Bowling Swing Rhythm

bowlingball.com, Originally Posted: 10/1/2013; Updated: 3/5/2023

It has been said that the bowling swing is the thing. Your swing propels your ball down the lane. Your swing being properly timed and connected with your footwork helps you generate bowling ball speed and accurate deliveries.
Two key components of an effective bowling arm swing are speed control and direction to your sighting target. Let’s focus solely on the tempo of your swing by using an abstract example to describe a free swinging motion.
If you were not walking to the foul line and stood instead at the line while swinging your bowling ball from a stationary position, you would tend to use little arm tension while swinging your ball.
Although this free swinging of the ball is as close to a pure swing motion as you will ever use, it is extremely difficult to generate enough ball speed to effectively control ball motion and pin carry without forcing the delivery.
Allowing the forces of gravity to swing your bowling ball back and forth until you generate enough of a swing arc to release and properly propel your ball down the lane would be an objective.
If you add footwork to the swinging bowling ball process, you walk to the foul line taking an approach in a coordinated motion with your swinging of the bowling ball.
The momentum built from your steps adds to the pure swing momentum, and the combined effect is an accelerated forward swing motion with adequate ball speed.

Although you may think of your swing tempo as being the same pace on the backswing and the same on the forward swing, the steps you take actually add momentum to your forward swing. This is because you are developing momentum from walking and swinging a heavy object.
If your swing truly did have the identical pace back and forward while walking to the foul line, you would be decelerating your forward swing. This would risk producing inconsistent deliveries and slow ball speed.
If your ball speed is a little slow, thinking about a slight acceleration of your forward swing combined with the momentum you generate with lively steps will help you create increased ball speed.
Once you have established a good tempo with your swing and can reproduce consistent shots, your next challenge is the direction of your intended swing path.
Placing emphasis on developing a good swing rhythm will help you become a quality shot maker. Good rhythm while swinging your bowling ball is the first key in building a successful arm swing.