Bowling Tips & Coaching Articles, Coaching Corner with John Gaines
The Bowling Pivot Step – Building Proper Bowling Technique And An Ideal Bowling Approach
The Pivot Step In Bowling Is Incredibly Important For A Solid Delivery
The pivot step might be the most important step in the approach. Having this step in the proper position almost certainly will lead to a solid delivery of the bowling ball.
The pivot step is the step before the slide. If you are right-handed, you should be sliding on your left foot. Therefore, the pivot step will happen on your right foot just before you slide and deliver the ball. If you take a four-step delivery, it will be your third step. If you take a five-step delivery, this will be your fourth step.
The place I look for the pivot step to be is right under the head. It does not matter if I’m watching from behind the bowler or to the side of the bowler, the pivot step should be placed under the head for proper timing, balance and most of all, power.
The Pivot Step Provides Power For Your Bowling Release
One of the things I look for in a bowler who comes to me looking for more power or hook is the proper position of the pivot step. Most of the time when I see a pivot step go wrong, it will be when I’m watching from behind the bowler. One of the reasons a bowler does not generate any leverage for power is because their pivot step is outside of the head (or to the right of the head for a right-handed bowler). This will cause the arm swing to bump to the right because the hip is in the way of the swing. When the swing bumps to the right, you will almost certainly pull the ball left and definitely not have any power.
When watching the pivot step from the side view, I also want to see this step directly under the head. When the head is behind this step, it will cause the bowler’s spine angle and hips to come up to try and generate leverage and power. When the head is in front of this step, it will cause the spine angle to be too far forward, making the timing early, causing a “chicken wing” motion with the arm where the elbow and hand get outside of the ball, causing a great loss of power and control.
There should be some knee bend in the slide step or last step when delivering the bowling ball. I want to emphasize some knee bend. Just a little flexing of the knee at this step is all that is needed. By starting some knee bend in the pivot step, it will make for a smoother transition to the slide step.
The next installment we will discuss the timing spot.
If you have any questions about the pivot step or have a topic you would like me to cover, please email me at [email protected]
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I am a left handed bowler and my pivot step, the third step of my four step delivery goes to the left. As I understand the pivot step should go to the right. What should I do