Approach And Timing-Four Step

Excerpt from Bowling Fundamentals - Second Edition By Michelle Mullen

9/9/2018

In the bowling approach, you are trying to synchronize your arm swing with your footwork. This creates good leverage at delivery and enables you to repeat shots. It is easiest to develop this timing and maintain a loose arm swing by taking a four-or five-step approach. This chapter defines the proper timing zones for the swing with each step; then addresses common timing issues and how to fix them.

Timing affects all aspects of the approach. Your rhythm, finish position, release, accuracy, and ability to repeat shots all depend on timing. When you improve your timing, you will likely see these things improve as well. That is why a focus on timing is critical to a sound bowling approach and delivery.

Four-Step Approach

In a four-step approach, a right-handed bowler starts with the right foot and ends on the left foot at the end of the approach. So, the steps taken are right, left, right, left.

A left-handed bowler starts with the left foot and ends on the right foot. The left-handed bowler steps left, right, left, right.

Notice that the arm moves in sequence with the feet. In the four-step approach, each step taken toward the line features a different basic ball position. These four positions can collectively be referred to as "out, down, back, and through".

-First step: out on one. This first step of the four-step approach begins by moving the ball forward with the first step, or the key step. The key step is the step that you initiate the swing with, beginning your timing sequence. The ball is pushed away from the body (often referred to as the push-away, or ball placement) and moves forward with the first step. This is the beginning of the approach. Note: your goal on the key step is to get the ball out to the place from which it will swing. 

-Second step: down on two. On step two, the ball begins to swing into the approach. At the completion of this step, the ball should be down by your side.

-Third step: back on three. After you move the ball out on step 1 and down on step 2, the ball comes back on the third step into the backswing. This is in preparation to deliver the ball on the last step.

-Fourth step: through on four. Finally, on the last step of the four-step approach, your arm swings down to the release point and you follow through to deliver the ball.

Four-step approach for a right handed bowler (reverse for left): a)right; b)left; c)right; d)left.

Mullen, Michelle. Bowling Fundamentals- Second Edition. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2014.