Bowling: all you need to know before starting

Bowling is a popular recreational activity and a target sport. The game seems to be really simple at first sight: players hare to roll balls towards some targets, such as pins. Although in Great Britain there are lawn bowl, the word ‘bowling’ mostly refers to so-called ten-pin bowling. This is what this article is dedicated to.

Variations of bowling

In North America there are five different variations of tin bowling. They are:

• ten-pin bowling (the tins are large, so is the ball)
• ine-pin bowling (in this case, balls without any finger holes are used)
• candlepin bowling (the tins are tall and the balls are small)
• duckpin bowling (the tins are squat)
• five-pin bowling (mostly played in Canada)

Ball

When it comes to equipment, the very first thing that mentioned is the ball. For ten-pin bowling players use balls with three or five holes. The diameter of such balls is almost 22 sm. As for the weight, it varies. There are lighter balls (approximately 2.7 kilos )with smaller holes for people with small and thin hands, and large balls (more than 7 kilos) for those who have bigger fingers. Also, the type of ball used for each particular game depends on the style and the techniques used by players.

It’s of paramount importance to hold the ball correctly. To do it, it’s necessary to put the thumb into the hole that is at the bottom. Two ring fingers should be put into the upper holes.

Pins

Again, there is a great majority of different types of pins. Although their sizes vary, they mostly have a form of cylinder. The place that is striked by the ball is a bit wider in comparison to the highest point of a pin. As forthe materials, production of pins begins with using maple wood. Then the pins are covered with lathe, plastic and paint.

Shoes

Another important thing that is essential for bowling players is a pair of appropriate shoes. While they are quite similar to any other type of shoes, they have some unobvious, but crucial peculiarities. First of all, their sole is made of some smooth materials, that’s why it is possible for a bowler to slide smoothly. Casual playes usually give their preference to rental shoes that are made of leather and rubber as these materials are extremely durable.

Ball delivery

There are three popular styles of ball delivery:

• Strokers are known to keep their shoulders square and achive ball rotations by backswing. What they rely on is the accuracy of their movements.
• Crankers, however, maximize the energy by the rotation of shoulders and use of strong arm movements. The most reliable thing for them is power and speed.
• Tweeners tend to mix both techniques in order to make the moat of them.

How to bowl

The first thing you need to do to learn how to bow is understand what the line is. It is a 18 meters’ long line that has gutters on each side. It is prohibited to stand on the line when rolling a ball. As for the pins, each of them has its own number. The first one is the closest to the player. The second row is formed by numbers 2 and 3. Pins 4-6 are in the third row. Finally, the last row consists of pins 7-10. Any knocked pin will cost 1 point. The bowling game consists of 10 frames, each of them provides the bowler with an opportunity to roll the ball two time.

Having chosen a ball and taked in, you need to approach the line and keep the hand with the ball by your side. Then you need to aim the ball. Remember to look at the marks on the line, don’t look at the pins yet. Finally you need to release the ball. At first you need to release the thumb, then the fingers.

Score

Before getting into the scoring system it’s important to get acquainted with two terms. The first one is ‘strike’. It is used to describe a situation when all ten pins are knocked down at onces with the first roll. The second one is ‘spare’. This is when two rolls are necessary to knock down all pins.

In the World Bowling scoring system a strike is awarded 30 points. The spare values 10 points additional to pinfall on the first roll. It is possible to score 300 points in total.

Bowling organizations

There are several paramount bowling organizations.

• WB (World Bowling) is an international organization that was set up back in 2014. Its aim is to establish rules that are applied worldwide.
• In the United Kingdom the British Tenpin Bowling Association and the National Association of Youth Bowling Clubs are responsible for further development of bowling. Also, their purpose is to make it possible for all people to take part in this activity.
• In the USA the US Bowling Congress is concerned with bowling. Back in 2005, it was formed as a result of merging of several organizations. Now this is the primary organization dealing with the sport in the US.

Tournaments

Bowling is not only a recreational activity but also a competitive sport. A lot of tournaments have been held since the major federations of bowling were established. The most well-known events are held be the Professional Bowlers Association, the US Bowling Congress and the European Tenpin Bowling Federation.

History

This target sport dates back to Ancient Egypt where the earliest form of it was played. This fact was proved not only by wall drawings found in royal tombs, but also by some miniature balls and pins found in a kid’s grave. A similar game was known in the Roman Empire. Also, the research showed that in Germany people used bowling as a part of religious rituals aimed for cleansing oneself by rolling rocks into kegels. Although bowling has a lasting history, the National Bowling Association was set up only in the end of the 19th century, in 1875. 20 years later, the rules for ten-pin bowling were established in New York. They still remain the standard for bowling.

That’s it! As you can see, bowling has a long history and a whole lot of followers. By the way, the rules are quite simple and the equipment is very accessible!