Heel/Toe and Walking the Tightrope

[The German Shepherd]

I was bolwing in my Wednesday AM Seniors' league today, when a fellow bowler approached me and mentioned that he thought he had found a flaw in my delivery and that fixing it could possible make me more accurate and consistent. It would appear that, in my 4-step approach, I am not placing one foot directly in front of the other as I walk to the foul-line. He mentioned that it makes for better accuracy and better consistency. This surprised me as I had (in my younger years) always been consistent at this and had never struggled with this!

What is your take on "walking the tight-rope?" Do you do this? If so, how has it helped you? I think I really need a coach with a video camera...

Jay

[JDHamm85]

Sounds like something that could overcomplicate things. I've read on the boards that a little bit of drifting is fine.

I feel like as long as I'm walking semi-straight, then I'm ok. I get more worried about the speed of my feet than if I'm walking them on a tight-rope.

[Perrin]

everything I have read is that drifting is fine as long as it is consisitently the same amount of drift.

except for my problem of drifting to the right :( this effectively closes off any deep middle lines unfortunately.

[classygranny]

According to my coach, it is more important to walk straight with balance than on a tightrope.

Thus, he has me starting with my feet about 2 or 3 boards apart (for balance) and trying to walk as straight as possible to the line I am shooting. He says walking with one foot in front of the other is not a natural thing to do so our bodies don't want to do it consistently. I know a lot of people want to start with a crossover step and it works for a lot of people to get out of the ball swing path, but you don't have to in order to have a straight backswing and straight walk to the line. My left foot ends about 5 boards to the left of where I start with it, and he is ok with that much drift as it is very consistent. He says I probably couldn't correct it much, because that is just how I walk normally as well.

In short I guess I am saying...the tightrope walk I think was old school thinking. Just make sure you are "balanced" all the way to the line, not staggering, and try and start and end on the same board or consistently on the same board drift.

Oh yes, I forgot, he mentioned that walking a "normal walking path" to the pins would help with the balance when you are doing the stance upright and lowering with each step in order to get more knee bend at the line.

[Tampabaybob]

IF you're bowling for a living and your rent and food money depend on how good you shoot at the next PBA tournament, then I would say YES , pay very close attention to walking straight line. Maybe if you're a new bowler and would like to learn the correct way and have the time, $$$, and diligence to do that, then yes go ahead and try to "walk the tight rope". For the rest of us, that don't depend on bowling for a lived, or never did (even when I did shoot PBA tournaments) forget about it. Walk so you're comfortable, and can get the smoothest, balanced, delivery possible. In other words don't bust your hump trying to fit the square peg into the round hole. It probably won't fit. Very few good shooter walk a straight line to to foul line. 99.9% of good bowlers drift; some to the right and some left. Just my 2 cents.

[billf]

If you can do it, do it. Walking with one foot in front of the other lessens the amount the head can move. It is also the reason baseball outfielders run with the same style, it keeps the ball from appearing to bounce in the air.
Just have fun above all else.