Bowling Rev Trainer: What It Does, How to Use It, and Whether It Works

Walk into any pro shop or browse bowling equipment online and you'll find a category of products broadly called "rev trainers" — wrist and hand devices that claim to help bowlers develop more revolutions, a more consistent release, or a specific hand position. These products range from simple wrist braces to complex hinged mechanical devices, and they're one of the more genuinely useful training tools in bowling — but only if you understand what they actually do.

What Is a Bowling Rev Trainer?

A bowling rev trainer is any device worn on the bowling hand or wrist that constrains or guides hand position to reinforce a specific release. The term covers several different product types:

Wrist braces/positioners: Rigid or semi-rigid supports that keep the wrist in a specific position through the swing and release. The Robby's range, the Mongoose Lifter, and the Master Industries Wrist Master are well-known examples. These don't generate revolutions themselves — they eliminate the wrist breakdown that prevents a consistent release.

Release trainers: Devices like the Turbo Rev Trainer or similar products that use mechanical feedback to train hand position and timing. Some use ball-shaped grips or resistance to reinforce release mechanics during practice.

Hinge devices: More complex products that allow a controlled cupped-to-uncupped wrist motion, training the specific cupping that higher-rev players use to generate rotation.

The Core Problem These Devices Solve

The most common technical issue that reduces rev rate is wrist breakdown at the release point — the wrist collapsing (bending backward) rather than staying firm or cupped as the ball passes the ankle and exits the hand. When the wrist breaks down, the fingers fail to stay behind and under the ball properly, reducing the leverage that creates spin and tilt.

A rev trainer addresses this by physically preventing or limiting that breakdown. With the device on, the release feels more consistent. The question is what happens when you take it off — and that depends entirely on how you use the device in training.

How to Use a Rev Trainer Effectively

The biggest mistake bowlers make with rev trainers is using them as a permanent crutch rather than a temporary training aid. If you wear the device in competition indefinitely without working to internalize the mechanics it's teaching you, you become dependent on the equipment rather than developing the actual physical skill.

The correct approach is progressive training:

Phase 1 (2-4 weeks): Bowl with the rev trainer every session. Focus entirely on the feel of the correct hand position it's creating. The goal isn't to bowl better scores — it's to build muscle memory of the correct release position.

Phase 2 (2-4 weeks): Start alternating between using the trainer and bowling without it. Begin each session with the trainer for 1-2 games, then remove it for the remaining games. Focus on replicating the same feel without the device.

Phase 3 (ongoing): Bowl without the trainer as your default. Use it only as a check when you feel your release getting inconsistent, or as a warm-up tool to reset your hand position before competition.

Which Bowlers Benefit Most

Rev trainers are most useful for:

• Bowlers with wrist breakdown: If you can see your ball going straight (or with minimal hook) despite attempting rotation, wrist collapse is often the culprit. A firm wrist brace can immediately show you what a supported release feels like.
• Players transitioning from straight ball to hook: Beginners who want to develop a hook often can't feel where their hand should be. A device that forces the correct position accelerates this learning significantly.
• Players with wrist or hand injuries: Wrist braces provide support that can allow continued play during recovery from minor injuries, subject to medical guidance.

Rev trainers are less useful for:

• High-rev players who already generate consistent rotation: Adding more constraint to an already effective release rarely improves it.
• Players whose issue is timing rather than hand position: If your release problem comes from footwork or swing timing, a wrist device won't address the root cause.

Can You Use a Rev Trainer in Competition?

USBC rules allow wrist devices in sanctioned competition with some restrictions. The device cannot assist the actual delivery mechanically — it can support or brace the wrist but cannot provide active mechanical assistance. Most standard wrist positioners and braces are legal. Check USBC Technical Standards Rule 8 for specific guidelines if you're competing in sanctioned events.

Watch: Bowling Rev Trainer: Does It Work and Is It Worth Using?