How many steps do you take in your approach?

[dpmusic70]

Currently I take 4 but I was advised by coach Ron Clifton to try and take 5. It's a hard transition to make. Anyone have advice or tips for me? I am a righty and my speed is not fast enough.

[Graaille]

If I feel like I'm not getting enough ball speed, I actually switch from 4 to 6 steps so as to not blow my rhythm too badly. Might be worth a shot for you.

[MH1313]

I throw a 5 step approach, but as the lanes break down I'll switch to a 4 step. The only advice I can give you as all of our approaches are slightly different is practice it constantly...

I always try to have my ball's initial movement match up with my first step, as I push the ball away, it starts its backwards movement at the exact moment my first step hits the floor. Not sure if that helps or makes sense...but its what I think about

MH

[jmainville]

I just recently switched from a 4 step to a 5 step and I've noticed a big difference in the feel of my timing. my release became much smoother and am able to play angles I wasnt able to with my 4 step. it worked for me and it wasnt hard to adjust to at all

[JerseyJim]

You can try this drill, it helps me keep my timing if I can't get to the alley often enough. It's something promoted by Joe Slowinski. Basically you're performing the first two steps of a 5 step approach with the ball. http://bowlingknowledge.info/images/...m_apr_2007.pdf

[mrbill]

I'm a 4 Steper and when I want to throw a little faster when the lanes dry out I just Lift the ball higher in front and maybe a little higher on the back swing.
Or I cut down on my hook by turning my hand from under the ball to on the side of the ball.

[dpmusic70]

Thanks Jim. We probably have that magazine- somewhere...

[tbrownie]

i just recently switched to four.. ball speed was 23+ at the pin deck... way too fast

[JAnderson]

Interesting, D, Ron also moved me from 4 to 5 steps, though I didn't have a problem making the move. Maybe because I'm accustomed to having coaches change things?

With any change to your game, you'll need to find a way to "internalize" the change or "make it your own". Sometimes the same thing will work for two different people. Most of the time it won't. That's what boards like this are good for. We can share with one another, try different things, and keep what works.

What was Ron's recommendation based on? Was it because you were not getting the ball into the swing early enough? Was he trying to help you increase the pace of your steps as you approach the foul line? It's important to know why.

When Ron moved me to five steps, it was to actually help delay my swing timing, get the ball into the swing later. I wasn't getting it right with a four-step because I couldn't disconnect the push away from the initial movement of the first step. However, if he wants you to get the ball into the swing early, what worked for me will not work for you.

One of the things I didn't initially like when moving to five steps was the increased distance to the foul line. I felt like my target was a mile away. This was easily fixed my moving forward on the approach and shortening my first four steps.

If it is a speed thing and not a timing thing Ron was attempting to help, it is easier for me to make some suggestions. In this case, you don't want to move forward on the approach because it will tend to make your steps both shorter and slower.

I'm a big fan of positive visualization. Maybe this will work for you, maybe not.

For the first step, only move your leg. Everything else stays still. Think of a statue that was sculpted a million years ago suddenly and woodenly coming to life. That first step will be momentous, but first, only the leg of the statue comes to life. The first step is short, waiting for the dam of animation to burst.

With the second step, the other leg and the arms break free of the million-year stasis. The core of your body, torso and head, remain still as the arms and legs move. The ball falls into the swing. Everything begins moving a little more rapidly. This step is bigger than the previous step.

On the third step, as the ball gets to the bottom of the swing, the torso begins to bend slightly at the waist and some dust falls off the statue's shoulders. This step is a little faster than the previous step.

On the fourth step, the knees bend a little bit more, the ball rises to the top of the back swing. This step is still quick, but a little bit shorter, keeping the weight centered on both feet. The statue pauses, as if catching its breath, waiting for the plunge, waiting for the moment of truth, waiting for the conclusion.

Now the statue pushes into the side like a figure skater, gliding quickly and smoothly forward on the slide foot, weight on the ball of the foot, as the ball descends from the swing. The slide comes to a graceful stop. Again the torso, the core, the head, are stationary as the statue-skater's arm falls gracefully forward and the ball flows to the bottom of the swing, falls off the hand, and rolls away. The statue now comes to another pause, arms extended in follow-through, knees bent, head quiet, weight balanced on the ball of the slide foot.

Doesn't sound too hard until you try it Let me know if it works for you. Really, the only difference is that first step.

[kev3inp]

Thanks, my friends, every single suggestion has merit and we'll try each one in turn and see which works best for her. On the four step she gets into a thing where she pulls the ball toward her on the first step, rather than into the swing right away. She doesn't do it all the time, but it wreaks havoc with timing.

Damn, I love this site! I just can't think of everything no matter how hard I try.