4. The Four-Step Delivery

As I tour the country conducting "Free Bowling Clinics," giving individual instruction, and presenting exhibitions, I ad­vocate and teach the four-step delivery. I'm convinced you can't beat it. Most of the professional stars you see today use the four-step style, for it is the one that insures the sharpest timing and coordination.

Now you may see any number of professionals who use a five-step delivery. But look closely—it's not really a five-step motion but simply a modified four-step. That first step in the five-step delivery is simply a timing step. It doesn't trigger the pushaway—it initiates no practical action. It is like the waggle of a golf club before the ball is struck. It's the second step of the five-step delivery that is the really important one.

The three-step delivery was once more prevalent than it is today, but it is not used much any more by the professionals. (Lee Jouglard of Detroit is the only one I know who still uses it.) The three-step delivery forces the bowler to hurry his delivery. The compactness of the foot action doesn't give you enough time to develop all the necessary arm and shoul­der action—that is, the pushaway, the downswing and arm-swing, and follow-through. To do all of these you have to hurry and "strong-arm" the ball. As a result your timing is impaired.

I recommend the four-step delivery for women, and for youngsters too. Their problems are the same as those of the average bowler.

As we discussed in the previous chapter, the first step of the delivery triggers the push away motion. And it's with the push away that the arm swing is begun.

Let me say a few words about the arm swing. I always com­pare it to a pendulum on an old grandfather's clock. It begins with the pushaway and it carries through the entire de­livery, including the follow-through motion. In the pendulum armswing, the shoulder is the fulcrum, the ball acts as a weight, and the arm as a lever. The ball should swing from the shoulder naturally, governing its own speed, and thereby its own amount of swing. Don't force the ball—ever.

The left arm helps you to keep your balance during the approach.

On the second step, the left hand should leave the ball. Here again, let the ball serve as a weight and the arm as an arrow-straight pendulum until the ball reaches a position alongside your right knee. On your third step the ball should reach the peak of your backswing, and the downswing that ends in the release should be underway. The height of the backswing should never exceed shoulder level. Keep your eyes on your target and your shoulder parallel to the foul line.

Your backswing should be a natural motion; don't force it. It should come naturally to about shoulder height.

It is important to let the speed of the pendulum swing be natural—and it should be the same both backward and for­ward. Never accelerate the forward motion of your pendu­lum ; never force the speed in another direction.

This is the correct body position as the sliding step is executed. Bend over—and keep your eyes on the target.

Clause is about to execute a perfect release. The timing is perfect; the bowling ball and his sliding foot have reached the foul line at the same time.

Now the final step—really a combination step and slide: As you go into your slide, bend slightly forward from the hips. Move your right leg back to help you hold your balance and give you some braking action, and try to keep as much weight on that right foot as possible. That's the secret of a successful slide. The slide of your left foot should be from six to twenty-four inches. As long as you can keep your weight on the right foot, your slide will be unimpeded.

The sequence camera captures Frank Clause' four-step delivery. Note how the stance, the pushaway, the backswing and release are all blended into one fluid action. His steps are smooth, easy, and natural.

The steps in your delivery should be smooth and easy— a kind of "shuffle" toward the foul line. Keep the length of the steps the same as your natural walking steps. If you're small and naturally take short steps, then your bowling steps ought to be short ones.

Throughout the four-step delivery, the key word to remem­ber is rhythm. Your delivery should always be simple, fluid action—action that is your own, and that is natural.

The completion of your slide should be two or three inches behind the foul line—not two or three feet!

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