my progress..

[johnny]

so I decided to go with the 14lb hammer plague. last night my score was 195 on my first game. then 160 something, then my form started to go down the drain. but in the 5th game my score was 212. couldnt be happier. in the 3rd and 4th game i thought i was releasing the bowl correctly, but I was not. i kept asking myself why my ball had no backend. in the 5th game i tried my hardest to stay behind the ball and that allowed me to hit the 200 mark. now my wrist is sore from maybe bowling too much or something else. i was thinking about getting a wrist support. are there any that you guys recommend for around $25-$30 no tax and free shipping? also what are the pros and cons of wearing one in league? i've heard that is very uncomfortable for some people and they also say they are not able to release the ball the same with the wrist support. any help is much appreciated. thanks for all the help guys. i wish there were more pro shops around my area. it sucks how target and walmart doesnt have any bowling equipment. atleast k-mart does.

[Big Dog]

I broke my wrist several years back and cannot bowl without one. Do not use one unless you truly need it. No, you cant release the ball as smooth. It does change a lot of your game. Try some stretching of the hand and wrist before and after a match. By the way, good braces cost upwards of 50.00 or more. I use the Storm Gadget. It is one of the best. Good luck to you son. If I can help you let me know.:)

[threeripmin]

i use the mongoose lifter. i think that it makes you release the ball perfect and takes a lot of stress off of your wrist.

[WAC4504]

Hey Johnny , the one I use is the Pro Release by Moro, you can find them on the internet at 50.00 to 75.00. The best part is that they sell repair kits for them as well. As for pros and cons their will always be opposing view points, as for me I use it to keep me as consistent as possible. I had a friend that let me try his when I first started to bowl and I found that it helped to make me release the ball properly instead of twisting my wrist. As for which one to get depends on what you like, the Pro Release once you set it it says set and you just strap it on. Some like my wife has has a wing nut on top of it that likes to come loose, some have a finger, and some have no adjustments at all. Check out the links below.
http://www.bowlingindex.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=BI&Category_Code=WS1
http://shop.bowlersparadise.com/bowlinggloves.aspx
http://www.bowlersdream.com/wrbr.html#top
Good luck with what ever choice you make.

[Strike Domination]

Bill, your wife's brace pops out of position from whatever she sets it to, or am I not understanding what you meant about it? Which one would that be, the Robby Revs or the Gadget?

[slowfaller]

I use a robby's cool max. Pretty affordable and keeps my wrist from "breaking" since i'm so skinny.

[Stormed1]

If you want some extra support on your wrist i without locking your hand in one position i would recomend the Master Wrister. It's a neoprene support for the wrist and only runs about $15.00 at the pro shop. As i have had 2 severe wrist injuries from falls in the past i know it works. Also keep in mind the more restrictive braces (cobra,pro release,gadget etc)will give you the affect of lengthening your span.

[DanielMareina]

Wrist braces will go from being a helping hand to a CRUTCH real quick. I had severe wrist pain while bowiling for awhile. I used a Storm Gadget for 6 months. It is an amazing brace, and is by far the best one of the adjustable braces, but it is expensive. The problem is that it not only changed my ball release and axis point (as any brace will), but when my wrist had recovered from it's injury, it took me two months to get my bowling back to where it was before wearing the brace. If your wrist causes you pain, I suggest excercise and stretching to build strength. While waiting for your wrist to build this strength, I recommend the Robby's Cool Max. It is cheap, and easy to re-sell when you are done with it. I would bowl the first game or two before putting it on if you can. This will build strength without going too far, and will make sure you don't change your style around too much while wearing it.

[Jord_84]

Bill, your wife's brace pops out of position from whatever she sets it to, or am I not understanding what you meant about it? Which one would that be, the Robby Revs or the Gadget?

I've got the robby revs....no wingnut...that sounds like the gadget...but it has like a hex nut on top that will come loose and fall off.

The gadget looks nicer to me only because you can change out the neoprene inserts. That's a lot more cost effective than going out and buying a new glove. I'll be looking into one soon....the neoprene on my robby revs is tearing off....and my fingers are getting pinched on the metal.

I'll continue to use my glove for as long as I bowl. I've got some wicked carpal tunnel....and then I got lyme disease over this summer, which appears to have left me with some arthritis in my hands :(

[bigbowler76]

Ive never liked wearing wrist braces... I feel they will make you reliant, unless you have a pretty weak wrist and you have no other options... If you feel you need to force your wrist to stay "in line" with the rest of your mechanics I would look into your arm swing not being what you want it to be... If you are pulling your arm in your back swing, correcting yourself at the end is going to put more strain on your arm/wrist.. I try to keep everything relaxed while I am going through the whole approach... It will help greatly if someone can watch you bowl from the back so they can see your arm postion all the way through your swing...

[WAC4504]

It's the Robbys Revs with the thumb nut on top. She had a hard time getting it tight enough, and it would work its way loose. That's pretty well taken care of now though. Personally I never cared for the braces with the nuts on top 'cause I've seen fall apart to many times, I'll never forget watching one of those top nuts fly down the lane. That's one of the advantages of the Pro Release, there's no hardware to loose, and it's so easy to set in position and it stays there without nuts.

[Big Dog]

He was right about becoming reliant on a brace. Stretching and prebowl warmup is important. It will definitely change your span. When I have a ball drilled, I get them to check my span with the brace on. When ever you change something expect your average to go down for a while until you adjust. There is no universal solutions.