Translation
Archive for the ‘Wrist supports’ Category
Why Do I Leave The 5 Pin? | bowling tip
This is an interesting bowling tip, that has many sides. First of all, you roll a perfect strike ball and get a 5 pin remaining? What is up with that? I can’t throw it any better! Yes, I hear this every year during Fall Leagues. So, what is going on here?
Remember this bowling tip saying, “No Drive, No Five!”. I hope this sticks in your bowling brain! What this means is, if your bowling ball isn’t driving into the pocket, like crashing it, you will leave the 5 pin. A “weak ball” or weak pocket entry, will cause the bowling ball to glance off of the head pin or 1 pin, and not hit the 5 pin. There are two causes of this tragedy. One is you, and the other is your bowling gear.
If this bowling tip problem is you, then the first culprit is your lift. At release, a upward motion with your hand gives your bowling ball lift or rotation. This will give the bowling ball more drive into the pocket. Second, are you throwing the bowling ball too fast for lane conditions? Remember if the lanes are oily, especially the first game, slow down your speed, so the bowling ball can grip the lanes better. Third, check your pocket angle, as compared to the reaction of your bowling ball. If your angle is too tight, or your bowling ball hasn’t flipped or hooked yet into the pocket, the bowling ball doesn’t have enough room to power up. Either move more to the right of your mark to give more room, or move your approach to the right for a more outside angle, again if you are right handed.
Now if the bowling tip problem is your bowling gear, check and see what you have available. If your bowling ball can’t grip on oily lanes, use a bowling ball that is for oily, or medium to oily lanes. If you don’t have one, then use a sanded bowling ball (like a reactive resin or urethane and do not sand a plastic), which works like new treads on a tire. Secondly, if you can’t lift the bowling ball, it is either too heavy for you, or you need to use a wrist support to strengthen your wrist action.
Watch your bowling ball’s reaction, to see if the drive and the power is there! If not, this bowling tip will give you a check list of what to do. Know your self and your bowling gear, then adjust to the Game. It’s fun, when you know what you are doing?
Bowling Tip: Is My Bowling Ball Too Heavy?
This bowling tip is asked a lot by bowlers, in different stages of their bowling careers. First of all, the young bowlers are progressing from lighter bowling balls to heavier bowling balls. Where as, the older bowlers are going from the heavier bowling balls to the lighter bowling balls. So how do you know when it is time to change?
Well this bowling tip can be used for all ages, and just as important, all strengths. Mainly you can determine the weight by, if you can hold on to the bowling ball, and lift it at your release? A number of bowlers drop the bowling ball on the down swing. Others can’t lift the bowling ball at the release point, the bowling ball just falls off their hand. Now if you can’t hold on to the bowling ball, do to it’s weight, how can you control the bowling ball during the game? Also if you can’t lift the bowling ball on release, how will you get the revolutions necessary for good pin carry? Well it sounds like a simple bowling tip, but there’s more. For example, I use to work out and a 16 pound bowling ball, was like tossing a 2.5 pound horse shoe. There was nothing to it. But now, I don’t work out and a 16 pound bowling ball is too heavy. I went down to a 15 pound bowling ball, because I can lift it on my release. Plus, older bowlers that have arthritis, will need to bowl with a lighter bowling ball, because of their hand strength.
So, the bowling tip is depending on your strength and not your age. If you can bowl 3 or more games, without dropping the bowling ball or soreness in your wrist from lifting the bowling ball, then the bowling ball weight may be right for you. Now if your wrist is sore, and the bowling ball isn’t that heavy for you, check out a wrist support. A wrist support will strengthen your wrist action, and safe you possible injuries. I know, I can tell if my wrist is weak, by the end of the second game. If my wrist gets sore, I put on a wrist support to finish up the games. Always consider your body, this includes your knees, if it is sore, something is wrong. I know several bowlers that wear knee and elbow supports, so do what is right for your body. Enjoy bowling and stay healthy!
