Bowling Timing - More Than A Feeling

bowlingball.com, Originally Posted: 3/11/2015; Updated: 6/26/2022

One of the most difficult aspects of bowling to get right is timing. Timing has a lot to do with feeling and what feels "right" isn't always the correct way.

In Bowling Fundamentals, second edition PWBA champion Michelle Mullen poses 3 separate questions when coaching bowlers:

"a. Should the ball be there before you?

b. Should you be there before the ball?

c. Should everything be there together?"

Many bowlers believe that the answer would be C, when in fact the answer is B.

In order to create the proper leverage that is required to obtain maximum power at the pins, your slide needs to end before the ball reaches your ankle. For many bowlers who started bowling before the era of the power player, this is a strange feeling. Letter C was the norm before players like Mark Roth came along. Still, it is important to get to the line before the ball, no matter how minimal of a timeframe it may be.

Michelle Mullen also explains in Bowling Fundamentals, "Take a baseball pitcher who winds up and then throws, or the batter who steps and then swings." There must be a succession of these movements in order to create torque. If the batter were to swing as they're stepping there would be a drastic loss of power and torque. This is what happens when the slide and the ball reach the foul line at the same time.

Timing can be much like a snowball. When you get to the point where you have to start thinking about it too much, it tends to get worse and worse, especially if you're trying to fix things on your own. If you're reading this and feel you're getting to that point, please take the next piece of advice to heart: Take a lesson with a certified coach. Judging your timing by "feel" is the worst thing you can do if you're struggling. You need another set of eyes who can look at your approach from different angles and straighten out what needs fixed. You'll save time and you'll probably keep from knocking significant time off of your life or sprouting more and more grey hairs from the stress. Focus on timing and the rest will fall in to place.