Coach, I’ve Got a Question! – July 2025

In this recurring feature, I answer questions from Bowling This Month readers and bowlers that I work with. If you have questions, please leave them in the comment section below so I can address them in a future installment of Coach, I’ve Got a Question!

I’m struggling with my alignment in my stance. How should I place my foot on the board where I start? Do I look at my slide foot or non-slide foot?

As a coach, the first thing I look at about a player is their stance. It sets the tone for the rest of the approach.

Alignment

Although it seems the main question revolves around foot placement, I want to quickly address alignment. When looking at a bowler’s stance and alignment, I ask myself, “Is their body pointing where they want to send the ball?”

Specifically, do their shoulders, hips, and knees agree with where their eyes and brain are saying the ball should go? More importantly, do they agree with each other? Often, when the body’s alignment doesn’t agree with the eyes, it comes down to targeting and foot placement, which we’ll get to next.

Before that can happen, I check to see if the body is twisted in any way. Are the hips closed relative to the shoulders? Are the knees and toes more open than they need to be? When assessing your stance, take a look from behind and check to see that the body is actually pointed where you want the ball to go.

Coach Ernesto Avila addressed this with his “Five Rings” method, which he applies to the entire approach.

Foot placement

This is where things get a bit tricky—and personal. First, I always recommend that a bowler sets up using their slide foot for reference. This is because it’s an easy comparison to where your slide ends up. You’re always looking at the same foot. It becomes especially tricky for bowlers lining up off their non-sliding foot when there’s a small gap ...