Expert: Susie Minshew - 8/22/2009

Question
I have purchased a new pair of AMF shoes. I stick badly at the Foul line. I'm a long slider and have been this way for 50 years. What do I need to do to break these shoes in properly?

Answer
New bowling shoes can be way fun to break in as you have evidently noticed! Hopefully, your new shoes are REAL bowling shoes and have a sliding sole on one foot and rubber on the other. I'm not sure that AMF makes a high performance shoe like this.

I'm glad you asked this question rather than using the bad stuff on your shoe. By that I mean people often put talcum powder or cigarette ashes or the stuff they buy in the pro shop on the sole of their sliding foot when they can't slide. That's illegal. USBC Playing Rule Rule 12, called Defacing the Approach, prevents anyone from putting anything on their shoe that might affect another player. When you are sticking you need to adjust your shoes, not screw up the approach for people who are not having problems.

It would certainly be better if you had shoes with adjustable soles and heels and rubber on the non-sliding sole. If you can't do that, here are some suggestions for you.

>  Get a steel brush. If you brush your sliding sole toe-to-heel you will slide more. If you brush it left and right, you will slide less.

>  Make sure you are not in contact with any carpeting. The shoe's interaction with the carpeting causes static electricity and that means you'll stick. In fact, that's a great thing to do when you are sliding more than you want.

>  Make sure you are really sliding. That means you cannot put your heel down first. Your heel is your brake on the sliding shoe and if you walk heel-toe on that last step, you can't slide.

>  Keep your head in front of your feet and BEND YOUR KNEES. Yes, I mean lean forward. If you keep your head over your feet, you will slide less. That doesn't even address what a weak position with no leverage this is. If your knees are not bent, you will not slide no matter how good your shoes are.

>  I really believe you need a coach to take a look at what is going on with you. With 50 years of experience, a shoe change should really not be causing this dangerous (knee damage and falling) condition. Get some help from a qualified coach so you don't hurt yourself. No feet, no game. You've got to have good footwork to be an effective player. Good luck!