Is Bowling Healthy for You? | bowling tip
According to Wikipedia- “Bowling is an anaerobic type of physical exercise, similar to walking with free weights and an interesting bowling tip. Bowling helps in burning calories, and works muscle groups not usually exercised. The flexing and stretching in bowling works tendons, joints, ligaments, and muscles in the arms and promotes weight loss. Apart from the physical benefits, it also has psychosocial benefits, strengthening friendships or creating new ones. Now, I believe we all knew about bowling’s social benefits.
So bowling is healthy for you, even for us over weight bowlers? Yes, any exercise is, if don’t over do it! Then again, I did notice my blood pressure readings, which I check daily, are much lower after bowling. Here I thought, it was the beer? Also a number of my bowling buddies, complain after a bowling tournament, if they bowled 6 games or more back to back? Imagine, the Pro-Bowlers bowling 50 or more games a week in a tournament? Don’t tell me, these bowlers are out of shape!
Now my bowling tip is, bowling safety. What safety, we are just bowling? Yes, but think about it. You are using your back, wrist, arm, and legs in a repetitive motion. So, this will take a toll or your joints, tendons, ligaments, and muscles. Don’t ignore any pain, it is the way your body is trying to tell you some thing. Most of the time, you maybe using an incorrect posture, release, or forcing the ball. Protect your body from injuries by not bowling, if that part of the body is sensitive, because you can cause further injuries. Another bowling tip is, think of bowling as if you are lifting something, use your straight back, lift with your legs, use a relaxed pendulum swing , and a quarter lifting rotation of your wrist. Don’t hesitate about using arm or wrist supports, and a knee brace, if necessary. Protect yourself from injuries, and your body will reward you with years of bowling fun.
Summer Cleaning for Fall Bowling Season? | bowling gear
If you are on a bowling league, the summertime is the off season for the majority of bowlers and their bowling gear. It’s like going to school, you’re off during the summer. So what do you do? Well some of my bowling buddies are golfing, motorcycling, boating at the lake, or on vacation. But if you’re a dedicated bowler, you’re thinking Fall League start up!
First you have to lay out your bowling strategy for the up coming season. Do you need a new custom bowling ball? How about a pair of new bowling shoes? Maybe a new wrist support or bowling glove? Then again, if you’re a early bird, be one of the first to order custom bowling shirts for the team? Or, find a bowling team sponsor?
What ever your bowling needs, this is the time to get organized. Check through your bowling gear, and see what can be repaired, cleaned, or replaced. For example, when was the last time you gave the bowling balls a really good cleaning? Or maybe you have a bowling ball in need of resurfacing or reconditioning. Check your finger grips or finger holes for excessive dirt build up, or needed repairs, like chips or cracks around the finger holes. How about your bowling shoes, need repairs, replacing, or just some polish? Don’t forget your bowling glove and wrist support, if they are in need of repairs or replacing? And, can the bowling shirts make it through one more season?
Why am I bring this up now? Well, you have time on your side, and this is bargain time for buying bowling gear. Bowling balls, bowling supplies, bowling bags, bowling shoes, and even bowling shirts are discounted during the off season. So, if you wanted to replace any of your bowling gear, now is the time to look around for deals. Because the prices will go up around the first of August, just in time for Fall Bowling League? Imagine that?
Trouble with Leaving the 10 Pin, or Leftys the 7 Pin?
Many bowlers have the problem of leaving a 10 pin, or if you are left handed a 7 pin, after rolling, you thought, a prefect shot. Leaving the 10 pin is crushing, especially if you have been struggling throughout the Game. Now you believe, you finally figured out the problem, and roll a perfect ball, to end up with a solid 10 pin for your efforts. It’s like, giving a 100%, and then, getting stabbed in the chest. What do you do next?
