Stack Your Bowling Set-Up

bowlingball.com, Originally Posted: 1/3/14; Updated: 5/7/21

If you are learning to bowl, it is important to set-up properly on the approach and stack your bowling set-up before walking to the foul line and delivering your bowling ball.
A good set-up establishes an athletic bowling posture.
With a solid set-up and good posture, you can walk to the foul line and deliver the bowling ball accurately and with good balance.
Stack your bowling set-up to achieve a well balanced stance position:
1. Place your feet closely together before walking up to bowl.
2. The toes of your bowling shoes should be pointing toward the pins and with your sliding bowling shoe positioned about two inches ahead of your other shoe. Your shoes can be about an inch apart to promote stability.
3. Tilt your upper body forward with just enough forward spine angle tilt to place the front portion of your shoulders in a line directly above the knee caps.
4. Flex your knees slightly and move your "glutes" (your backside) back and away from the pins.
5. Check that your bowling shoulder is only slightly lower and slightly behind than your non-bowling shoulder.
6. Hold the bowling ball in front of your bowling shoulder and close to your body. You may hold it waist high, or as high as is comfortable, with your bowling hand and your non-gripping hand underneath the ball supporting its full weight.
7. Your chin should be positioned at shoulder level.

By using these techniques, you will establish a stacked set-up whereby your shoulders are directly above your flexed knees and your knee caps are directly above the balls of your feet.
This stacked set-up posture is known commonly as an athletic posture and places you in position to walk consistently and in a well-balanced manner to the foul line.
The stacked set-up also promotes the strongest body position you can use.
Being in a stacked set-up allows you to accelerate your forward swing, release your bowling ball powerfully and accurately, and complete your swing to a full follow-through motion.