The Coaching Round Table: Four Steps vs. Five, Sport Pattern Tips, and Better Adjustments

We’re excited this month to bring back an old favorite of Bowling This Month’s readers, the Coaching Round Table article series. Just like in years past, this column will focus on questions submitted by you, the readers, and answered by a rotating panel of bowling’s best and most experienced coaches. We’d like to start by thanking this month’s four panelists who, as you’ll see from their bios below, collectively bring many decades of expertise, coaching experience, and pro shop experience to the table.

In this month’s Coaching Round Table discussion, we’ll discuss the pros and cons of the four-step and five-step delivery, tips for improving your game on sport conditions, and what to do if your line stops working at the end of practice.

Editor’s note: The format of the Coaching Round Table column consists of posing questions submitted by readers to several top bowling coaches and having them respond in “round-robin” style. If you would like to submit a question for a future Coaching Round Table article, either leave a comment below or click here to submit your question.

What are the pros and cons of the four-step and five-step deliveries?

Bryan O’Keefe

In my opinion, there may not be any specific “cons” to either approach, but rather, just each individual’s comfort level surrounding each approach delivery. In some cases, people find taking four steps a little easier to get the ball moving in their approach, due to the pushaway starting at the same time as their footwork.

But conversely, others may feel that the extra step without ball movement gives them a little extra time to feel their way into the approach. I have even seen higher caliber players who rotate back and forth between the two different approaches, depending upon how they are feeling for that section of time. Those players are not the norm, but they may use four steps for six months, and then change to five steps if things start to feel a little off. So, be open to how things feel, and possibly give both a try.

Mark Buffa

It depends if the bowler needs a “trigger” to get the body and the ball in motion at the same time or not. I feel like a five-step delivery is much more tuneable than a four-step, meaning we can tweak the bowler’s timing easier because the body is already in motion. I myself was a four-step bowler for my entire youth bowling career, even into early college. I switched in my freshman year to be able to generate more speed on the drier lane conditions. It was easier with more foot speed, hence the five-step delivery.

Andy Penny

When I interview a player for the first time, I video them from three angles. If I see that they can get to the line consistently, then I look elsewhere for the issues, regardless of whether they use four steps or five ...

---

---

Image Credits: Round table illustration (©iStock.com/kabliczech) is licensed for use by BTM and is the copyrighted property of its original creator.