I know this question has been asked on here before, but I thought why not start a new topic to get the site going some more.

Since my game has evolved slightly and now I have a better release (i.e more rev rate, better tilt, matched ball speed), I've noticed that the tendons in my middle finger have been tight. I know that the Sarge Easter grip has been used by people to relieve tendon stress. What are the advantages and disadvantages to the Sarge Easter? I'm considering having an old ball fitted for it to try

I don't think sarge easter would help your middle finger pain at all. If anything it would make it worse. Sarge basically takes all the pressure off of the ring finger, so it would kinda be the opposite of what you're trying to accomplish.

If you have tendon strain in one finger, it' probably due to the span being too long for that finger.  In a normal span the fingers third joint should be about  1/8 to 3/16 past the edge of the hole. This distance can vary from bowler to bowler for comfort and feel and degree of pitch.

If it's tight, you may consider shortening the middle finger cut and/or putting more reverse in the middle finger. Span can change drastically through the season, let alone if you don't get refitted once every year. For example, last years span for me was

1/8" REV      1/8" REV

RF                  MF

4" Cut to Cut both fingers

7/8 pilot (3 cuts .030 at 45*)

This years span is:

1/8" REV     1/4"REV

RF                MF

4 3/16"       4 1/8"

53/64 pilot (4 cuts of .030 at 45*)

Hand changes, span changes.

Sarge Easter drops the ring for guys with excessive rev rates, too much axis rotation, or ring finger pain. It will help the bowler produce more forward roll and create a smoother ball roll. I couldn't imagine Mike Fagans ball roll before the Sarge Easter.

I began developing ring finger pain and I was very interested in the grip, so I switched to Sarge Easter. I'm rev and speed dominant, so it works out very well for me. I feel that I can control the backend motion much better with the Sarge.

I'm not even gonna argue semantics right now...

On topic: Don't be hesitant to try the Sarge Easter. Definitely fit an older ball with it. It will change your revs and tilt for a little while, but once you get used to it, the grip will be just as comfortable (if not more comfortable) than the fingertip grip. Also, for some reason, the extra comfort in grip makes the ball seem a little lighter. My 16lb equipment feels like a 15lb ball since I've gotten used to the grip. 

Quote from: Coach Bonesaw on October 19, 2013, 12:56:24 AM

I began developing ring finger pain and I was very interested in the grip, so I switched to Sarge Easter. I'm rev and speed dominant, so it works out very well for me. I feel that I can control the backend motion much better with the Sarge.

You can't be both rev and speed dominant... the term dominant, is this situation, refers to one aspect versus the other, not how you feel your stats stack up with the rest of the bowling world.

http://wiki.bowlingchat.net/wiki/index.php?title=File:BallSpeedvsRevRate.JPG