After administering tens of thousands of lessons to bowlers of all levels—and using bowling technology like the CATs™ (Computer Aided Tracking System) and Specto Bowling™, the new workhorse of our industry—it's become clear to me that bowlers often believe “timing” is the root cause of their performance issues.
 
Almost always, bowlers who’ve taken lessons begin the conversation with, “I’m here because my timing is off. I need help!”
 
Well, what if I told you that 96% of the bowling public doesn’t have a timing problem? Timing is nothing more than the measurement of speed (MPH) at release, produced by your technique—created through the sequence of when you move your feet in coordination with when you move your arm swing. Nothing more.
 
There are thousands of styles that create great repetition in this sequence. All of them demonstrate very consistent speed control, even if they look different. There is no one-size-fits-all method. Each style can be measured very consistently under Specto or CATs.
 
For the 4% who do have a true timing issue—yes, working on the basic synchronization of your start is necessary to get your swing rhythm and foot cadence in sync.
 
But what about the other 96%?
Let’s talk to you—the 96ers.
 
Your issue might be an erratic swing direction, which causes inconsistent control at the arrows or breakpoint—yes, that loopy swing thing. Or it might be erratic foot direction—the dreaded wandering feet—where you don’t consistently slide into the same location at the foul line. This can redirect the ball’s path down lane, even if you hit your target.
 
Maybe it’s none of that. Maybe it’s how you control your non-ball-side arm for balance, and you’re creating erratic twisting of the torso or applying excessive force. Excessive twisting of the upper body can redirect the swing and contribute to tugging or missing outside your intended target.
 
What if your torso collapses (drops) during the release? Or pops up during this critical moment? That can cause issues with release consistency or affect how your ball reacts—just to name a few.
 
Now, how about balance?
Are you sticking the landing? Can you finish your shot and hold your post through impact? That’s where scoring happens. That’s where consistency lives.
 
Focus on feeling your balance beyond the release. Don’t get up—stay down until your ball hits the pins. Enjoy what you’ve created on the lane.

There are even more minor issues I haven’t touched on, but in nearly every case, people experiencing these challenges also struggle with scoring consistency, release, reading lanes, understanding lane transition, and spare shooting—just to name a few.
 
My advice:
Find a good coach or a center with access to Specto Bowling™, or use high-quality video recording software. Most smartphones today can record in 60 or 120+ frames per second. Use that. Start observing the distractions and habits that make you wonder what’s going wrong. Chances are, you’ll see some of these same issues. Hopefully, you’ll find a way to transform your game into a more consistent and repeatable process.
 
But please—don’t go changing your timing. That’s not the answer.
 
“We never remove the timing belt of a 12-cylinder Ferrari just to change the oil,. Sso why do you think you need to work on timing to be more accurate?”
 
Better bowling through science!