How to choose bowling shoes?

Bowling shoes can be left-handed or right-handed because one shoe is for sliding and it's the one opposite of the hand you bowl with. For example, a right-handed bowler will have the left shoe as a sliding shoe. The other shoe is for braking.B

Bowling shoes that you rent at bowling alleys are not made specifically for right-handed players or left-handed players. Rather, both bowling shoes have soles similar to the sliding shoe of a good pair.

How to play bowling

Knocking down all ten pins with a single bowl is the best possible outcome and the goal to which all bowlers aspire. We all experience "beginners luck" at first, but then seem to lose sight of whatever we did to make it happen.

We all look up to the bowler who can get multiple strikes in a game. Thankfully, there are bowling tips and techniques you can learn to replicate that magic moment...and bowl a strike over and over again!

Where do you begin?

Right where you stand. Literally. Your foot placement is absolutely fundamental to your success. Even if you do everything else correctly, if your feet are not where they need to be, the ball won't go where it needs to either!

Are you right or left handed? If you are left handed, aim your right second toe at the 1-pin. If you're right handed, aim your left second toe at the 1-pin. It may feel odd at first, but make no mistake...it works! Watch the foot placement of pro bowlers and you'll see they do it too.

Keeping your proper foot aimed at the head pin allows your shoulders to relax and square up with the foul line, making the ball more likely to go where you want it.

Step up to the swing

You now know where you stand. Let's talk about where we're going...to your first intentional strike. Cradle your ball and retract your arm. You're just four steps away from bowling your first strike ball! If you are right handed, step with your right foot, then with your left foot. As you step with the left foot your ball arcs downward. Take your third step with your right foot as the force of the ball lifts your arm upwards. Release the ball and use your left leg as a counterweight to keep your balance.

Release the ball

It's important to release the ball at the proper time. If you release too soon, your ball will start rolling too soon and it won't have enough energy to knock the pins down. If you release on the upswing, you're likely to divot the lane at worst, and roll into the gutter at best. The best time to release the ball is just as centrifugal force begins to guide the ball upward. You'll feel it in your hand as gravity begins to pull at the weight of the ball. Be sure your wrist is straight and relaxed and that you're aiming for the strike zone (the little "x" on the lane in between the arrows).

Follow it through

As you release the ball, remember to NOT look at it. Your eyes should remain fixed on your target and your arm should continue its upward arc until after the ball has been released. It happens all too often when a beginner pulls his arm back quickly and watches the ball, only to have it roll off course. Don't let that happen to you! Where your eyes are looking is where your shoulders and feet are usually pointing. And we know that to bowl a strike, they all need to be facing forward!

By following these easy to learn techniques, you'll be bowling strike after strike. Your friends will be amazed and the competition disappointed. You can stand proud knowing that you have mastered the skills needed to bowl a strike again and again!

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How to choose right bowling ball

Bowling ball is a round ball which is made from different materials - rubber, urethane, plastic, isinglass, reactive resin (solid, particle, or pearl), or a combination of these materials which is used in the bowling. Ten-pin bowling balls generally have a set of three holes in them, one each for the ring and middle finger, and one for the thumb; however, rules allow for up to five finger holes. A five-pin bowling ball has no finger holes and is smaller so that the bowler can hold the ball in the palm of their hand. Candlepin bowling balls also fit in the hand, but are lighter than five-pin balls.

Bowling balls are in many varieties of colors, and are often either a single flat color, a swirl-like design of multiple colors, or a single color with an iridescent look. It is even possible to obtain transparent bowling balls, painted in such a way as to make it appear as though an object is inside. Some objects have included skulls, footballs, and baseballs.

Inside a bowling ball you find the weight-block and this is a key factor in the amount of action and hook of a bowling ball. In a ball that should go straight you will see an ordinary round weight-block. If your bowling ball need to have more action and hook more, there is a more sophisticated weight-block in the bowling ball which makes sure that the ball has the most impact on the pins.

The most important factors in finding the right ball are appropriate fit and proper weight. The fit or the grip of the ball is determined by the size of the finger and thumbholes and the span between them. The most common grip is called the conventional grip and will be used by most athletes. This grip allows the bowler to insert the two middle fingers up to the second joint, and the thumb completely.

The weight of the ball will be determined by the bowler's physical makeup. A very generalized gauge is that adult males often choose 14- to 16-pound balls; adult females, 10- to 14-pound balls; and youth, a wide range of 6- to 14-pound balls. A well-balanced swing is a good indication that ball weight is correct. For example, during the back swing, if the ball is too heavy, it will cause the shoulder to dip and pull the body off balance. If the bowler consistently drops the ball at the foul line or lofts the ball onto the lane, the ball is not properly fitted.

