How many steps do you take when you bowl?

Most bowlers use a four-step approach: pushaway, backswing, apex and slide. Five-step and two-handed approaches exist, but four steps is the standard starting point.

What is the easiest way to learn how to bowl?

Learn the approach and the target before you chase a hook. Get a ball that fits, walk a smooth four-step approach, aim at the arrows 15 feet past the foul line, and follow through toward your target. A lesson with video shows the habits you cannot feel.

How heavy should my bowling ball be?

A common starting point is about 10 percent of your body weight, up to 15 or 16 pounds for adults. A house ball should fit snugly without squeezing your fingers.

How do you hook a bowling ball?

To hook a bowling ball, keep your thumb coming out of the ball first, allowing your fingers to lift and rotate slightly around the side of the ball at release (like shaking hands with the target).

Should you look at the pins or the arrows when bowling?

Always look at the arrows on the lane (located 15 feet past the foul line) rather than the pins 60 feet away. Aiming closer to your feet gives you far greater accuracy.

How to Bowl: Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

Master stance, footwork timing, lane targeting, and hook release with 2-time PBA Tour Champion Mike DeVaney.

How to Bowl in Short

Pick a ball you can swing comfortably, stand about four and a half steps back from the foul line, walk a four-step approach while the ball swings like a pendulum, look at the second arrow instead of the pins, and let your thumb leave the ball first. That is the whole game at its simplest. The steps below explain each part.

Introduction: Why Fundamentals Rule

Whether you are stepping onto a lane for the first time or trying to break a scoring plateau, bowling is a game of repeatable physical leverage and visual precision. 2-time PBA Tour Champion and former Storm Products Head Coach Mike DeVaney shares the exact step-by-step foundation used by world-class bowlers.

Step 1: Equipment Selection & Grip

Before stepping onto the approach, make sure your gear is correctly fitted:

Ball Weight: Choose a ball weight equal to roughly 10% of your body weight (up to 15 or 16 lbs for adults). House balls should fit snug without squeezing.
Conventional vs. Fingertip Grip: Beginners use conventional grip (fingers inserted to second knuckle). Intermediate and advanced bowlers use fingertip grip (inserted to first knuckle) for maximum rev rate and hook control.

Step 2: Stance & Starting Position

Set your stance approximately 4 to 4.5 steps back from the foul line:

Keep knees slightly flexed and shoulders square to your target line.
Hold the ball around chest-to-waist height on your bowling side, supported underneath by your non-bowling hand.

Step 3: The 4-Step Approach

Timing connects your footwork to your swing plane:

Step 1 Pushaway: As your right foot steps (for right-handed bowlers), push the ball forward and out toward your target.
Step 2 Backswing: Left foot steps forward while the ball drops naturally into a pendulum swing.
Step 3 Apex: Right foot steps as swing reaches its highest peak behind you.
Step 4 Slide & Release: Left foot slides toward the foul line while your arm swings forward through the release zone.

Mike DeVaney demonstrating PBA Tour approach timing and release — PBA Tour Champion Mike DeVaney demonstrating approach timing & foul line slide

Step 4: Aiming at the Arrows (Not the Pins)

Never look at the pins 60 feet away. Aim at the 7 targeting arrows located 15 feet past the foul line. Right-handed bowlers targeting the pocket typically aim over the 2nd arrow (10th board from the right gutter).

Step 5: Release, Rotation & Follow-Through

Creating natural pin action and hook:

Allow your thumb to exit the ball first.
Rotate your middle and ring fingers up the side of the ball at release (think of a firm handshake).
Follow through high toward your eye level to ensure proper projection down the lane.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you hook a bowling ball?

To hook a bowling ball, keep your thumb coming out of the ball first, allowing your fingers to lift and rotate slightly around the side of the ball at release (like shaking hands with the target). The longer version is on how to hook a bowling ball.
Should you look at the pins or the arrows when bowling?

Always look at the arrows on the lane (located 15 feet past the foul line) rather than the pins 60 feet away. Aiming closer to your feet gives you far greater accuracy.
How many steps do you take when you bowl?

Most bowlers use a four-step approach: pushaway, backswing, apex and slide. Five-step and two-handed approaches exist, but four steps is the standard starting point.
What is the easiest way to learn how to bowl?

Learn the approach and the target before you chase a hook. Get a ball that fits, walk a smooth four-step approach, aim at the arrows 15 feet past the foul line, and follow through toward your target. A lesson with video shows the habits you cannot feel.
How heavy should my bowling ball be?

A common starting point is about 10 percent of your body weight, up to 15 or 16 pounds for adults. A house ball should fit snugly without squeezing your fingers.

Ready to Learn from a PBA Champion?

Book a private 1-on-1 session at Strike Force Lanes in Greenfield, IN or submit video for remote video analysis.

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Text Mike (702) 701-1494