Persons of every age and level of skill can enjoy bowling. Even persons with physical disabilities

can bowl by using various kinds of adaptors made specifically for them. Bowling is truly a

democratic sportone thatalmost everyone can learn to play and enjoy. Its a good way to

socialize, exercise and compete all at the same time!


The history of bowling can be traced back at least seven thousand years. The ancient Egyptians

enjoyed a version of the game, as indicated by bowling balls and pins found buried in an Egyptian

childs grave. By the 1840s, bowling had become popular in America.  The first indoor bowling

lanes were built in New York.  Abraham Lincoln was among the many famous Americans who

enjoyed bowling.  The American Bowling Conference (ABC) was foundedfor men in 1895. A

womens organization, the WIBA, was founded in 1916. The two organizations now work together

to develop and enforce the rules of the game. The combined membership of the ABC and WIBC

was approximately ten million people in 1992. Thats almost 4% of the entire population of America,

and it doesnt even count all those everyday bowlers who dont belong to a conference, but who

bowl occasionally just for the fun of it.



Bowling is done in a bowling alley,or lane,as it is sometimes called, which is 62 feet 10

inches long and about 41 inches wide. The area where the bowler stands is called the approach

area,and is 15 feet in length.  The foul line separates the approach area from the alley.

Nine-inch-wide gutters run along both sides of the alley. At the other end of the alley, ten

bowling pins stand, arranged in a triangular formation as shown on the right.  The object is

to knock down as many pins as you can each time you send the ball down the alley. The more

often you knock all of them down each time you bowl, the higher your score will be. Each pin

that is knocked down counts as one point.  Each game is divided into ten frames,during which

each player has a chance to knock down the pins. If you knock down all the pins during each

frame, you will score 30 points per frame and 300 points for the game. For a novice bowler, a

score or 120 or so is considered good. A score between 160 and 180 is good for a regular bowler,

while professionals average more than 200 points in a single game.  In each frame, the bowler gets

two chances unless the first try is a strike (knocking all the pins down at one time). The scores are

all marked on a score sheet using symbols as follows:

X This stands for a strike, which means that all the pins have been knocked  down in one turn.

/ This stands for a spare, which means that all pins have been knocked down in two turns. A

bowler is awarded 10 points plus a bonus of he score on the next roll. If a spare is made on the

final frame, one extra roll is permitted.

O The zero is used to show a split ball, which occurs when the headpin is down and the

remaining pins have another pin down immediately ahead of or between them. Remember that

a split leaves pins that are not close together standing and it is therefore harder to knock them

down in one try.

F This mark means a foul, which happens when a player goes beyond the foul line. A hand or

arm, however, may extend over the foul line with no penalty. When a foul occurs, no score is

recorded for that shot.




The bowling pins may be approached in many different ways, but the most basic is called the

four-step delivery.Here is a summary of each step:

STEP ONE: If the bowler is right-handed, he or she should make the following seven movements:

1. Bend forward

2. Move the right foot forward about 12 inches.

3. Hold the ball forward and to the right.

4. Allow the left hand to leave the ball.

5. Keep the right wrist firm.

6. Keep shoulders parallel to the target.

7. Focus the eyes on the target.

STEP TWO: This step focuses on the left foot and right arm. Keep the right arm as close as

possible to the body as the ball is swung backwards.

STEP THREE: The ball now reaches the peak of the backswing (about shoulder height). Keep

the movements smooth and deliberate and dont rush.

STEP FOUR: This step involves twelve movements:

1. Push forward off the right foot.

2. Slide on the front of the left foot.

3. Bend the left knee.

4. Bend at the waist and lean forward.

5. Let the ball swing forward under its own momentum.

6. Keep the right wrist and arm straight.

7. Keep the thumb positioned at 11 oclock(1 oclockfor left-handed persons).

8. The left knee continues to bend as the left foot slides to a stop.

9. The slide is completed a few inches from the foul line.

10. The left foot is pointed straight ahead.

11. The ball is released across the foul line.

12. The left arm and right foot extend for balance.


When the ball is released, the thumb comes out first, followed by the other fingers.  At this point,

the arm is in a forward position and should continue to rise up to shoulder level. Some bowling

instructors dont emphasize the follow-through, claiming instead that it occurs naturally if the ball

is thrown correctly. Other instructors feel that follow-through is an important if neglected part

of bowling. Try both to see which one works better for you.