Ball speed can be an indication of proper weight. Decrease of speed toward the end of a session may mean the ball is too heavy. Often, when scores begin to decrease toward the end of a session, this is a sign that the ball is too heavy. The material and degree of hardness of the ball determine proper use on different lane conditions, the type of roll a bowler throws, and the way the ball impacts the pins. The ball cannot weigh more than 16 pounds. There are no minimum weight restrictions; however, some ball return machines have difficulty returning lighter balls. Balls generally range from 6- to 16-pounds.

History and rules

History
Bowling has been popular with millions of people for thousands of years.

Bowling balls and pins were found in the tomb of an Egyptian king who died in 5,200 B.C. The ancient Polynesians bowled on lanes that were 60 feet long, the same as today.

Bowling was part of a religious ceremony in fourth century Germany. Those who could knock down the pins were said to be of good character. Those who missed had to do penance. Even Martin Luther was a bowler. British kings Edward II and Richard II banned bowling because they said people were wasting too much time playing the sport. But Sir Francis Drake played a game of bowls before he went to war against the Spanish Armada.

Bowling has been popular in America since Colonial days. The British imported lawn bowling but German settlers introduced ninepins, the ancient game that evolved into today's modern tenpin sport.

Because of confusion over playing standards, the top bowlers of the 19th century decided that the sport needed a standard set of rules. They started the American Bowling Congress in 1895 (now the United States Bowling Congress). The Women's International Bowling Congress was started in 1916.

The Lane and Equipment
The playing surface is a lane, 60 feet long from the foul line to the head pin 42 inches wide. On either side of the lane are gutters; if the ball goes off the edge of the lane, it will drop into the gutter and be carried past the pins. The approach is an area 15 feet long, ending at the foul line. The bowler, in making the approach, must not step over the line; 60 feet beyond it is the headpin. The pins are arranged in four rows, with one pin in the first row, two in the second, three in the third, and four in the fourth. They are numbered 1-10; the pins themselves don't carry specific numbers, but the spots on which they are placed do.

The regulation pin is made of hard maple; it is 15 inches high and has a diameter of 2 ¼ inches at the base and a circumference of 15 inches at its widest point. Weight must be between 3 pounds, 6 ounces and 3 pounds, 10 ounces. The regulation ball is of solid composition, has a circumference of no more than 27 inches, and weighs 10 to 16 pounds. A ball may have two or three finger holes; most bowlers use the three-holed ball, inserting the two middle fingers and the thumb into the holes.

Bowling in ordinary shoes isn't permitted, because it can damage the lanes. The peculiarities of the sport demand an unmatched pair of shoes. The right-handed bowler wears a left shoe with a relatively slippery sole, usually of hard leather or vinyl, and a right shoe with a rubber sole that will help "brake."

Play
A game is made up of 10 frames. Each frame represents one turn for the bowler, and in each turn the player is allowed to roll the ball twice. If the player knocks down all the pins with the first roll, it is a strike; if not, a second roll at the pins still standing is attempted. If all the pins are knocked down with two balls, it is a spare; if any pins are left standing, it is an "open frame."

If a bowler commits a foul, by stepping over the foul line during delivery, it counts as a shot, and any pins knocked down are re-spotted without counting. If pins are knocked down by a ball that has entered the gutter, or by a ball bouncing off the rear cushion, they do not count, and are re-spotted.

Scoring

In an open frame, a bowler simply gets credit for the number of pins knocked down. In the case of a spare, a slash mark is recorded in a small square in the upper right-hand corner of that frame on the score sheet, and no score is entered until the first ball of the next frame is rolled.

Then credit is given for 10 plus the number of pins knocked down with that next ball. For example, a player rolls a spare in the first frame; with the first ball of the second frame, the player knocks down seven pins. The first frame, then, gets 17 points. If two of the remaining three pins get knocked down, 9 pins are added, for a total of 26 in the second frame.

If a bowler gets a strike, it is recorded with an X in the small square, the score being 10 plus the total number of pins knocked down in the next two rolls. Thus, the bowler who rolls three strikes in a row in the first three frames gets credit for 30 points in the first frame.

Bowling's perfect score, a 300 game, represents 12 strikes in a row--a total of 120 pins knocked down. Why 12 strikes, instead of 10? Because, if a bowler gets a strike in the last frame, the score for that frame can't be recorded before rolling twice more. Similarly, if a bowler rolls a spare in the last frame, one more roll is required before the final score can be tallied.

Rules

1. Wait for the bowler to your right to deliver his/her ball if you're both bowling at about the same time.
2. Remain behind your fellow bowler while he/she is bowling.
3. Confine your bowling to your own lane.
4. Observe the foul line, even in casual play. Play fair.
5. Never bowl in street shoes.
6. Avoid using someone else's ball without permission.
7. Limit swearing and bad language as much as possible.
8. Be ready when it's your turn.