ACC LEVEL ONE
FUNDAMENTALS OF BOWLING
REVIEW
PHASES: RUN-UP
PHASES: RUN-UP
• Small steps initially, leading to longer strides
• Body shows total forward body lean
• All body movements within a shoulder-width corridor, aligned
with the target
• Hands moving above the waist and within the width of the
trunk
• Head steady, eyes fixed on target
GATHER
GATHER
•Normal stride used prior to back foot landing (no skip or hop)
•All body movements directed at the target, including the jump
•Bowling hand, ball and arms kept under shoulder level until airborne in the
gather
•Arms rotate close to the body with no sideways movement
•Arms move in opposing directions, opening and closing alternately
•Arms move continuously with a forward motion (no stopping of the bowling
hand)
BACK FOOT IMPACT
BACK FOOT IMPACT
•Correct body posture with hips and shoulders parallel
at BFI
•Body balanced, with minimal arching of the back
•Arms folded in close to the body
•Front knee bent and front thigh below the horizontal at
BFI
•Eyes level and fixed on target
DELIVERY STRIDE
DELIVERY STRIDE
• All body movements aligned towards the target and within a shoulder-width
corridor
• Back leg absorbs impact, then stabilizes to support and push through to FFI
• Minimal counter rotation of the shoulders through the downswing
• Arms and shoulders rotate as vertically as possible towards the batter
• Front leg absorbs impact then braces
• Body core moves towards the target during the delivery phase
• Imprint of back foot and front foot are aligned towards the target
• Front foot points towards the batter
• Front elbow locked and bowling arm horizontal at FFI
RELEASE
RELEASE
• High ball release – minimal sideways bending or forward
crunch
• Fingers in correct position for the desired delivery
• Palm of hand facing in the correct direction through the
release phase
• The wrist is the last moving body part during release
FOLLOW-THROUGH
FOLLOW-THROUGH
•Body moves forward directly towards the batter in the first
follow-through stride
•Bowling hand folds to the body, the leading arm breaks
away from the body
•Hips pull through so that the hips and shoulders are aligned
as the bowling-side foot impacts in the step immediately
after release
•Bowling hand finishes outside of front knee
PACE BOWLING THEORY
RUN UP ERRORS
Elbows out
PACE BOWLING THEORY
RUN UP ERRORS
Arm swing & shoulder rotation
PACE BOWLING THEORY
RUN UP ERRORS
Both hands on ball
PACE BOWLING THEORY
RUN UP ERRORS
Shoulders side on too early
PACE BOWLING THEORY
GATHER ERRORS
Ball behind head / back too far
PACE BOWLING THEORY
GATHER ERRORS
Ball away to the side
PACE BOWLING THEORY
BACK FOOT LANDING ERRORS
Ball pushing out in front
PACE BOWLING THEORY
BACK FOOT LANDING ERRORS
Looking behind front arm
PACE BOWLING THEORY
BACK FOOT LANDING ERRORS
Back leg in behind body
PACE BOWLING THEORY
BACK FOOT LANDING ERRORS
Front leg across
PACE BOWLING THEORY
AT BACK FOOT LANDING
SIDE ON
• Slow down to gather
• Lean back
• Look “through” front arm
• Back foot // to crease
• Hips/shoulders side on
SEMI OPEN
• Slight slow down to gather
•
•
•
•
•
Slight rock back
Look “inside” front arm
Back foot approx. 45o
Hips semi open
Shoulders semi open
FRONT ON
• Maintain pace to crease
• Very little rock back
• Look “inside” front arm
• Back foot straight down
pitch
• Hips front on
• Shoulders front on
PACE BOWLING THEORY
DELIVERY STRIDE ERRORS
Ball across body in downswing
PACE BOWLING THEORY
DELIVERY STRIDE ERRORS
Back leg collapse
PACE BOWLING THEORY
DELIVERY STRIDE ERRORS
Foot alignment across the pitch
PACE BOWLING THEORY
DELIVERY STRIDE ERRORS
Lock up away from body
Look for the gap between the elbow and hip
PACE BOWLING THEORY
DELIVERY STRIDE ERRORS
Lock up across body
PACE BOWLING THEORY
FOLLOW THROUGH ERRORS
Mixed
PACE BOWLING THEORY
DELIVERY STRIDE ERRORS
Late or no lock up
Check if the front arm is still moving at the release point