You will hear people talking about their lane approach. This is a topic that people are always talking about. Do you use a 4 or 5 step approach? How do you decide which one is for you?
4 step approach
The 4-step approach consists of 4 steps (duh!).
The first step is expulsion. When you take this step, you push the ball from its starting position into the lane. This step is crucial for hitting the ball. If you push outward in a downward motion you will slow the ball down (see the pendulum in the next paragraph), if you push outward in an upward motion you will speed up the ball. Each of these could be done on purpose depending on what you’re trying to do with the shot. This step will also set the tempo of the approach. This is a vital part of your bowling shot. The speed of your approach will determine the speed of the ball coming down the lane.
The second step is the beginning of the movement of the pendulum. The swing has to be a natural movement. It is important that you allow the ball to drop without forcing it to move. In this step, you will allow the ball to drop and begin a natural swinging motion. The second and third steps collide with each other, and the pendulum can be different for everyone.
The third step is the continuation of the movement of the pendulum back and starting again towards the rail. It’s important that you do this without speeding up or slowing down the ball in any way (easier said than done!). Just allow the ball to flow with gravity and continue with a natural movement towards the court.
The fourth and final step is the slide and follow through. You should be especially careful not to overdo this step. If you throw the ball too hard it will probably stay to the right of the head pin and you will probably miss pins. If you throw the ball too soft, it will probably end up to the left of the head pin, or worse, through the middle of the rack (a split, ahhh!). I cannot stress enough how important it is to keep the movement smooth and natural.
5 step approach
The 5-step approach consists of the 4-step approach with one additional step at the beginning.
The first step in the 5-step approach is a speed step. It is used to mark the rhythm of the shot. Usually the ball does not move during this step. This allows for one less thing to worry about in the first step of your approach (see the first step of the 4-step approach). Many bowlers use this step to set up the shot. It’s an initial step you can use to make sure your speed is where you want it to be.
The other 4 steps of this approach are the same (more or less) as the 4-step approach described above. Some bowlers incorporate the fifth pitch into their approach and make the 5 pitch approach a smooth motion.
Which one should I use?
The 5-pitch approach is used by most of the higher average bowlers. This is not to say that you can’t be a higher average bowler if you don’t use it, but you will find that most higher average bowlers do. With that being said, the 4-step approach is the one to start with if you’re just starting to bowl. The 4-step approach is used by almost all bowlers when they start bowling. It’s much easier to do than the 5-step, and you can always adapt to the 5-step approach when you’re more comfortable with your approach and are developing your own style (see my article, Improve Your Style Score for more on how to set your own style).
Keep bowling and having fun!
