Bowlers are required to perform the same function over and over, something that results in a lot of strain and fatigue. It is no surprise that people may need or apply certain accessories to avoid such pain.
A bowling wrist support helps to alleviate pain and ensures greater recovery after an injury. Many people also wear bowling wrist supports to limit wrist movement, and in doing so, enjoy greater precision, accuracy, and consistency in their bowling career. They may also be useful in experimenting with new bowling techniques.
What is Wrist Support for Bowling?
Even when you do everything right, bowlers still experience failure. This is because they tend to neglect proper training and the use of proper accessories on the field. Wrist support is integral to a proper bowling mechanism. It not only helps provide your wrist with the much-needed rigidity but also limits its movement during bowling.
Moreover, it ensures that you don’t damage your limbs while tossing a heavy 16-pound hardball in the air. Additionally, wrist support comes in handy for amateurs and beginners who haven’t had the time to master their techniques yet. But the product is also useful for professionals who want to enhance their movement and ensure better accuracy and precision on the field.
Not just that, but bowlers who generally have weaker limbs find comfort in this product. They not only enjoy greater convenience but wearing a wrist brace also helps them experiment with different techniques.
Why Use a Wrist Support/Brace?
Whether it’s for comfort, speedy recovery, or just greater convenience, there are many reasons why people wear wrist support or brace. However, one thing that almost all bowlers want is to enjoy greater consistency and accuracy on their field. Here is why you need wrist support:
- It will help regulate your movement and will hence ensure a more consistent moment of release.
- It will prevent your hand from tilting too much before you have delivered the ball. This also ensures that your hand doesn’t collapse or lose precision before delivery.
- Additionally, it will ensure that your thumb exits the ball relatively earlier than your bowling fingers do.
- A wrist support also has the ability to limit your wrist movement. This has the added advantage of regulating the delicate relationship between the bowling fingers and the thumb that is involved in holding the ball in place.
- Some models in the market come with a longer support structure and are extremely flexible. These limit the movement of your fingers, especially during the swing movement of the ball.
- The higher adjustability these models offer allows you to choose the exact wrist tilt movement that you prefer. This will allow you to ensure consistent deliveries.
- Many people invest in these models after they have had an injury. This is because wrist support helps alleviate the pain and ensure a speedy recovery.
- It is also great for people suffering from any kind of wrist pain or arthritis. Wearing support or brace will help limit the movement of the wrist.
- Some models also come with removable lining pads. These not only help protect your skin against any damage by the sun or weather, but they are also washable to ensure convenience.
Why Does My Wrist Hurt from Bowling?
Even the most enthusiastic bowlers get frustrated when they have to face harsh consequences after bowling. The biggest disadvantage caused by continuous bowling is wrist pain. This is a recurrent problem that tends to resurface every now and then.
It usually leads to wrist pain because bowling, as a sport, revolves around repetitive motion. You are required to throw a bowl using a very similar pattern each time. Not just that, but every time you bowl, you are holding and throwing an approximately 16-pound hardball. This is bound to lead to some strain on your muscles.
But more importantly, bowlers who are lazy in terms of stretching or exercising tend to suffer grave consequences. They don’t stretch and just throw spins or hooks with no prior warm-up or preparation. This usually results in inaccurate wrist positioning that can then result in severe wrist pain.
Moreover, it is important to remember that, as a bowler, you will be required to throw 20 or 25 balls in a match, on average. So, if you don’t acknowledge your wrist pain, you will be exacerbating the situation even more.
A great way to limit the pain is to wear a bowling wrist support or brace. However, you can also adopt a healthier lifestyle and follow a few simple steps if you want to avoid pain. Here are some tips that will help you with pre-emptive measures:
- For starters, you should never attempt to throw a ball that exceeds 10 percent of your total weight. This means that a person weighing 140 pounds should only be throwing a ball that weighs around 14 pounds or less.
- Next, you need to ensure that you are stretching nicely before entering the field. A full-body stretch will not only warm up your limbs but will also help ease tension in your body.
- You also need to keep your wrist as low as you can for as long as possible. This will not only limit the torque of the joint but will also ensure that your entire arm doesn’t overcompensate for lack of proper positioning.
However, even when you follow all the guidelines, something or the other may still trigger an injury or pain. In instances where you are suffering from acute wrist pain, you can follow a few simple steps. But remember, these will only work for as long as you wear a proper wrist support.
- The first step is to consult a doctor if you fear ligament pain. In many instances, minor wrist pain can develop into a serious problem.
- Secondly, you will have to avoid going into the field for some time. If that is not possible, you can simply avoid throwing balls and just act as a fielder or even a batsman for some time.
- Once you come back, you can also apply a soothing lotion or ice on the sore area. This will not only help alleviate pain but will also give you much-needed comfort. Additionally, it acts as an anti-inflammatory.
Do Left-Handers Need A Different Bowling Wrist Brace?
This largely depends on the kind of unit you are investing in. Most wrist braces don’t fit easily on both hands. This means that you will have to get separate units for each of your hands. Moreover, even when one unit fits both hands, it may not ensure comfort equally. This is because hands tend to vary in size, so you might not experience the same fit.
Different Types of Bowling Wrist Support
There are mainly two types of bowling wrist support. Medical wrist supports are mainly for use after injury; however, wrist positioners mainly act as a pre-emptive measure to avoid any pain or strain on your limbs.
Medical Bowling Support
As an athlete, you need to be very cautious about the kind of products you use. Medical bowling supports work brilliantly for anyone who has had a recent injury. These are relatively lightweight and offer full structural support to your wrist and hands.
Since they aid in recovery, most of them come with extra paddings and ensure greater comfort. Not just that, but they also come with a very soft and breathable fabric that enhances ventilation and ensures ease of usage. But many people don’t just prefer these medical units for their excellent making alone.
One of the best things about them is that they allow for greater precision on the field. This is important because bowlers who have had injuries tend to lack consistency on the field. With this wrist support, they can go back to their earlier form and get a good performance.
The only downside to using medical bowling supports or braces is that they are relatively expensive and aren’t easily washable. This means that you may have to invest in a new model every few months or so.
Wrist Positioners
These are a great choice for anyone looking to enhance their performance on the field. Wrist positioners are usually bulky and limit excessive movement of your wrist. This allows for a more accurate axis of rotation, but more importantly, it ensures greater consistency on the field.
Many players don’t invest in wrist supports because they are looking to avoid injury. They simply wear braces because they allow them to experiment with different styles of bowling without hurting their wrists. In many instances, wrist support can help you swing your ball without having to move your hand a lot.
Compared to many medical support units, wrist positioners are quite affordable. They are also available in a variety of different colors and styles, so you can make a fashion statement whilst also ensuring better health.
Another noteworthy thing about wrist supports is that they allow for greater flexibility on the field. Plus, you will get to enjoy greater adjustability. Wrist supports have strong and durable straps that can be adjusted easily. Similarly, they are easy to wear and take off.
Wrist supports also have the added advantage of preventing your hands from sweating. Bowlers are very concerned about their grip on the ball. This is why wrist supports absorb most of the moisture and help ensure dry hands. This, in turn, allows bowlers to have a better grip on the ball.
The only drawback of investing in wrist support is that it lacks durability and a good warranty. Most of them cannot survive very tough conditions and will wither out. Additionally, most of them don’t come with extra paddings that ensure greater comfort.
