Walk Bowling Tall

bowlingball.com, Originally Posted: 5/4/2013; Updated: 6/27/2021

Accuracy in bowling starts with good balance. Good bowling balance comes from creating good posture. Setting-up with and maintaining good posture while walking to the foul line and delivering your bowling ball is vital to accuracy and speed control.
Not only is using good footwork techniques important in developing a solid and consistent approach, your upper body posture is also key to developing good balance. Good balance is key to being in an effective position so you can accurately deliver your bowling ball.


If you use the technique of “walking tall,” your torso will be stabilized during your approach.
“Walking tall” simply refers to having your upper body tilted forward, about 10-15 degrees forward, so the front portion of your shoulders are in a vertical line with the front portion of your flexed knee caps.
Avoid bending too far forward from your waist as to thrust your shoulders in front of your knees. By doing so, you will prevent losing leverage and power from being in an unstable position with your upper body when delivering your ball.


Making certain your knees remain flexed slightly as you walk to the foul line. Positioning your upper body right above your knees will help you from thrusting too far forward and pressing your shoulders out in front of your knees.
Bending too much from your waist may also force your steps to quicken to keep you from falling forward when swinging your ball. It is best to keep the center of gravity of your body in a well-balanced position, so you can easily develop accuracy and a consistent arm swing cycle. Keeping the bottom portion of your chin at least shoulder level or slightly higher is another tip to prevent bending too far from the waist during your approach.


Leaning too far back to avoid bending excessively from your waist can also be detrimental to good balance and posture. The best technique is to align the front portion of your shoulders directly above your knees, as previously stated, and maintain that position throughout your approach and when delivering your ball.


Not only do bowlers using a slight hook ball delivery style require good posture and balance during their approach, power players who hook the ball sharply also require good balance with good body positions in order to make accurate deliveries.
Everyone requires good balance to become a top flight bowler.
It is easier to maintain balance if you use slow, steady steps when walking to bowl. If your steps are naturally quick when you bowl, it is important to use a greater amount of knee flex allowing the big muscles of your legs to stabilize your body in preparation for the delivery motion.


With quick paced steps, it is very important to have good upper body posture and not allow your shoulders to tilt forward out in front of the knees. When taking your stance on the approach, double check to preset your upper body in the same posture and with the same spine angle that you will use when you slide and deliver your bowling ball.
Presetting your upper body in a solid delivery position and maintaining that posture throughout your approach simplifies the task of creating good bowling balance.
Walk tall, keep your head as motionless as possible until well after you deliver your ball, focus on your sighting target, and make a good swing and follow-through motion. These are the basic keys to bowling success.