Bowling Footwork Strategies

By: bowlingball.com, Originally Posted: 7/30/16; Updated: 2/23/2022

If you are determined to improve consistency in your game, develop a few simple bowling footwork strategies.

Your footwork is your transportation mechanism moving you from your stance position on the approach to your final sliding step and through the completion of your approach.


Any highly skilled bowler wishes to develop sound footwork strategies so they can rely on a uniform pace and direction while walking and swinging the bowling ball.

You can do the same. Here are a few simple tips for sound footwork principles:

Use your natural length walking stride.

The pace of your steps should be uniform in movement with the momentum built from swinging your bowling ball to increase the pace of each successive step gradually and smoothly.

Visualize walking softly on the approach floor as though you are walking on eggshells and do not wish to break them or that you are walking on very thin rice paper and do not wish to tear the paper.

Merge this smooth, soft walking motion to the foul line with a slight heel-to-toe action leading into the slide step.

Each step should be fairly uniform in length to prevent loss of balance. As said earlier, you will gain momentum each step you take helping you develop good arm swing speed.

The slide step should glide into the approach with most of your weight balanced on the ball of your sliding foot initially and then your weight becomes more evenly distributed on your sliding heel and sole of your bowling shoe.

Use a slight amount of knee flex during the first steps and then allow your knee on your sliding leg to flex slightly more than previous steps so the big muscles of your sliding leg are brought into use. A reliable strategy here is to slightly increase the amount of knee flex each successive step with the sliding step using the most flex for balance and sliding stability purposes.

Use a good pair of bowling shoes. Although it seems that using a good pair of bowling shoes is a given, it may surprise you how many bowlers cut corners by using older, worn, of less than consistent sliding soles which hinder stability and balance.

Walk your lines. If you have a perfectly straight walking pattern, make sure you maintain that pattern from any positioning on the approach floor.

A good strategy is to slide on a predetermined board at the foul line.

Walking consistent lines at the same pace of steps from shot to shot helps develop both accuracy and bowling ball speed control.

A very good strategy is to keep you head and shoulders stable and motionless while walking to the foul line.

Working on good footwork strategies is of extreme importance if you wish to improve your overall game. Everything begins from the ground up in bowling. Arguably developing a very good and reliable arm swing is most vital to bowling your best, but you must first develop good footwork technique so you can transport your swing to the moment of release each time as consistently as possible. Accuracy in bowling is developed from good footwork.
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