Ok, I do a 4-step approach and just tried moving to the left then shifting to the right (I did this in my kitchen, not in a bowling center). On a 5-step approach this is practical. I think for a 4-step approach the workaround is to make your first step a crossover step. If you're right-handed, cross your left foot in front of your right foot for that first step. This will help open your hips and shoulders and turn your body slightly to the right. What is funny is that I used to try the crossover step because sometimes I don't get the ball out to the right enough, but somehow, I forgot all about it... but this video helped jog my memory. Now I've written it down along with some other practice notes I have for this Friday. I'm 57 didn't start bowling until my late 40s. Probably less than 10 years but started as a traditional 1-handed bowler. I used to do 5-steps but at my age and abilities the shuffle step just didn't feel right. So, I switched to the 4-step approach and like it a lot better. No skipping for me though. I try to skid on the last step but my shoes, even with a shoe sock, don't skid like yours do in the videos. I think this prevents me from reaching a higher ball speed, but I'm working on it.
The Belmo approach. I had this approach down and felt great but then let all the “you need to stop drifting” people get to my head. I stopped doing it and fucked my game up. Still trying to get it down again
I see how hard this aspect of your game was to document and thanks. I do have some questions for you IF you can answer. It appears your/Blemo’s approach allows you to only bowl from the left hand side of the lane and very near the same spot. This is not optimum. What’’s wrong with a cross over step (to help open the hips) and then paralleling the intended target line? Paralleling an intended target line is superior to undefined drifts left with varying departure angles.
I changed my footwork to go from this style (belmo "drift" style) to be that nearly identical to the timing and set up as Ryan Barnes. Since this change, along with changing my targeting system (Quiet Eye) my bowling average has skyrocketed. I find that I was just inconsistent when I was "drifting".
Do you do anything different if you're playing straighter angles with urethane, etc? Or do you just end up having a target at the arrows that is either on your same starting board, or even a target that is left of your starting board?
