For those who don't like reading long topics, apologies, but I am having some serious trouble finding a decent answer to my friends problems in my local area.
The subject of this question is my friend Daniel. Daniel is a fairly high rev player, with a normal looking release (by this, I mean that he does not have a very bizarre armswing or grip during his delivery). He bowls a 16lb ball, at medium pace, and is right handed.
About 6 months ago, Daniel began to get pains in his wrist and hand while bowling, that have intensified as time as gone on, and have been worse after bowling. He had a 6 week break and came back, but the problems have continued. He has had to stop bowling again, and does not know when he can return. After bowling, he would have trouble gripping anything or clenching his fist. As he is not bowling at the moment, the problems have gone away, but he can feel it when he tries to pick up his bowling ball and throw a ball.
Through some detective work, I have found that Daniel has a slightly stretched span on his ball. He also uses white finger inserts with the small lip on them.
Daniel wants to come back to bowling. His doctor has said to him that it is inflammation of his tendons, and that 6 weeks rest should heal it. It has stopped the problems, except when he picks up his bowling balls.
I believe that the problem may well lie in a combination of the ball weight, grip/span and release. The local shop operator has offered to drill him up a 14lb or 15lb ball to try out, but I think he needs to change his span as well. Does anyone have any recommendations or advice as to what is the best course of action to follow?