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View Full Version : Scorpion wrist brace: What did this teach me?



GoKidd
05-16-2011, 12:22 PM
Howdy, all:
I'm asking you -- What did this teach me?

My local pro shop operator let me try a couple of Cobra Scorpion wrist braces with the notion "they might be good as teaching tools" and not as a permanent bowling solution.
Both felt really foreign to me and really restrictive compared to bowling with no brace, but I gave them a try one afternoon.

(Overall, these things look something like pictures of the Storm Gadget or Gizmo or other things that brace all along the outside of the forearm and across the back of the wrist.)

The first version had no adjustability for cupping the wrist, so I really didn't like that.
The second version had an adjustment for wrist cup and the index finger extension "nose-picker". Yikes! Using the second one gave me this HUGE hook I had never experienced on my own. But it affected my grip in such a fashion that I didn't feel like I could hang on to the ball the way I wanted. (Even though the strap through my palm was very thin.)

So after several practice games ... I walked away thinking:
1> If I had more wrist strength (didn't break backward during release) I could impart more spin.
2> If I want more hook, I need to work up the side of the ball during release, rather than staying under the ball.
3> I had to move four or five boards left with my feet and maybe a couple with my eyes with this much hook, compared to my regular non-braced style (I'm right-handed) and it seemed like I had a much bigger "Happy Zone" when I threw with this much hook. I wasn't as mindful of aiming to an exact board.

Is that pretty much what I was supposed to learn? Or did I misinterpret something?
If the second version weren't so foreign and uncomfortable (didn't allow my forearm to rotate at all) I would have been tempted to buy it (or some other brand) -- Hook in a Box!

I have a Robby's Original brace that I've modified to be less cumbersome in the palm (removed the metal brace from the palm side, retained the metal brace on the outside of the wrist) and I tried it during practice yesterday with decent results. It does allow me more forearm rotation and I can cup my wrist a bit. But I don't see that huge Hook in a Box reaction -- just a little stronger me.

Did I learn what I was supposed to learn?
Need a lighter ball? (Rolling 16-pounder.)
Need a wrist like Popeye's?
Have I turned to The Dark Side?

Drano
05-17-2011, 03:17 AM
Why didn't you just ask your pro shop guy what you were supposed to learn? He obviously knew what he was trying to get you to learn by using the wrist braces.

But 1 is mostly correct, a stronger wrist(or using a brace) will let you get more revolutions, not spin, spin is created by rotating your hand around the ball at release, revolutions are created by cupping your wrist and un-cupping at release. Spin doesn't help your ball hook, revolutions do.

For 2, if you want more hook, cup your wrist more. You're not going to hook it by having a limp wrist and just going around the ball, that will only make you spin it and your ball won't hook a board.

For 3, umm?

16 pounds is a bit heavy, probably about 80% of the professionals are using 15 pounds, not because they have to, but because it was proven by a robot that 15 pounds carries more strikes over time than a 16 pound ball.

A strong wrist helps but if you don't have that, that's where the brace comes in.

GoKidd
05-18-2011, 10:02 AM
Yes, I was going to have the pro watch me, but he got busy and I ran out of time. Thanks!

kev3inp
05-22-2011, 03:57 PM
I use a bulldog, it just stops my wrist from breaking back. I tried Lucy Sandelin's when she gave me a lesson and it worked for me. Nothing in the palm, it straps to the forearm and the top is detachable for spare shooting when you want to break the wrist.

Here's a link to it. http://www.bowlingball.com/products/bowling-accessories/Turbo2-N-1Grips/4613/Bulldog-Wrist-Support-Gold-Right-Handed.html And I'm pretty sure I got it from our friendly hosts. :)

GoKidd
06-24-2011, 12:38 PM
Thanks for the ideas, guys. I've been away for awhile -- dealing with carpal tunnel syndrome, it seems. So ... I'm bowling with a Robby's Original at the moment and it helps prevent pain and also makes my shot stronger. I am not practicing as much and try not to work on the computer as much ... for now. We'll see where it all goes.