How Can I Stop Flinching When I Bowl?

If you are asking how can I stop flinching when I bowl, you are probably referring to excessive movement with your head and shoulders during the act of releasing your bowling ball.

It cannot be emphasized enough the importance of maintaining good balance and staying as still as possible during a very critical point in your approach, when you release your ball.

The goal here is to maintain a stable body position at the foul line when delivering your ball.

Regardless of how skilled you are, pressure causes players to “flinch” or make unneeded upper body movement when anticipating making an important shot during competition.

Two keys to help you remain steady and stable during your approach are being in an athletic posture throughout your approach and maintaining knee flex with each step, particularly in your sliding step.

Good footwork embraces two essential keys to shotmaking, consistent walking tempo and maintaining good knee flex with each step.

If you walk your intended lines and use your knees to maintain a stable and level body position when releasing your ball, your shotmaking will improve.

The focus here must be to remain in an athletic posture with your upper body throughout your entire approach where your head is void of any movement when sliding and releasing your ball.

The other focal point is to not push up with your legs and elevate your body while sliding, raise your head to peek at the pins, or pull back and away from the foul line with your torso.

Any of these unwanted body movements adversely affect making a good shot.

Keep your upper body as still as possible during your approach and slide toward your body center, under your chin, to retain good balance and stability when sliding into the foul line.

Hold your form, your posture, until the ball approaches your sighting target on the lane for about one to two seconds of time. This technique will help you avoid any flinching movement which causes errant shots.



The less wasted body motion during your approach, the better.

A proven practice drill is to hold your form after releasing your ball and remain motionless, like posing for a photograph, until the ball reaches the pins.

If you are able to do this for several consecutive deliveries during your practice sessions, your balance will improve and so will your shotmaking.