Well I hope these bowling tips, will help in correcting the solid 10 pin. The first culprit is the old “Chicken wing” release. I covered the chicken wing once before in a previous blog. Another name is the “Flying elbow”. Basically, the bowler isn’t keeping the elbow close to your side. If you don’t feel the inside of your elbow brushing your side, you are a “Chicken winger”. The second culprit is the “Broken wrist”. When you release the bowling ball your wrist breaks back, instead of being solid and straight through the release. Now the wrist support can stop the broken wrist problem, by keeping your wrist solid and straight.
After these corrections you still have a solid 10 pin, lets go to Plan B. Plan B is a lane adjustment. The first of two options is to back up on the approach a little, maybe an inch. This gives your ball a high flush angle, to force the 10 pin out. Your bowling ball will now hook earlier into the pocket. Or the second point of attack, is to do the 2:1 ratio, approach to mark adjustment. Move two boards right of your approach position, and one board right on your mark, for a more flattened pocket entry. By trying one or the other, you are still bowling on your line or close to it, without making any major line corrections. Anytime you make a major line corrections, you are guessing at the outcome? In other words, if it’s not broken, don’t fix it. Keep the line that has been working for you, for as long as you can, or until it’s drained. I hope these bowling tips help your Game, and make the Game more enjoyable for you and your friends.
Using a Back Up Ball in Your Game?
Yes, I know that a back up ball is used by kids and women as a release method. The back up release is done by flipping your wrist to the right instead up, mostly attributed to a weak wrist strength. Many times a wrist support will correct this release to a upward one. Of course, I know bowlers, men and women, who use a back up ball release either all the time or for ten pins pick ups.
Picking up ten pins, is why I brought up this bowling technique. I have considered it many times, but haven’t developed it yet. Perhaps this Summer, I’ll practice with it, because of my ten pin frustration sometimes. Only problem is, the different release could mess with your mind, as one more release to master. But after mentioning this, I can see using the back up ball on some spares that are normally difficult.
Well here again, I’m considering adjusting my Game, because of an idea received off of this blog. Maybe this blog is bowling therapy for me? Forcing me to think through my Game? Now I’m getting scared. Good luck, but don’t make it too complicated, so you can’t have fun.
Maybe It’s Not Your Bowling Ball, It’s Your Bowling Gear?
I once played in a music group or Band. I mentioned to an associate that one of my Band members bought a new clarinet. He shot back at me, “Why, he didn’t learn how to play the old one yet!” Sometimes our bowling ball is that clarinet. Are we getting as much out of our bowling balls as we can? Lets see, by checking out your bowling gear!
Do you clean your bowling ball every time you use it? Are you rolling a good ball with lift on it for strikes? Are you hitting your marks? Are your finger holes drilled correctly for the best fit and control? Do you try different angles on your approach to maximize your strike conversions? Do you need and use a bowling glove or a wrist support? Have you tried to increase your rev. rate, as mentioned in the previous blog? Or maybe your bowling ball just ran out of gas, and needs reconditioning? Or maybe your tied of it and just want a newer model? These are all questions to ask, before you start your search for a new bowling ball. The reason I brought this up is, many of my friends have bowled for years, and they are starting to use their old bowling balls again. They are having success, better ball control, and consistent ball reaction too. So, before you go out and spend money on a new bowling ball, see what you have in storage now. New bowling balls are great, like a new car, but do you need it?
How to Increase your Bowling Balls Revolutions, or Revs.
I have a low revolution rate on my delivery. This is mainly for more control and also lack of ability. Some bowlers are crankers, who have high revolutions, and must move to the extreme left side of the approach to keep their bowling ball on the alley. Well if you think you have enough control to increase your bowling ball’s revolutions, these bowling tips are for you. First of all if you can release your bowling ball with enough lift for high revolutions, you don’t need help and I envy you. Although, high rev. bowling style have control problems too, the extra pin carry always impressed me. Of course, some call it luck, when a pin shoots across the lane and knocks down extra pins. I call it a strong ball worthy of the extra pin count.
