Bowling Video Analysis: Film and Review Your Technique

Much of what goes wrong in a delivery happens too fast to feel. Bowling video analysis makes it visible: filmed in slow motion from the side and from behind, your timing, swing, release, slide and follow-through can be checked frame by frame. A smartphone is enough to get started.

This guide shows how to set up your phone, which five checkpoints to look at and how to turn filming into a simple routine.

How to set up your smartphone for bowling video analysis

Recording settings

• Use the slow-motion mode. Most current smartphones record at 120 or 240 frames per second, which shows the release far more clearly than normal video.
• Record at the highest resolution your slow-motion mode allows, so you can zoom in on your hand later.
• Do not zoom while recording. Zoom in during playback instead, so the full frame stays available.
• Look for good light. Some bowling centers are dimly lit, and slow motion needs more light than normal video.
• On a busy evening, ask before you film and keep other guests out of the picture.

Camera angles

Side view. Place the phone on a small tripod a few meters to the side of the approach, at about hip height, so the whole approach and the foul line are in the frame. This angle shows how your steps and arm swing fit together, the height of your backswing, your slide and your follow-through. Most basic problems show up here first.

Behind view. Place the camera behind you, centered on your approach, at about shoulder height – on a tripod or held by a friend. This angle shows whether your arm swings straight back and through, how your shoulders are aligned and where the ball leaves your hand in relation to your target.

Five checkpoints in your bowling video

Do not try to fix everything at once. Pick one checkpoint per practice session and look at it across several shots.

1. Timing

Timing describes how your arm swing and your footwork fit together. In a common four-step approach, the pushaway starts with the first step, and the ball and the slide foot should arrive at the foul line together. Frame by frame, you can see whether the ball leaves your hand before your slide has finished (early timing) or only after your foot has stopped (late timing). A refresher on footwork: the bowling approach in four steps.

2. Swing path

The behind view shows whether your arm swings like a pendulum, straight back and straight through towards your target, or whether the ball drifts behind your back or loops out to the side. Both make your line harder to repeat. Typical causes and corrections are covered in five arm swing faults to check.

3. Release

In a conventional release, the thumb leaves the ball first and the fingers follow. In slow motion, check where your hand is at that moment – behind and slightly under the ball – and whether it looks the same from shot to shot. If your release looks different every time, your ball reaction will vary as well.

4. Slide foot

Watch the last step: does your slide foot glide smoothly to the line, or does it stop abruptly? Does it stay behind the foul line? Crossing the line is a foul, and in league or tournament play the delivery then counts as zero. Also check whether the foot points in the same direction on every shot.

5. Follow-through

The follow-through is the continued motion of your arm after the release, and it helps the ball roll over your target. On video you can see whether your arm continues upward in a relaxed motion or stops short right after the release.

Measuring your rev rate on video

Video also shows how fast your ball rotates. The USBC describes a simple method: place a piece of tape on the ball, film the release and count how far the tape rotates over a set number of frames after the fingers leave the ball. The USBC also recommends practising only rev rates that you can repeat and use. More on this in our guide to increasing your rev rate.

Apps for bowling video analysis

The camera app on your phone is enough for a start: slow motion, pause and step through frame by frame. Dedicated video analysis apps add features such as drawing lines and angles on the video, side-by-side comparison of two shots and sharing clips with a coach. One example is OnForm, which offers slow motion, frame-by-frame review, drawing tools, voice-over and remote feedback from a coach; it can be tested free of charge before choosing a paid plan. Coach's Eye, long a popular choice for this, has been retired.

For most bowlers, the built-in slow-motion camera is enough. A dedicated app is worth it when you want to compare shots side by side or work with a coach remotely.

Working with a coach

If you work with a coach, send your clips from the side and from behind before the lesson. That way the session can go into drills instead of diagnosis. Some coaches also offer remote analysis: you upload your clips and receive annotated feedback.

A simple video routine

Film your first few and your last few shots of each practice session, so you see your delivery both fresh and tired. Review the clips before your next session, choose one checkpoint and compare your videos week by week. What feels right is not always what the camera shows – and the camera is the more reliable judge.

Your shoes on video

The side view also shows your slide. If it is short on one shot and long on the next, look at your shoes too: rental shoes are worn by many guests, and their soles wear with use, so they can slide differently from pair to pair. BOWLIO bowling shoes have a full-length leather sole under both shoes, so they are suitable for left- and right-handed bowlers, from beginners to professionals, and the upper is genuine leather as well.

Further reading: Bowling release techniques · How to fix a wobbly release · Wrist position in bowling