Wrist Positions in Bowling

    When holding the ball at the stance, there are basically three wrist positions a bowler can choose from and use throughout the pendulum swing:

1. Using the Broken Wrist Position:
    
     * Will put less SKID and more ROLL on the ball.
     * Will transfer more of the balls weight to the fingers letting the bowler apply the necessary LIFT giviing ball more 
​         action at the pins.
     * You need to stay focused to be consistent and break the wrist the same way each time. You can break the wrist
​         slightly more when dealing with tight (oily) lanes, but if the break is too extreme, then the ball will not be in the
         correct position at the end of the swing. It will place your fingers too much at the top of the ball, instead of 
         underneath, and you won't be able to lift with the fingers properly. The balls' weight will also be shifted on the thumb
         causing the ball release to be too early or too late.
    

Broken Wrist Position

2. Using the Straight Wrist Position:

      * Is the most popular wrist position bowlers use.      
      * Will keep the proper position of the ball throughout the swing.
      * The easiest of the wrist positions to maintain and execute. If the ball feels too heavy, use a wrist supporter as
          previously discussed in the "Equipment" Blog Post from 4/26/21.
      * Keeps the fingers under the ball to be able to execute proper lift.
   

Straight Wrist Position

​3. Using the Cupped Wrist Position:

     * Allows the hand to move more strongly under the ball, which produces more Skid Force. Skid Force allows the ball
         to travel a bit further down the lane before it starts to break (hook). This wrist position helps you to score higher on 
         dry lane conditions (when there isn't much oil).
     * Produces a low effective roll that will help with pin carry.
     * Requires a powerful forearm and wrist, or the strain of holding the ball in this position may cause your hand to turn 
         slightly to the left (for right handed bowlers), or to the right (for left handed bowlers. It can also cause you to move 
         your elbow and arm away from the hip too much (to allow for the proper body clearance) which would restrict a 
         good pendulum swing.
      * Does restrict the use of a wrist supporter, depending on which type you like to use.

Cupped Wrist Position

    **One can say that there is really a fourth wrist position if you use one of the "O'Clock Positions I spoke about throughout my Blog. 

    As I have previously mentioned if you think of the face on a clock, for a right handed bowler, a 10:00 position would mean that your thumb would be pointing at the number 10 and your fingers would finish up at the number 12 on the release. You can use a 9:00 position or an 11:00 position too. Your wrist would be sideways as if you are shaking someones hand. You can use these at the stance and hold this position through the pendulum swing and through the release or start with a flat hand and on the downswing turn your wrist and finish up in the 9, 10, or 11:00 position.

    Which wrist position do you use? If you haven't tried all of them, go practicing and give these a try to see how they can affect your ball's reaction on the lane.  I know I keep saying this, but do keep notes on what you discover and practice them often so you can use them at any time during your league play when lanes are changing and nothing else is working.

​
Join me here next week when I'll be discussing more on "What Do I need To Know About Bowling"?-Part 4 See you then, and have a great week!

Good Luck and High Scoring!