Day #9: January 9th, 2026
Lining up your feet correctly builds a repeatable path to the pocket and makes your strike shot far more consistent. This guide shows how to use the dots, boards, and your slide foot to create a reliable setup you can track.
Start with the slide foot.
For strikes, think in terms of where your slide foot finishes at the foul line, not just where your heels start on the approach. Your slide foot is the reference that should line up with your target board and pocket.
Use your slide foot (left foot for right‑handers, right foot for left‑handers) as your primary “measuring stick” on the dots and boards.
Point the slide foot roughly straight toward the pins; avoid turning it way open or closed, which can twist your hips and swing path.
Keep feet shoulder‑width apart in the stance, with the slide foot slightly closer to the foul line than the trail foot (a small stagger of 2–3 inches is common).
Use dots and boards to line up.
The dots on the approach line up with the boards and arrows on the lane, so you can build a simple system: slide foot board → target arrow → pocket.
For a typical house condition, many right‑handers start with their right foot around board 18 at the foul line and roll the ball over the second arrow (10 boards) to the pocket between the 1–3 pins.
Left‑handers often mirror this, sliding in the mid‑teens and targeting around the second arrow from the left, into the 1–2 pocket.
Use the approach dots to place the inside edge or center of your slide foot on a specific board so you can repeat the same spot every shot.
Align the body to the target line.
Once your feet are set, match your hips and shoulders to the ball path you want, not randomly to the pins.
Keep knees and feet roughly facing the pins while letting your bowling‑side hip and shoulder sit slightly behind and open, creating room for the swing.
Angle your shoulders and hips gently toward your intended target (dot or arrow), so your swing can fall under that shoulder on the way back and forward.
Hold the ball near youbowling sidede, not in the middle of your chest, so foot line, shoulder line, and swing path all match the same trajectory.
Match feet to your natural drift.
Most bowlers drift a few boards during the approach, so the board you start on will not be the exact board you finish on. The key is to understand and plan for that drift.
Throw several shots,s watching only where your sliding foot finishes at the foul line versus where it started on the dots; note the average drift (for example, two boards left).
If you drift left 2 boards and want to finish on board 18, start your slide foot around board 16 so your natural walk puts you on 18 at release.
Log your typical drift pattern and starting board inside SpareTime Bowling so you can quickly rebuild your strike alignment on different pairs and centers.
“Move your feet” when you miss
Once your baseline alignment is set, use simple feet moves to stay in the pocket as lanes transition.
Use the rule: move your feet in the direction of the miss, and consider moving your target the opposite way for bigger angle changes.
Example: Right‑hander misses high (through the nos,e) standing with slide foot on 18 and targeting 10; move your feet 2–3 boards left and keep the same arrow, or keep your feet and move your target 1–2 boards right.
Track which foot moves gave you high carry vs. flat corners, so your strike alignment becomes a repeatable playbook instead of guesswork.