Speed Up Your Steps But Maintain Your Balance

bowlingball.com, Originally Posted: 10/3/2013; Updated 3/6/2023

If you are having difficulty gaining ball speed, quicken your steps but maintain your balance.

If you are one of those bowler's who has insufficient ball speed, you merely need to know there are fairly easy techniques to pick up overall ball speed.

First, get your bowling ball into your swing a bit more quickly and reduce tension in your bowling arm. A slightly earlier timing sequence will cycle your backswing quickly and allow you to be ready to accelerate your forward swing aggressively.

Once you get your ball into your swing, pick up the pace of your steps. Walking with lively steps can help you gain one or two miles per hour ball speed.

Each successive step should be slightly quicker than the previous step so you gradually gain momentum when walking to the foul line. Avoid rushing your steps to the point where you must force your forward swing and delivery motion and correspondingly lose balance.

Bowlers with slow, methodical footwork and late timing are the most likely candidates to benefit from getting the ball into the swing sooner and increase the pace of their steps.

Practice your increased pace of steps when your scores do not count for competition purposes.

Silently counting cadence of each step using your current approach compared to counting cadence with your a new livelier steps will help you identify just how swiftly you are moving to the foul line.


If you find you are hesitating slightly between steps, you are trying to walk overly cautiously. Counting cadence as you walk will reveal just how slowly you have been walking.

Because you will be walking slightly faster than your present style provides, it helps to make certain your knees are not stiff-legged to begin your approach. Flex your knees slightly and maintain the flexed knees each step to the line and use perhaps a bit more flex with your sliding leg for good balance.

Pick up the pace of your steps gradually. No need to run but there is a need to keep your leg tension as relaxed as possible.

Of course, if you already use fast steps, there are other reasons why your ball speed is not in the the right speed range. You may wish to consult a professional bowling instructor to identify reasons why your bowling ball speed is lacking.