Wrist strength and the 7 o'clock ring finger position

[Cygnus]

When I stopped bowling 20 years ago I used one of those ugly, adjustable wrist braces in order to help keep my wrist from breaking at release. I remember it allowed me to be very consistent. Since getting back into it I've decided to go without a brace at all and try it naturally.

I've been reading up on hand positioning and have been experimenting with the 7 o'clock position (I'm a righty). It has definitely moved the oil marks farther away from the holes and the hook has increased but the revs aren't that much higher. I'm assuming this is because I'm not maintaining a strong hand on the downswing due to my wrist not being strong enough yet.

My recent "sliding" issues are going away and my timing has gotten better, which are the two things I've been working on this week, so I believe it's time to start working on release. What, if any, wrist strengthening exercises should I be utilizing to help me to execute this release more effectively? I really don't want to go back to the brace, it kind of feels natural and "right" not using it. I definitely need more control of the ball, however. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[HowDoIHookAgain]

I've worked with the wrist guard for about a year or so. Thankfully, it was only temporary (I think I just had to grow and strengthen up a bit more). I've been looking into wrist exercises, and I found some that might be able to help you. http://www.physioadvisor.com.au/8122850/wrist-strengthening-exercises-wrist-rehabilitati.htm is where I found some exercises.

You can also take a light weight and do wrist-curls, instead of using a band as shown in the link. My brother does this, and it has been helping him with his release.

I additionally found an article on bowlingball.com which should help. It goes into detail about how strong your wrist and forearm is, and some tips on how to strengthen them. http://www.bowlingball.com/BowlVersity/strengthen-your-bowling-wrist.

I would start with using the tennis ball and doing reps with that, as many websites I have found seem to suggest that.

Hope this helped!

[foreverincamo]

Good to hear about your sliding problems getting better. Now your timing is better. My opinion is practice makes for better accuracy. Once you figure out what hand position works the best for you, you'll get more consistent in your accuracy. The more you bowl, the stronger you'll get. Exercises will get you stronger quicker, but have someone show you what exercises work the best, and are safe. No need to strain yourself.