First of all, a finger tip drilled bowling ball will increase your revs, but your ball control can become an issue. Finger tip has higher revs, over conventional and semi-finger tip grip configurations. But the control issue comes in play. Now if you roll a conventional or semi-finger tip, you may have read from some of my earlier bowling tips, that tucking you little finger under on release will add revs. This will help without reconfiguring your bowling ball. But there is another way without going to finger tip grip, because of cost of change over, control issues, or due to you the stress on your hands (we old people).
The answer is a wrist support that adds revs to your bowling ball with very little effort or stress. Control will come into play again, so if you have a stable approach and very little control problems now. You may want to check this idea out. A variety of rev supports are available. The trick is finding one that is comfortable for you to use. The one I use is pictured above and it is popular. But I am not pushing it, because friends of mine are using other brands with great success. These supports can be expensive, so check around with friends and see what they are using. Maybe you can try their support to get the feel of it. Matter of fact, I received my first one free from a friend upgrading to another support. So either way, you can try one out cheap!
This season I haven’t been using mine, due to control problems. But Monday night at practice, I dusted it off and bowled over 600? So, just like old bowling balls, you never know what you may have in storage, until you dust it off and give it a try, again? Good Bowling, I hope this blog can help your game, it did mine.
Why Use A Wrist Support?
Using wrist supports,of course, helps to keep your wrist straight. But the wrist support, also helps in protecting your wrist from injuries. Since wrist supports stiffens your wrist, an added benefit would be, the increased leverage and speed. Now you can lift the bowling ball with your wrist, without your wrist breaking or flexing. When breaking your wrist, you lose the speed and leverage of your approach and release. Your bowling ball path will be longer and straighter to the pins. But now with more power through the pocket.
Wrist supports come in a variety of styles, from cloth to metal. The more expensive wrist supports will increase your balls revolutions, angle or hook, and give you an easier and more fluid release. The basic wrist supports just supports your wrist. This would be the level to start at. The more expensive wrist supports are tougher to adjust to, and to control at first, which can be very frustrating.
This bowling technique will enhance your game, if you progress a step at a time. Control is a major part, when learning about the more expensive wrist supports. A lot of hook can be dangerous, if not controlled. So keep it simple and less complicated. Enjoy the Game and don’t get hurt. Because you can bowl for years to come, please stay healthy to enjoy it. May the pins fall in your direction, Good Luck.
How to Throw a HOOK!
For beginner bowlers and kids learning to bowl, release the bowling ball like your going to shake someones hand is taught. That is alright as a style of release for beginners. See the only problem I have with that style of release is, the ball weight is between the thumb and index finger at the release point. Also, this style of release puts pressure on the other two fingers to lift the ball vertically after the thumb leaves the bowling ball. Maybe it’s only me, but I have a tendency to flip my wrist toward my body at the release point, unless I wear wrist support, of course. This causes the bowling ball to go left, for a right handed bowler. But I’m not knocking the style at all, because a lot of bowlers have had success with it. Do to the problems I was having with my fingers joints, I had to fine another way.
So, my bowling tip is a similar style, but different. To protect my wrist and fingers from the pressure of my back swing and release, I changed to this release style. Hold your hand with the bowling ball in the position of the thumb in front. As you release the bowling ball use your thumb as your gun sight to aim at your mark. Then lift your hand from under the bowling ball, thumb up and first out of the bowling ball. The other two fingers will follow from under the bowling ball into a hand shaking position. This style of release can be done with as little lift of 10 to 12 inches. The rotating action of the fingers from under the bowling ball gives the side revolutions causing the bowling ball to Hook. Because the bowling ball rests in the palm of your hand until release, your fingers have less pressure on them. And a side benefit, you use your thumb as a gun sight, which improves your accuracy. Only your wrist rotates from under the bowling ball to the side, in a hand shaking position.
This style may not be new to some of the experienced bowlers, but I thought, it would be helpful to the other bowlers. Thanks to this style of release, my bowling average is coming back, and at one time, I thought I would never see a 600 series again. Good Luck, and never give up the fight.