Am I ruining a free arm swing by trying to keep my wrist straight?

[Ball99999]

As I try to keep my wrist straight/locked, and try to keep my hand behind the ball instead of on the top of the ball, I basically press against the ball with my index finger. Is that tension screwing up my free arm swing? How else do I keep my wrist straight?

[Tampabaybob]

No you're not screwing up your arm swing by pressing against the ball with your index finger. That actually is a good thing to do, if you're not putting too much pressure on the ball. Just a slight amount of pressure is all you need. With that said, when I do that, my index finger is pointing directly to the pins. If you are coming straight up the back of the ball you wouldn't need to press your finger at all. If the index finger is facing the pins, your thumb would be near 3:00 and your fingers near 9:00. Right ? That would mean you'd be getting more rotation on the ball and probably a lower axis spin as well. I changed to that hand position a couple of years ago to get a better rotation, and went up about 8 - 10 pins in average. The summer I decided to try it I shot about 10 games over 270, so I stuck with it.

Try pointing your index finger towards the pins with a small amount of pressure and see if you can notice a difference in rotation as the ball goes down the lane. Also see if there is an improved pin action when you hit the pocket.

Bob

[Zothen]

I would suggest a wrist brace to help keep your wrist straight.

Zothen

[Ball99999]

Why.. That seems like a bad idea

[Zothen]

Not a bad idea at all! I use a wrist brace and it helps me keep my wrist from getting sore and i'mm able to throw ball with no problem. Don't knock it til you try it.

Zothen

[billf]

What about a brace makes you think it would be a bad idea?

[Ball99999]

What about a brace makes you think it would be a bad idea?

I would hate to require that.. I have good wrist strength. It would limit things.

[Zothen]

Not at all! I have an adjustable wrist brace and have no limitations. Why do you think you would be limited?

Zothen

[J Anderson]

For some, a wrist brace is a necessity. In the 80s, it seemed like every pro on the tour was using one and had to to be competitive. Now you hardly ever see anything more substantial than PDW's glove. If you are using a ball of the correct weight and fit you should not need a brace unless there is a physical problem. Braces can be used as a training device to help you learn the correct position for release.

[Tampabaybob]

If you have good wrist strength, and can keep it locked until release, you shouldn't need a wrist brace. Every once in a while, I'll throw one on if I feel like I'm breaking my wrist. It's not something you have to wear all of the time, but if you're having doubts whether you are keeping it locked try one.

Bob