Bowling Stance: How to Set Up Your Starting Position

Your bowling stance is the position you take on the approach before your first step. It sets up your balance, your swing and your direction, so a stance you can repeat is the basis of a consistent approach. This guide covers where to stand, how to set your feet, how to hold the ball and the most common stance mistakes.

Finding your starting position on the approach

The approach has rows of dots that help you find a consistent starting spot. Two sets of dots sit 12 and 15 feet behind the foul line; which row you use depends mainly on how many steps you take. Most bowlers use a four- or five-step approach.

Your starting distance should let you finish your slide just before the foul line. Your starting board depends on your line. As an example, one coaching suggestion for right-handers who roll the ball fairly straight is to place the instep of the shoe over the 15 board, five boards right of centre, and to aim at the 10 board at the arrows; left-handers mirror this. Once you have found your spot, return to exactly the same dot and board for every shot.

Feet and weight

• Slightly staggered feet: right-handers place the right foot a couple of inches behind the left; left-handers do the opposite.
• Even weight: distribute your weight evenly on both feet.
• Slight knee bend: bend your knees a little and keep that flex through the approach. Bending too much tends to make you stand up during the first step.

Posture

Stand tall and natural. Leaning too far forward in the stance usually leaves you too far forward at the foul line as well. The aim is a relaxed, balanced position that you can hold without effort.

How to hold the ball in your stance

• Height: around waist high is a common reference; a little higher or lower is fine, as long as it is the same every time.
• Position: hold the ball close to your body and in line with your bowling shoulder, so the swing has a natural path.
• Support hand: let your other hand carry part of the ball's weight. This reduces tension in your bowling arm.
• Relaxed grip: hold the ball firmly enough to control it, but without squeezing. A tight grip creates tension in the arm and makes a smooth release harder.

Shoulders, head and eyes

Coaches commonly teach that your bowling shoulder sits slightly lower than the other, with the head roughly in line with the bowling shoulder. Align your shoulders and hips with the line you want to play, because the direction you set up in carries into the approach.

Fix your eyes on your target on the lane – usually an arrow or a board – from the moment you take your stance until you reach the foul line. How the arrows work is explained in our guide to targeting with arrows, dots and boards.

Common stance mistakes

• Gripping the ball too tightly – tension travels through the arm into the swing.
• Leaning too far forward – it often carries through to an off-balance finish at the foul line.
• Changing the setup from shot to shot – a different starting dot, board or ball height each time makes every shot start differently.
• Looking at the pins – the pins are 60 feet away; a target at the arrows is much closer and easier to hit.

From stance to approach

Treat your stance as a routine you repeat before every shot: same spot, same ball position, same target. From there, the approach follows – described step by step in the perfect bowling approach in 4 steps. For the full picture, see bowling for beginners and bowling release techniques.

The approach ends with a slide into the foul line, and that slide should feel the same every time. BOWLIO bowling shoes have a genuine leather upper and a full-length leather sole under both shoes, which makes them suitable for left- and right-handed bowlers, from beginners to professionals.