Bowling Approaches (4 Step And 5 Step: All You Need To Know)

What are Bowling Approaches?

What is the 4 step bowling approach?

What are the essential elements you should know!

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Bowling Approaches

The bowling approach means the steps you take towards the foul line to deliver your ball along with your swinging of the ball.

The most common bowling approaches are the four-step and five-step bowling approaches used by the best bowlers.

There are successful bowlers who use either of the four-step or five-step approaches depending on the situation.

4 Step Bowling Approach

When you use a four step approach, you are essentially starting your first step with the same foot as your bowling hand.

A right-handed bowler will start with the right foot and a left-handed bowler will start with the left.

A right-handed bowler will start with the right foot, then left, right, and finish with the left.

On the delivery of the ball, the proper foot to finish the bowling 4 step approach is the opposite foot as your bowling hand.

As you take your steps, you should start swinging the bowling ball in a pendulum motion.

By the time you finish your four steps, you should be ready to release the ball.

Here is the breakdown of the four steps in the 4 step approach bowling.

Step 1: Pushaway

The pushaway is the first step.

Start by pointing your bowling shoes towards your target in your stance position.

You should put about 65% of your body weight onto the foot you are not going to use for your first step.

As you take your first step, extend your bowling arm and point your ball towards the lane.

With the pushaway, your elbow should be straight (at the beginning of the stance it was bent).

Step 2: Downswing 

The second step is the downswing.

The downswing is when you bring your bowling ball back down as you prepare for the backswing.

When your foot touches the ground on the second step, your bowling ball should be at about the same level as your leg.

Step 3: Backswing

The third step is the backswing.

With the backswing, you start raising your ball on the third step you take.

As you start to take your third step, your bowling ball should reach its highest point behind your back so you can give the most optimal swing to the ball. 

Step 4: Slide and Release

The fourth step is to slide and release the ball.

Overall, the pace of all your previous steps should be smooth, continuous, and where you keep your head as motionless as possible.

Every bowler will have a different pace when taking their steps.

What’s important is that you are not moving too fast or too slow as you reach the final and fourth step.

In this final step, your bowling ball comes back forward from the backswing stance.

As the ball comes back forward, slide your foot along the approach area surface towards the foul line.

When you reach near the foul line, you will release your ball.

5 Step Bowling Approach

Some bowlers prefer to use a five step bowling approach technique.

Let’s break it down.

Step 1: Trigger Step

The bowling approach steps in a “five step” technique is to begin your approach with a short and slow step acting as a trigger to get you into the subsequent steps.

Unlike the four step approach where your goal is to begin your swinging motion before your first step, with the five step bowling approach, you start moving the ball into a swing at the same time as your first step.

The remaining steps in the five step approach is identical to the four step bowling approach technique.

Step 2: Pushaway

When taking your second step, your bowling ball has already started its swing motion. 

Step 3: Downswing

In the third step, you prepare for the downswing by bringing your bowling ball back down as you prepare for the backswing.

Step 4: Backswing

As you start to take your fourth step, your bowling ball should reach its highest point behind your back so you can give the most optimal swing to the ball. 

Step 5: Slide and Release

In the final step, your ball comes back forward, you slide your foot along the approach area surface towards the foul line, and you release your ball.

4 Step vs 5 Step 

What’s the difference between a four step vs five step bowling approach?

The main difference between the 4 step approach bowling and 5 step is that you add a trigger step to get you in motion.

There are many bowlers who prefer the five step technique as they find it easier to move the ball with the first step as opposed to moving the ball ahead of the first step.

You should try both techniques to see which one is most suitable for you.

Tips

One of the most important tips we can give you for a proper bowling approach is to ensure that you are walking within your walking lines.

No matter what type of technique you are using, you should make sure you stay within your intended walking path.

The swing of your ball should follow your walking path.

If you want to play a consistent and solid game of bowling, make sure you do not compromise your ball swing motion as you are taking your steps down the bowling approach.

Takeaways

In this article, we’ve looked at the bowling approach and release. 

Let’s look at a summary of our findings.

Bowling Approaches:

Related to Bowling Approach

Related to Bowling Approaches