Lefty: Don't beat yourself up for deciding to wear a brace. They have their place for a number of different reasons.
In my case, after multiple hand/wrist surgeries and cronic medial epicondylitis (elbow tendonitis) I didn't have a lot of choice. What I found after experimenting with many of the braces available is that they're not all created equal. Some are very restrictive, while others hardly do anything at all. There is no set answer on which brace is the best. You have to do your own assessment.
You seem happy with the Columbia brace, but here are some more thoughts if you're interested. The Mongoose Equalizer that notclay referenced is a very good benchmark brace to start with. It's not too restrictive, but does provide some support. If you need something more in the Equalizer category, take a look at the Storm Xtra-Roll. It's my current favorite in the softer brace category. Mike Scroggins uses it on Tour, and since it's PBA approved, you'll see them used by Regional players. If you ever consider moving to one of the hard 'Robo' braces, take a look at the Storm Gadget. Where is differs from the other hard braces is that it allows your wrist to cup forward.
Good luck with whatever direction you take.
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Sig not currently in use. I'm not interested in playing games.
