The objective is to move the ball in a synchronized motion at the same time as your ball-side foot, and do it in a consistent manner. 

You have established your starting position and stance.  Now you want to place your ball in a position where it will begin its arcing swing without being forced.  This is the moment you tell the ball how you want it to travel toward its intended target. 

Something has to get you and the ball moving in a smooth and consistent ball delivery.  You need to place (push away) the ball at the point where the ball will begin it's ball swinging arc. This is called the push-away.

Who Is Holding The Ball

If your bowling arm begins in a tense state, it is less likely that you can have a free, loose arm swing, and more likely that your arm will tire during your game.  Your consistency will suffer.

To ensure a free and consistent ball swing, during the starting position, the large majority of the ball weight should rest in your non-bowling hand and not your bowling hand. 

This is the key for the start of good timing.  Whether you take four, five, six or even seven steps, the last four steps of your approach are always the key to good timing and release of the ball.  As the ball moves forward in your push-away, the ball weight is transferred to the bowling arm at the same time your body weight is transferred to your ball-side foot.

Transferring the ball weight from the non-ball hand to the ball-side hand establishes a key point for good timing.  If you don’t feel the ball weight and body weight transfer simultaneously, good timing becomes increasingly difficult.  This would be a good point to stop your approach and begin again whenever your timing key is flawed.  Remember, practice does not make perfect.  Only perfect practice makes perfect.

Where Should The Ball Be?

At the point where the body weight rests on the ball-side foot, the ball should have been placed directly in line with the shoulder. 

Where Should the Arm Be?

The push-away is oftentimes the source of timing errors.  Let’s consider the objective first.  At the end of the push-away, the ball-side arm should be extended with the inside of the bowling arm elbow pointing directly toward the intended target. 

Where Should The Feet Be?

As the ball-side foot moves forward, it should be placed directly in front of the slide side foot.  This allows the ball to swing freely without forcing it around the hip or leg.

It is important to remember that your feet rhythm must match the movement of the ball in order to maintain good timing, and not the other way around.  This is a key factor in achieving  a good push-away.

Push-Away Where?

Whether the push-away extends the ball outward and parallel to the lane, upward, or downward, this initial ball movement establishes the starting point of the ball’s arc, and the timing of the feet as well. 

If the push-away is parallel to the lane, the arc of the ball begins at a point parallel to the lane, and a normal foot pace should be employed in order to maintain good timing synchronization with the ball. 

If the push-away is upward above the level of the lane, the arc of the ball’s arc begins at a higher point, and the time required to complete the entire arc of the ball is longer.  Therefore the pace of the feet needs to be slowed in order to remain in synchronization with the ball. 

If the push-away of the ball ends below the waist, somewhere around thigh level, the time required to complete the entire arc of the ball is shorter, and the pace of the feet need to be increased in order to maintain good timing synchronization with the ball.

If the arc of the ball begins somewhere lower around the knee level, a different factor is introduced.  Bowlers tend to raise the backswing of the ball to maintain ball speed, and the time required to complete the entire arc of the ball tends to be longer, and the pace of the feet need to be slowed in order to maintain good timing synchronization with the ball.  This technique is used to increase ball revolutions, and will be covered later in Revs.

The push-away begins as the ball moves forward at the exact time necessary to ensure that it is completed and the weight of the ball is transferred to your bowling arm as your ball the ball begins its downward motion.  At that moment, your bowling foot should be placed on the approach.  This is the moment you determine if you are going to be too early or late with the timing.  This is the moment to stop or continue your approach.

The push-away begins, in a four-step approach, at the same time as the bowling-side foot moves.  In a five or more step approach, the push-away begins at the step prior to the final four-steps of the approach.  Remember, the final four steps are the key to good timing.

There should be no sharp motions of the push-away.  Each time the ball stops during its swing, you have to begin all over again.  The push-away should be a smooth, even motion in order to maximize consistency and good timing.

In the straight ball swing, at the point where the body weight rests on the ball-side foot, the ball should be directly in line with the shoulder.  As the ball-side foot moves, it should be placed directly in front of the non-ball side foot.  This allows the ball to swing freely without forcing it around the hip or leg.

Summary

The Push-Away

• Determines the direction of the ball swing

• Is a source of timing errors

• At the end of the push-away

  • Arm should be extended

  • Inside of elbow point directly at intended target

• Feet movement should match the ball movement.

  • Parallel to lane … normal foot page

  • Above the lane … slower foot pace

  • Thigh level … increased foot pace

  • Knee level … raise the backswing, slow the foot pace

• Ball weight transferred to bowling arm, and bowling foot place on the approach as ball begins downward motion.  *** Timing Key

• In 4-Step approach … push-away begins as bowling foot moves.

• In 5-Step approach … push-away begins as step 2 begins.

• Regardless of the steps taken, final 4 steps determine timing.