Chris,
I did the same thing you did (ditching a brace) and got the same results you did (track migrating lower).
For me, it was a great thing. With the brace -- and particularly the way I threw the ball about five years ago -- I was limited very much in my drilling options. Anything pin-down ran the risk of clipping the finger holes. I'm just guessing at my PAP but I bet I was 6 over.
Today, that's changed. Now, I'm 4 over 3/8 up. I can make great use of a lot of different layouts that before, I could not use.
There are many better bowlers on this site than me and some really good coaches, but I can give you this quick tip on how to raise or lower your track intentionally (at least, it works for me):
* To lower your track, hold the ball in front of you and turn your hand so the thumb points outward. I've found the more outward I can point my thumb, and the longer I can keep it in that position through release, the lower I track.
* To raise it, hold the ball in front of you, and bring your hand to the outside side of the ball (the right side for me, as I'm righthanded). I estimate I can move my PAP and bowties a good inch or two with these changes.
Now that you're out of the brace, you'll be a lot more flexible and should be a lot more versatile. Play around with different hand positions and see what they do for you.
Jess