The four basic shots indicate the way in which the ball rolls down the alley. These four shots

are the:

straight ball

hook ball

curve ball

backup ball

The straight shot is exactly what its name implies except that it is rolled down the alley slightly off

center in order to hit the first pin at an advantageous angle.

The hook shot consistently beats other shots in producing strikes. The hook, if thrown properly,

will start a chain reaction among the pins. The hooking motion of the balls trajectory results from

the way in which the middle and ring fingers are released as the ball is thrown onto the alley.

The curve ball is difficult to control.  It is actually an exaggerated version of the hook shot, but

because of the side path, there is more room for error in this shot.The backup shot is seldom used.

It works from left to right, the exact opposite of the other three shots. Most professional players

advise against using this type of shot.


The two essential pieces of equipment needed in bowling are a bowling ball and a pair of bowling

shoes. Clothing can be any comfortable, loose-fitting sportswear that allows room for free movement.

Weight, span and pitch must all be considered in selecting a bowling ball. Spanis the distance

between the thumb hole and the finger holes. Pitchis the angle at which the finger holes are

drilled. With regards to weight, the rule of thumb is to select the heaviest ball that can be handled

with ease. Choosing a ball that is too heavy and becoming fatigued from using it defeats the purpose

of the game.  A good pro shop can help a beginning bowler decide where holes should be drilled in the

ball to insure a comfortable fit. The choice of bowling shoes depends upon which hand the bowler

uses to roll the ball.  For example, if the bowler is right-handed, the left shoe needs to allow

sliding while the  right shoe provides the necessary traction. The opposite is true for left-handed



Bowling is one of the most popular pastimes in North America. Friends, families and other

ordinary folks meet at local lanes to bowl a few frames. Kids and grownups alike enjoy the game.

Because recreational bowling doesnt require long hours of conditioning for strength or endurance,

everybody gets a chance to bowl, both young and old.  On the competitive circuit, its a different

story. Concentration, practice, and the development of natural skills all go into making a

championship bowler. While everybody knows somebody who bowls, few people know the

champions. Bowling has its own professional circuit, just like other sports. The 2000 PBA

(Professional Bowling Association) Major tournaments with their winners were as follows:

Mens Competition

New Orleans Casino Open Ryan Shafer

PBA Chattanooga Open Parker Bohn III

Empire State Open Pete Weber

PBA National Chapionship Norm Duke

Brunswick Players Champ. Dennis Horan Jr.

PBA Columbia 300 Open Danny Wiseman

Lone Star Open Steve Hoskins

Clay Duke, of Baker, LA., became the first bowler to roll a 300 game in 2000. The 23

year-old right hander, who was competing in only his third American Bowling Congress

(ABC) championship, threw strikes on his last 12 balls. Less than 24 hours later, Dukes

feat was matched by Brian Saucet of San Marcos, CA. He accomplished the perfect

game in his first singles match.

Parker Bohn III reached a milestone in his career by capturing the 2001 American Bowling

Congress Masters recently at the National Bowling Stadium. Bohn, of Jackson, New

Jersey, faced long-time rival and friend Jason Couch, of Clermont, Florida, in the title

matdch, 248-237, to win his 27th Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) title and his

first major.



of bowling. Write your answers in the spaces below the questions. If there is not enough



1. What types of physical benefits can be obtained from bowling?

2. What basic equipment is needed for bowling?

3. What factors are important in selecting a bowling ball?

4. Describe the stages in a four-step delivery.5. What is meant by follow-throughin bowling?

6. What are the four basic shots in bowling?

7. What is a split ball?

8. What constitutes a foul in bowling?

9. How many times does each player get to bowl in a typical game?

10. How many frames are there per game? How many possible points can a bowler

make? What would be a good score for a beginning bowler?

Short Answer Questions:

1. Where bowling is done

2. Angle which finger holes are drilled

3. Games are made of ten of these

4. The term used to describe knocking down all the pins in two turns

5. Distance on the ball between the thumb and finger holes

6. They come out last when the ball is released

7. When the ball rolls off of the alley it ends up here

8. What comes out first when the ball is released

9. This foot slides for right-handed bowlers

10. Number of pins in bowling

11. One of the types of shots in bowling

12. When a player goes over the line on the floor while bowling

13. How heavy a bowling ball is can be referred to as its _______

14. Points for knocking down all pins in one frame

15. This bowling shot does not curve

16. Area where bowler stands

17. The term used for knocking down all the pins in one turn

18. The number of basic shots in bowling

19. This term is used to describe the situation when the head pin is down and other pins are still up

20. One does this to the bowling ball to knock down the pins