Accelerate Your Bowling Swing

bowlingball.com, Originally Posted: 11/2/2013;  Updated: 2/18/2023

Never slow down your forward bowling swing. One major reason bowlers make errant deliveries is because of decelerating the forward swing.

By slowing the forward swing, you run a risk of turning the ball early or pulling your shot offline. Instead, accelerate your forward swing once your bowling ball falls into the downswing from the top of your backswing. Accelerate your swing to a full and complete follow-through motion, with the bottom of your bowling elbow reaching shoulder height at the minimum.

Losing speed by slowing down your swing also causes a loss of control with the amount of loft you deliver. It is important to have good ball speed, regulate your speed, and get the bowling ball your intended distance as consistently as possible.
Slowing your forward swing may also cause you to rotate your bowling fingers early. Turning the bowling ball early can cause pulled shots inside your desired ball path.

Top tier players accelerate the forward swing and release the ball over the foul line while maintaining a target orientation to their intended delivery path. Accelerating your arm swing is a major part of the swing speed and directional control needed to be an effective shot maker.

Try to deliver your ball slightly less than your maximum power, so you do not sacrifice balance and accuracy.

If you deliver every ball at nearly full speed, you gain much needed speed control. This way you can read the lanes more effectively, watch your ball reaction become consistent and dependable, base sound adjustment decisions off of your ball reaction, and gain improved hitting power at impact with the pins.

All types of delivery styles benefit from an accelerated swing motion. Whether you are a power player, an in-between player (tweener), or a stroker-type player, you will be far more effective accelerating your swing as opposed to decelerating the swing.
Concentrate on making a fully accelerated forward swing each delivery and make note of how well your bowling ball reacts. In short, never quit on your bowling swing.