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Jeff Davis
If you've watched any bowling on TV, you might have seen a wide variety of wrist supports worn by many of the men and women pros in the past. These ranged from simple wrist bands to devices that resemble robotic arms, covering the entire wrist, hand and back side of the fingers. The PBA, however, banned the use of wrist supports with any type of restrictive material such as metal or plastic in PBA National Tour competition effective Jan. 1, 2023. Wrist supports remain okay in lower PBA events and in USBC competition. I checked the PWBA rules and found no restriction on wrist supports. One of my favorites, Shannon O’Keefe, sported a huge plastic device on her wrist and hand.
When I geared up to start bowling again last year, I knew I would need some type of wrist support because of arthritis, or a condition known as “TMB” – Too Many Birthdays. Now that I have had hand surgery I will need some support even more. So, what are some considerations when deciding to use some bracing?
There are some pretty sophisticated choices that are actually adjustable. My choice was a simple material brace with a steel insert and Velcro fastenings. Other than helping with chronic wrist issues, supports can help keep your wrist straight. This improves the consistency of your delivery. One point that was made is if you do wear a brace when bowling you should also wear it when you are fitted for a ball.
The results below begin with the Thursday Commercial League’s April 18 session and go through the Senior League’s April 24 bowling. The various leagues divide the season into quarters or halves. The standings reported below reflect the current marks, not the overall season.
Two teams have risen to the top of the Thursday Commercial League. Rollin’ Dirty and The Pawn Shop are knotted at 17-7 and Graham International is right in the race with a 16-8 record. Kyra Jenkins on the Tierra del Sol squad has been on fire the past few weeks and Thursday was no exception as she crushed a 278 game and 730 series. Victor Arcos of Grip-N-Rip paced the men’s game scoring with a 279 and Keeping It PG’s Tristen Painter was on target, rolling a 761 for men’s high series.
Full Throttle put the pedal to the metal Sunday evening to take the uncontested lead in the This Ain’t Yo Momma’s Bowling League, marking a 2911 tally. The 4 T’s stand in second at 26-14. As my favorite philosopher Yogi Berra once said, we are seeing “déjà vu all over again”. Kyra Jenkins of Jenkins & Company took all the honors for the ladies with scores of 206 and 523. Shayne Wilson, rolling for Classic Crazies, scored big for the men with a 237 game and Kelly Shields on Adriana’s Boyz tossed a solid 652 to lead the men's series.
WWM increased their lead in the Monday Night Trio League, posting a 15-5 reset mark. Sisco’s Crew remains on their heels, tallying 14-6. Sisco Zarco, bowling for – I shouldn’t need to say it – Sisco’s Crew, captured all the marbles for the men with a 228 game and 658 series. Another very familiar name in this space, Debby Essary on the Spare Me threesome, took it all for the ladies with a 235 game and 588 series.
Cletus’s High Rollers stumbled a bit but still held a tie for first place with Irish Pride, both sporting 18-10 records in the Tuesday Mixed League. Carrie’s Gang is oh, so close with a 17 ½-10 ½ mark. Money B’s Doug Eitler paced the men with a 245 game and Irish Pride’s Mike Holt made the honor score with a 702 series. JP’s Classic Lanes own Katelynn Shields scored big for the ladies with a 202 game for Irish Pride and – drum roll, please – Kyra Jenkins on the Odd Ones team rolled a 558 for ladies’ high series.
The Wednesday afternoon Senior League continues to be ultra-competitive with nine of the 13 teams boasting records of at least .500, led by Livin’ On A Spare with a reset mark of 41-23 and Mine’s In Tha Gutter at 39 ½-24 ½. Jerry Joe McClanahan, of Jerry Joe’s Ladies was the class for the men’s game with a 222 and Strike Force’s Robert Smith rolled a 612 for high series. Mine’s In Tha Gutter’s Lori Guffey again graces the honors list, knocking off a 178 game and 471 series.
Until next week, good luck and good bowling