Bowling is an extremely tough sport on the joints, especially on the wrists. If you’re going to repeatedly throw a heavy ball with snap and spin down a bowling lane on even a relatively regular basis, finding the best bowling wrist support for you will do wonders for your game and your overall joint health. If you’re not too familiar with bowling wrist braces, bowling hand braces, and other items made to protect your hands, wrists, and forearms from trauma stemming from the high-impact nature of throwing a bowling ball, don’t fret! This article is designed to give you everything you need to know, along with providing a bowling wrist support review for some of the best products currently on the market.
What is a bowling wrist brace and what does it do?
A bowling wrist support gives your wrist needed rigidity and back-up, keeping it from flexing incorrectly and causing you damage when tossing a heavy bowling ball. If you’re just learning the game, it’s likely that you haven’t yet mastered the technique necessary to keep your wrist protected and stretched out properly when you throw. A bowling wrist guard will do just that for you, holding your wrist steady and keeping it from bending at the wrong time.
Bowling wrist supports (and also, bowling hand braces) also help those of us who don’t have enough strength in our hands and wrists to position them correctly at our shot release points. A good bowling wrist support keeps the wrist firm at the bottom of your swing, helping you release the ball correctly and rotate the ball with more effectiveness and torque. Thus, a good bowling wrist support will improve your overall shot and turn your hook potential into legit pin carry if you can get the rest of your shot motion working in harmony.
Getting your wrist to a lower position when you release a bowling ball can dramatically increase your rev rate, turning hook potential into hook sharpness and violence. And for those with weak wrists or muscle issues in their forearms or wrists, such a shot isn’t possible without a proper bowling wrist support. And even if you don’t have weak wrists, a good bowling wrist guard will work towards the betterment of your shot while protecting you from injuries that will cause you to have weaker wrists and hand joints in the future.
With that being said, we’ve scoured the web for the best bowling wrist supports, bowling hand braces, and bowling wrist guards on the market. We’ve decided to chunk things into four lists of three, catered to a variety of bowlers’ needs.
Best All-Around Bowling Wrist Supports
1) Robby Revs II Bowling Wrist Support
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The Robby Revs II Bowling Wrist Support is pricier than the average bowling wrist guard, but the investment is well worth it for bowlers who are looking to balance comfort and form effortlessly and effectively. You can adjust your wrist into four different forward wrist cup positions, giving you a chance to find the most comfortable position while also maximizing your rev rate and back-end action on your hook. It also comes with extended finger support that gives you a painless boost to your hook while keeping the most vulnerable parts of your hand out of danger. The price point will be prohibitive for some, but it’s still a fantastic investment for a bowler who’s at the lanes more than once a week.
2) Kool Kontrol Bowling Wrist Positioner
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Complete with 3 adjustable Velcro wrist straps and made of a special fabric which wicks away perspiration quickly, the Kool Kontrol Bowling Wrist Positioner is a triumph of both function and form. The metal wrist and forearm support is extremely durable and keeps your form right without suffocating it or cutting off circulation in a counterproductive manner. Its one of the easiest-to-use bowling wrist supports on the market, allowing you to adjust its fits to your own specifications while providing both protection and increased hook/rev potential.
3) Brunswick Shot Repeater X Bowling Wrist Support
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The firm design of the Brunswick Shot Repeater X Bowling Wrist Support doesn’t just encourage proper wrist positioning – it basically forces it to happen by holding the wrist and forearm in optimal position. Your hand and wrist have no choice but to function in concert, keeping your tendons and joints from bending off-course in a potentially dangerous manner. One thing that puts the Brunswick Shot Repeater X over the top is that its lightweight yet durable material absorbs sweat and allows the metal support inserts to do their job without causing overheating. Simply put, it’s a great training tool which promotes proper form while managing pain and being comfortable to boot!
Best Bowling Wrist Supports for Pain
1) Mongoose Optimum Bowling Wrist Support
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The Mongoose Optimum is the best-rated bowling wrist support on Amazon for good reason – its functionality and construction is second to none, and its durable wrist and finger support minimizes any vestiges of pain during any point of a bowler’s shot. The construction of the brace is built to promote a timely thumb release on your shot, giving you a more effective hook while keeping the ball from sticking and causing off-center torque and damage to your wrist and hand. Don’t let the Mongoose Optiumum’s lightweight nature fool you! It’s one of the most effective bowling wrist supports on the market for reducing pain and minimizing injury risks.
2) Storm C4 Bowling Wrist Positioner
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If you’re already battling pain issues, there’s no use settling for questionable quality when it comes to the best bowling wrist supports and bowling hand braces out there. The Storm C4 is built from the highest-quality materials we’ve seen on the market, providing durable wrist support which doesn’t weaken with repeated use. That’s crucial when it comes to pain management for a bowler who is going to lanes with any sort of frequency. Easy to adjust and cup your wrist to maximize hook potential and back-end action, the Storm C4 is a fantastic tool for anyone looking to put pain aside and get the most out of their bowling know-how.
