Bowling is hurting the heck out of my wrist what do I do?

[WolfGirl1980]

I usually cup my wrist kinda cock it so my ball breaks more today I really had to but anyway ever since I did last monday my wrist has been hurting and I went practicing today and it made it hurt really bad I can't put any pressure on it and can't bend it I can't even rotate my wrist I had on a wrist without it hurting, I used a support today one that just goes around the wrist not a glove or anything like that not that kinda of wrist support one that looks like a wristband but wetsuite material and Velcro so what should I do should I get the glove or what is it the way I am bowling or what?


-Sara

[swingset]

You've reached the inevitable conclusion of cupping the wrist to impart action. It's an unnatural wrist position, and if you bowl long enough or have a weak wrist, you're going to experience pain.

You have three options (IMHO):

1. Change your wrist position and learn to put revs on the ball more by release and swing. It will decrease your revs a bit, but might just create a stronger back-end game for you too. Long term, this is probably the most healthy and sound way to go about it.

2. Try to support the wrist (as you did with a wrap) and mediate the pain. This will probably let you get more bowling in before pain sets in, but it's like getting hit with boxing gloves instead of bare hands...it'll still do damage, just take longer.

3. Strengthen the wrist with therapy and exercise so that you can handle the cupping and uncupping. This is probably a good thing to do even if you do #1 or #2, as wrist strength should be developed as an offset to damage or fatigue, but it might be what keeps you in the game.

A more severe brace (that locks your wrist out) can save you from some serious pain, but it will also stop the cupping/uncupping and force you into a fixed wrist position throughout your swing. You can, absolutely, still bowl with a strong hook this way but you're not going to burn the lanes up with side revs.

I used to cup pretty strong and bowled a big aggressive hook but it took its toll on my wrist and forearm, to the point I couldn't pick the ball up anymore. I re-learned the game with a more traditional (stay behind the ball) release and bowl down-in rather crank it.

When you do experience tendon pain, get it on ice immediately afterwards and try to keep that up for several hours after pain sets in. Inflammation can be reduced by icing, 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off.

[Zothen]

My suggestion is taking couple weeks off bowling,really STOP BOWLING let your wrist heal your straining the ligaments & tendons. I suggest getting an adjustable wrist brace like the Storm braces get a regular brace like the Mongoose for wrist support.

Zothen

[WolfGirl1980]

My suggestion is taking couple weeks off bowling,really STOP BOWLING let your wrist heal your straining the ligaments & tendons. I suggest getting an adjustable wrist brace like the Storm braces get a regular brace like the Mongoose for wrist support.

Zothen

I did stop bowling for a week but it had to be for only a week cause my new league started up yesterday but when I went yesterday they postponed the the start of the leaue till next week since alot of the bowlers were finishing up there other leagues but anyway I did stop by the pro shop and get fitted for a wrist support its by ebonite its a glove with a bar in it its all I had money for the money I got back from bowling is going for running shoes for walking so I can get some of this weight I gained over the winter off to help me bowl also and it helped when I practiced bowling yesterday cause got to bowl for free yesterday since league didn't start till next week. But my wrist feels better now and my hand and thanks for the help.

-Sara

[Zothen]

No problem! Take it easy for the week and good luck with your upcoming summer league.

Zothen

[WolfGirl1980]

No problem! Take it easy for the week and good luck with your upcoming summer league.

Zothen

I just found out Yesterday that my wrist and hand especially my hand cause the pain in my wrist has moved in my hand where my wrist meets my hand and on up towards my fingers more towards my pinky and yes my four arm hurts also all around it different spots different times but I practiced yesterday thinking my wrist was better and I had my wrist support on but even it didn't help yesterday don't think I had it on tight enough think it was on too lose but I bowled some pretty good games and I finally got a thumb slug before I left so I am anxious to try it out tuesday hoping it will help keel me from gettin that callus where thumb nail meats my skin on the very edge of my thumbnail in other words on the right hand side and on my right thumb cause I am a righty so hopefully it will help and help my bowlingas well but the point is bowling yesterday hurt it again cause my wrist and hand especially my hand hurt real bad right after.

-Sara

[Zothen]

My best guess is your trying to create lift,when it should be a natural movement! The other possability is your ball is to heavy? From my own experiance when my fingers and forearm hurt,it's because i'm trying to create lift instead of letting the ball naturally come off my hand or i'm trying to muscle the ball which adds pain in bicep,shoulder & elbow. Try slowing everything down including armswing and try creating a nice fluid motion and see if that helps!

Zothen

[WolfGirl1980]

My best guess is your trying to create lift,when it should be a natural movement! The other possability is your ball is to heavy? From my own experiance when my fingers and forearm hurt,it's because i'm trying to create lift instead of letting the ball naturally come off my hand or i'm trying to muscle the ball which adds pain in bicep,shoulder & elbow. Try slowing everything down including armswing and try creating a nice fluid motion and see if that helps!

Zothen

OK I will do that thanks for the tip I try it tomorrow in league.

[TCJ]

I've only experienced severe wrist pain one night in all my years of bowling. It was some years ago when I wasn't bowling often, but for some reason I began to feel some extreme pain in my wrist, so much so that I could barely hang onto the ball. This was the first game. The second game I stuffed a bunch of tape in the thumb hole so it was more than a little snug. To my own amazement, about half the pain went away just by doing that. After that night I began to pay very close attention to using the proper amount of tape in the thumb hole because I was clearly just trying to grip the ball too hard because the hole was too large (I wasn't very experienced, and didn't even realize it at the time). Since that time, I've never had any bothersome pain in that wrist again. A few times I've had minor discomfort, but that's quite rare.

I don't know if you use tape or not, or if you pay a lot of attention to it, but if you don't, it might be worthwhile checking into it. It won't be a solution in itself, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to have the thumb fitting well (on the off chance that you are doing what I did).

[WolfGirl1980]

I've only experienced severe wrist pain one night in all my years of bowling. It was some years ago when I wasn't bowling often, but for some reason I began to feel some extreme pain in my wrist, so much so that I could barely hang onto the ball. This was the first game. The second game I stuffed a bunch of tape in the thumb hole so it was more than a little snug. To my own amazement, about half the pain went away just by doing that. After that night I began to pay very close attention to using the proper amount of tape in the thumb hole because I was clearly just trying to grip the ball too hard because the hole was too large (I wasn't very experienced, and didn't even realize it at the time). Since that time, I've never had any bothersome pain in that wrist again. A few times I've had minor discomfort, but that's quite rare.

I don't know if you use tape or not, or if you pay a lot of attention to it, but if you don't, it might be worthwhile checking into it. It won't be a solution in itself, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to have the thumb fitting well (on the off chance that you are doing what I did).

I don't use tape but I just got a thumb slug put in my thumb hole and today I dropped the ball and then I had to put a lot of rosin on my tumb to hold on to the ball I do grip the ball hard alot I dunno how not to and neot drop it I am new the game and not very experienced but well semi new Been bowling a long time for fun non competitively but been bowling competitively for a couple of years now I would say about 5 years give or take a few. But anyway I might try some tape in my thumb hole I will buy some see how it does. thanks.

-Sara