Ten-pin bowling duckpin bowling (conceived in 1895), popular in the Northeast United States, as well as Canada's own sport of five-pin bowling, all three of which use smaller diameter, lighter weight bowling balls when compared to tenpin bowling, without the necessity for finger holes in them. The , lane is bordered along its length by semicylindrical channels called "gutters", which are designed to collect errant balls. The overall width of the lane including the channels is . The narrow lane prevents bowling a straight line at the angle required to consistently carry (knock down) all ten pins for a strike. Most skillful
Ten-pin bowling a "shovel-pitch" from the side. A conventional bowling ball is designed to roll about a generally horizontal axis, and often the core is asymmetric so that the ball can hook naturally. However, in parts of Asia, the "spinner", "helicopter" or "UFO" release is more common. A ball spinning about a generally vertical axis of rotation spins like a top down the lane, and slides straighter, regardless of oil pattern. The ball takes an unconventional path along the front pins ("deflection"), creating domino effect pin action. The spin is generated by rotating the hand counter clockwise (right-handed bowlers) until the hand