Best Bowling Wrist Supports for Hook
1) Storm Xtra-Hook Bowling Wrist Support
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The key feature of the Storm Xtra-Hook Bowling Wrist Support is the ability for a bowler to extend the index finger to promote and gain axis rotation. While offering the durability, lightweight material, and pain management benefits of other bowling wrist braces on this list, the Storm Xtra-Hook’s real claim to fame is the fact that it almost guarantees a more effective and effortless hook for any bowler who puts it on. In fact, it’s constructed in such a way that you can experiment with your hook in many different ways without risk of injury, while also seeing an increased rev rate that will maximize the effectiveness of any adjustment you make.
2) Mongoose Lifter Bowling Wrist Support
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The Mongoose Lifter Bowling Wrist Support lives up to its name, lifting your wrist and cupping it in such a way that you can increase revs easy and sharpen your hook to its highest potential. Providing nearly unparalleled wrist support while keeping your hand in its proper position at all points during your shot, the Mongoose Lifter functions as a corrective tool that turns decent hooks into good hooks, and good hooks into great ones. The bowling wrist support reviews we’ve read on this product all champion its effects on hook shots of all different kinds, making it the perfect investment for someone trying to fine-tune their shot and increase overall pin carry and action.
3) Robby’s Cool Max Black Bowling Wrist Support
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This bowling wrist support doesn’t look like much compared to some of the other entries on this list, but don’t be fooled. Its simple design is just a pretty cover for a powerful wrist support that keeps your wrist low and allows you to get your fingers out of the ball at the exact right time to maximize your hook potential. The material is extremely lightweight and wicks away sweat to promote and increase comfort, allowing you to tweak your hook shot through multiple games without feeling bogged down. It’s a multifaceted bowling wrist guard gem that will translate positively to your scores with repeated use.
Best Bowling Wrist Supports for Carpal Tunnel
1) Brunswick Bionic Wrist Positioner
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The Brunswick Bionic Wrist Positioner’s extended version gives support to both your wrist and your fingers, reducing the impact of carpal tunnel syndrome on everything from carrying the ball to your entire swing pattern. It’s adjustable without taking the brace off, allowing a bowler with carpal tunnel to cater the fit to the aches and pains inherent with the disorder. Built from durable aluminum and structured to balance maximum comfort and support at the same time, the Brunswick Bionic Wrist Positioner is simply one of the best bowling wrist supports on the market for both pain management and increasing spin/hook potential.
2) Storm Universal Bowling Wrist Brace
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The Storm Universal Bowling Wrist Brace comes with an adjustable palm strap which allows you to get your hand perfectly comfortable first before adjusting the wrist. This hand-focused design is perfect for someone with carpal tunnel syndrome, especially since its completely adjustable and built to promote comfort for all different styles of bowlers. It’s a bit on the pricier side, but the metal framing and support makes it worth it to minimize pain and potential injury for someone already suffering from chronic hand and wrist problems. In addition, you get some fantastic hook potential benefits which won’t present themselves for someone with carpal tunnel syndrome otherwise.
3) Robby’s Leather Plus Bowling Wrist Support
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Considered by many to be the best bowling wrist support out there for those with carpal tunnel syndrome, the Robby’s Leather Plus Bowling Wrist Support belies its simple design with an intricate metal support structure which keeps both the hand and the wrist safe in the midst of all different types of shots. It’s nicely form-fitting and comfortable, yet it’s also extremely durable and functions as a sort of exoskeleton to protect your hand and wrist from potential injury or overexertion. It also has a classic leather look to it, coming off as less clunky than most bowling wrist supports out there.
How to determine what size wrist brace you need
To find out what size of bowling wrist support or bowling hand brace will be right for you, follow this simple three-step process:
- Place the metal tab ending of a tape measure at the crease of your wrist. Measure four inches up your forearm and make a mark with a washable marker or piece of tape.
- Wrap the tape measure at the four-inch mark of your forearm to measure the circumference of your forearm. This will be your “Forearm” measurement in relation to the sizing of bowling wrist supports.
- At the widest part of your palm, wrap the tape measure to measure the circumference of your hand. This will be your “Hand Circumference” measurement.
Once you have your two measurements down, you now have enough information to find the correct size of bowling wrist support for you. Any forearm measurement of 8 inches or less accompanied by a hand circumference of 7.5 inches or less means you’ll easily fit into a small bowling wrist support. If your hand circumference exceeds 7.5 inches with such a forearm measurement, you’d be much more comfortable in a medium. Add an extra inch to either your forearm or hand circumference measurement and you’re likely looking at a large bowling wrist support, with anything bigger than that verging on extra large territory. Of course, this all depends on your own personal preference and how snug you want the support to fit to your wrist. But, these are good general rules of thumb to use.
Closing Thoughts
Owning a good bowling wrist support will do wonders for any bowler’s game, be it as a source of pain relief or as a way of correcting form and increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of one’s shot. Bowling wrist supports, bowling hand braces, and other protective equipment are well worth the investment for anyone with weak wrists, forearm problems, or just anyone who wants to keep solid, lowered wrist positioning on their bowling swing. No matter what level you’re bowling at or how much you bowl per week, a proper bowling wrist support is a smart investment for both your health and your bowling game as a whole. If you’re wondering what type of bowling ball you use, read our bowling ball buyers guide and our top picks!
