The one-step delivery is a simple and pure form of bowling, and it probably is as old as bowling itself. Although the one-step delivery is mostly used by the physically handicapped or the very young or new bowler, practicing it often as a physical drill will help you perfect your own bowling delivery style. The one-step delivery allows you to experience the pure "feelings" of the pushaway, armswing, and body balance.
As a practice drill, it will help you develop a strong and fluid delivery style. Used as a self-diagnostic bowling tool, it permits you to study and correct flaws in your overall balance and personal style of bowling.
How to do the one-step delivery drill: Stand about two feet behind the foul line, facing straight ahead, and place the right foot alongside the left slide foot (reverse for a left-handed bowler). For the right-hander, place your fingers in the ball between 3 and 6 o'clock with your thumb at 11 o'clock for the perfect three-quarter release. Flex your knees and hold the ball waist-high for your normal pushaway. Raise the heel of the left slide foot to minimize the weight over the slide foot.
Do your normal pushaway toward your target and let the ball swing freely as you extend the left hand outward for balance. As the ball passes the right knee on the downswing, slide your left foot forward, as you would in the last step of your normal delivery. The follow through is made directly toward the target and in line with the shoulder and ear.
Let the ball do the total effort, and the body will maintain the correct balance position of the head-over-the-knee-over-the sliding foot throughout the swing. Use only minimum effort as you let the ball generate its own natural swing speed. If the swing direction is incorrect, the body balance line will not me maintained, and the ball and armswing will pull you off balance in that direction.
Pose or hold your body and follow-through position at the foul line for a count of 10 or more to allow you to check your body position and balance line. Do the drill many times to achieve a perfect balance line.
Bonus at-home drills to refine your one-step delivery drill:
1. One-step mirror drill. Stand in front of a mirror or reflecting glass door or window at home and do the one-step drill without a ball (or use an iron, if desired). The mirror image of your delivery will allow you to see your body balance line relative to your pushaway and swing. Check to be sure your body balance line is chin-over-knee-over sliding foot at the ball release point and that your shoulders are squared and parallel to your hips for maximum ball leverage at release.
2. Armswing direction drill. Stand in front of a mirror or reflecting glass and, without your bowling ball, simulate your pushaway and delivery. If you swing your arm to the right, the ball will go right at release. The ball follows the armswing. For accuracy, the armswing must be straight ahead and stay within a four-inch groove from the pushaway into the backswing and through the release of the ball. If your arm swings to the right of a target straight ahead at 12 o'clock, your ball will go to the right of the target. To promote a direct in-line swing, hold the ball in front of the right hip for right-handed bowlers and the left hip for left-handers. Square your shoulders and hips to this line and practice pushing your imaginary ball straight ahead between 12 and 1 o'clock and swinging the ball down and back between 5 and 6 o'clock. Do this many times until the image of the swing is completely straight.
3. Evaluate the finish position of the bowling arm. Stand in front of the mirror and do the one-step delivery without the ball several times. After a few trial swings, pose and observe the finish position of your bowling arm and hand.
Important: For the right-handed bowler, the bowling hand should be pointing upward at about 1 o'clock on a clock face, and the trailing foot or non-sliding foot will be behind the body at 7 o'clock.
For the left-handed bowler, the bowling hand will be pointed at 11 o'clock and the trailing foot at 5 o'clock. Concentrate on the finish position of the armswing. It will indicate if your shoulders are squared to the target. If the arm and the hand go right, the backswing has gone inward in the backswing, and the bowling hand of the right-handed bowler is now pointing right of the 1 o'clock position. This indicates an inward swing directional error in the backswing and an opening of the shoulders to the right.
If the finish position of the bowling hand is left of 1 o'clock of the right-handed bowler, it indicates the backswing is flared outward, and the shoulder has moved to a closed position instead of being squared to the target.