The use of a wrist support provides one with the ability to bowl without incurring wrist pain.
It has nothing to do with strength or power.
While I am a smaller person than Necro, and much older, when I lifted weights on a regular basis (from about 15 to 30 years of age), I steadily weighed between 155 to 160 lbs and for a 5'9" frame, I topped off at bench pressing 300 lbs for 2 reps clean (without lifting the arse off the bench), dead-lifted 475 lbs, and squatted 450 lbs. Was also able to lift heavy in other exercises, such as curls, shoulder presses, clean and jerk, etc., which means that my wrists are pretty strong. However, when it comes to bowling, I've always felt tinges of pain in the back of my hand/wrist, and while I can bowl very well without the aid of a wrist support, I prefer to use one, because I don't want to suffer wrist ligament damage, which, needless to say, would severely hamper my ability to bowl.
So, in conclusion, wearing a wrist support does not make one less manly, and those that knock the use of such devices often do so because of pre-conceived prejudices.
Short story, a few years back while I was practicing one afternoon, a local bowler and his friends were watching from the snack bar as I was stringing high scoring games. Then, as I putting my gear away, these guys approached me and said that while what they had just witnessed was impressive, they all mentioned that the reason I must've bowled so well was because I was wearing a wrist device, and that if I wasn't wearing one I wouldn't come close to shooting what I had just shot.
They were pressing me to concede, saying that I probably just averaged about 250 or so for 5 games, and that there would be no way that I could come close to that without the "ringer" wrist device I was wearing.
I asked if they were willing to put their money where their mouth was, and they all hollered "hell, yeah!â€
They said to me, "if you can bowl 250 average or better without your wrist device, right here, right now, in front of us, we'll each give you $100.00, but if you're unable, you'll have to pay the 4 of us $100.00 each.â€
I asked them to show me their money first, which they did. I then said I'd agree provided they handed their money to the desk clerk, and if so, I'd take out some money out of the center's ATM, and let the same clerk hold my $400.00.
They easily agreed, thinking this was gonna be easy pickins for them. I proceeded to bowl 5 games without the wrist device, and lo and behold, what these clowns didn't know, is that without a wrist device I am able to stand on a particular spot longer, which makes me more accurate. While my ball doesn't belly as much without a wrist device on, it still has the same backend motion, which is where one optimally wants to see his ball move, and I proceed to shoot 1,335 over 5 games, easily eclipsing the mark necessary to "prove" my bowling prowess to those clowns, and calmly collected my money without any incident, giving Bill (the desk clerk) a $50.00 for being the "banker".
So, for those of you that doubt the "natural" ability of people who wear wrist braces, think twice before you make foregone conclusions, for they can be costly.
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Regards,
BowlingWolf
