Preventing injuries, your tips and ideas.

[Bendial]

Hi Guys,

I wanted to start this thread to learn more about what types of injuries are common in bowling, and what people can do to help prevent them. I'm just getting into bowling and have a pretty weak wrist from over a decade of daily computer use. I'm starting to think the ball I got may be too heavy and more than I can handle as I get some wrist pain sometimes and pain in my elbow and thumb/fingers from lifting it. Right now I'm telling myself that its just my body adjusting to the weight and if I keep doing it I will build up the strength to handle the ball, but if there's anything I can do to prevent injury I want to know about it.

On another note, what do people think about wrist braces? Do they help a lot, or will they just make my wrist weak from the brace compensating.

[ssclary]

The only issue/injuryI have is with my wrist/hand. I hurt it when I first went to a fingertip ball over a year ago. I was finally able to strengthen/rehab the wrist enough that I didn't need it. Then I hurt my wrist again when trying to improve on my swing. I am now wearing one again, ugh. I don't like wearing it, wish I didn't. I strictly use it to alleviate pain or minimize it. I get pain on the underneath side of my wrist/hand from the pinky to the arm. I also have pain in my hand near the index finger. I even get burning in my arm, usually caused by trying to flick the ball at release. The brace keeps my pain level low so I can practice and bowl league in the same week. I think once I get my form down I will be able to build up that muscle memory and eventually get rid of the brace, again.

[e-tank]

I tweaked my wrist from 2 finger bowling(with poor form im assuming). Now that i bowl with thumb in i havent had any issues since i switched over. Btw theres nothing wrong with wearing a wrist brace. I dont have weak wrists but i like how it keep my wrist in position so i dont have to worry about it and it also has grips are the fingers. Obviously if youre using a brace to cover up an injury thats something youll wanna check out.

[75lockwood]

I never really had issues with my wrist, but i have injured my left leg and both ankles on more than one occasion (a funny story involving doing a wheelies in a wheelchair leading to a concussion comes to mind), the best advice i can give is to always stretch before bowling, get the muscles warmed up and ready to work, also given it is a wrist issue a stress ball would be a great idea, when you are sitting around just squeeze the stress ball and exercise your wrist.

I wouldn't recommend a wrist brace at this point, for a new bowler coming into the sport it is normal for some soreness and discomfort, while a wrist brace could relieve this the wrist brace becomes a crutch and all that will happen is your wrist will become weaker. Wrist braces should be used by people who do to injury can no longer hold the proper position without it. I'd say work on it for a few months and if you are still experiencing soreness or even pain then by all means get a wrist support, but the better option is to simply strengthen the muscles you simply haven't been using.

[Bendial]

Is it safe to assume that the two-handed bowling technique would be a better approach if one is worried about wrist/hand/shoulder injuries?

[75lockwood]

Is it safe to assume that the two-handed bowling technique would be a better approach if one is worried about wrist/hand/shoulder injuries?

The complete opposite (from what I've heard) bowling with two hands imparts a lot more Torque on the body, which could end poorly for an unfit person.

unless of course you are talking about the two handed style used by small children and 90 year old lady's

[e-tank]

The complete opposite (from what I've heard) bowling with two hands imparts a lot more Torque on the body, which could end poorly for an unfit person.

unless of course you are talking about the two handed style used by small children and 90 year old lady's

I actually know a guy who works at my alley and bowling is a couple leagues who bowling two handed due to shoulder injuries. I guess he literally cannot bowl normally without pain. Hes one of the top youth bowlers in my state and has his own coach and everything so i guess its pretty legit. I could see how it could be bad for older people though.

[75lockwood]

I actually know a guy who works at my alley and bowling is a couple leagues who bowling two handed due to shoulder injuries. I guess he literally cannot bowl normally without pain. Hes one of the top youth bowlers in my state and has his own coach and everything so i guess its pretty legit. I could see how it could be bad for older people though.

I can see a shoulder injury being a good reason to switch from right to left hand, but if you are using that shoulder two handed i see no real difference to using two handed, now if he switch dominant hands and went to two hands that makes sense....

[e-tank]

I can see a shoulder injury being a good reason to switch from right to left hand, but if you are using that shoulder two handed i see no real difference to using two handed, now if he switch dominant hands and went to two hands that makes sense....

he has a problem with the backswing and since hes a real skinny kid im assuming he needs that back swing to get enough speed on the ball. So with two handed that allows he to be able to put enough speed and revs on the ball without having much of a backswing. These are all my assumptions though seeing as im not a doctor nor a bowling expert.

[75lockwood]

he has a problem with the backswing and since hes a real skinny kid im assuming he needs that back swing to get enough speed on the ball. So with two handed that allows he to be able to put enough speed and revs on the ball without having much of a backswing. These are all my assumptions though seeing as im not a doctor nor a bowling expert.

ok that makes a lot more sense lol, had a mental lapse there when i was thinking about shoulder motion of two vs 1 handed bowlers lol my bad.