will hang up on you and give you a lousy release and might cut down on revs. So it's relaxed bowling arm and shoulder and locked wrist.

[sukeetoshyoo88]

I may have to get use to that also. That method has been on the back of my mind for weeks, I'm not fully confidant if that's what I want to try and do yet because that is a big change. Anyhow, has this change increased your consistency or cupability?


yup this has actually helped my consistency in release. and accuracy.
for the first few months it's hard to keep a cup/cock all the way through the swing,
and my right under my pointer would get bruised from putting pressure on the ball to keep the cup.
but i have found a way to put pressure on a certain part of my thumb that helps lock the ball onto my hand, until i break it down.
another thing that really helped my accuracy, was walking straighter up to the foul line.

[GoodGorilla]

yup this has actually helped my consistency in release. and accuracy.
for the first few months it's hard to keep a cup/cock all the way through the swing,
and my right under my pointer would get bruised from putting pressure on the ball to keep the cup.
but i have found a way to put pressure on a certain part of my thumb that helps lock the ball onto my hand, until i break it down.
another thing that really helped my accuracy, was walking straighter up to the foul line.

I'm still not ready to commit to doing that. I didn't bowl for a week, and then this week I had great control over my cup on the down swing. I have not ruled this out yet, although I may get a adjustable wrist device first so I can train my mind and body what increments actually are (scientifically using measurement of the wrist device with the feel of that measurement). I'm not ready for the wrist device either, just identifying possibilities because I'm still working on more basic techniques.