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Basic Bowling Education

1. HOW TO FIND, CARRY AND HOLD A PROPERLY FITTED BALL. THE BEST THING TO DO IS TO
GET YOUR OWN CUSTOM FITTED BALL YOU WON’T REGRET IT.

KEY PARAMETERS: THE BALL WEIGHT MUST FIT THE PERSON ACCORDING TO AGE, SEX AND
STRENGTH; THE FINGER AND THUMB HOLE SIZES SHOULD FIT LIKE A GLOVE; AND THE SPAN
BETWEEN THE THUMB AND FINGERS NEEDS TO BE COMFORTABLE - NOT TOO SHORT OR
LONG (A PENCIL SHOULD FIT COMFORTABLY BETWEEN THE PALM AND THE BALL WHEN THE
FINGERS ARE INSERTED IN THE BALL).

PICK THE BALL UP OFF THE RACK WITH BOTH HANDS. PLACE MOST OF THE WEIGHT OF THE
BALL IN THE NON-DELIVERY HAND AT ADDRESS.

HOLD THE BALL WITH A FIRM, LOCKED WRIST AND KEEP THE HAND UNDER OR BEHIND IT AT
ADDRESS.

2. ETIQUETTE, TEAMWORK AND SPORTSMANSHIP

KEY PARAMETERS: YIELD TO THE LANES TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT IF THE BOWLER THERE IS
UP ON THE APPROACH PREPARING TO BOWL. NEVER STEP UP ON THE APPROACH IF
ANOTHER BOWLER ON THE ADJACENT LANES TO THE IMMEDIATE LEFT OR RIGHT IS ALREADY
THERE. AFTER THEY MOVE TOWARD THE FOUL LINE YOU MAY GET UP ON THE APPROACH
AND GET TO YOUR STARTING POSITION.   IF TWO BOWLERS ARE READY AT THE SAME TIME,
ONE OF THEM NEEDS TO TELL THE OTHER TO GO AHEAD AND BOWL AND WAIT UNTIL THEY
START THEIR APPROACH TOWARD THE FOUL LINE BEFORE YOU GET UP ON THE APPROACH.

ENCOURAGE YOUR TEAM MEMBERS AT ALL TIMES. NEVER, NEVER MAKE THEM FEEL BAD
EVEN IF THEY ARE NOT BOWLING WELL. HELP THEM IF YOU CAN ONLY IF THEY ASK FOR
HELP.

REMEMBER, AT SOME TIME YOU MAY NOT BE BOWLING WELL SO IF YOU ARE NICE TO
OTHERS, THEY WILL BE NICE TO YOU WHEN YOU NEED IT!

NEVER, OPENLY TAUNT YOUR OPPONENT. BEAT THEM WITH YOUR ABILITY NOT YOUR
MOUTH. ALWAYS RESPECT AND BE NICE TO YOUR OPPONENT. IF YOUR OPPONENT DOES
WELL, CONGRATULATE THEM AND SAY THINGS LIKE, “NICE BALL, GOOD SHOT, NICE SPARE,
GOOD TRY”.

YOU WILL FIND THAT THERE ARE MANY BOWLERS IN THE WORLD WHO ARE JUST AS GOOD AS
YOU OR BETTER. SOME OF THEM BECOME VERY MOTIVATED IF YOU IRRITATE THEM WITH
THE WRONG WORDS OR GESTURES. THIS OFTEN MAKES THEM BOWL BETTER AND THEN
THEY WILL REALLY BEAT YOU!

3. LANE SPECIFICS: APPROACH DOTS, FOUL LINE, ARROWS, LANE AND PINS.

KEY PARAMETERS: THE APPROACHES ARE MADE OF HARD MAPLE WOOD. THE END DOTS ON
THE APPROACH ARE AT 15 FEET FROM THE FOUL LINE. THE NEXT SET OF DOTS ARE 12 FEET
FROM THE FOUL LINE. THE DOT SYSTEM ALLOWS YOU EASILY FIND YOU STARTING POSITION
ON THE APPROACH. THE LARGER CENTER DOT MARKS THE CENTER OF THE LANE AND
SMALL DOTS ON BOTH SIDES ARE AT SET EVERY 5 BOARDS. THERE IS ALSO A THIRD ROW
OF DOTS AT THE FOUL LINE. THE FOUL LINE IS A BLACK LINE WHERE THE APPROACH ENDS
AND THE LANE BEGINS. THERE ARE FOUL LIGHT DETECTORS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE FOUL
LINE. YOU ARE NOT PERMITTED TO CROSS OVER THE FOUL LINE. IF YOU DO THERE IS A
PENALTY AND THE RESULT IS A ZERO SCORE.

AGAIN, THE PURPOSE OF THE DOTS IS TO STANDARDIZE THE STARTING POSITION, PROVIDE A
METHOD TO CHECK THE ANGLE OF FOOTWORK TO THE TARGET FROM THE STARTING
POSITION TO THE FINISHING SPOT AT FOUL LINE AND THEY PROVIDE A MEANS TO MAKE
INTELLIGENT STARTING POSITION ADJUSTMENTS BASED ON BALL REACTION

JUST PAST THE FOUL LINE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE LANE ARE THE GUTTERS. THE LANE IS 60
FEET LONG TO THE PINS FROM THE FOUL LINE. EACH LANE IS COATED WITH A GLOSSY
FINISH AND IS THEN CONDITIONED WITH SLIPPERY OIL THIS THE PRIMARY REASON WHY YOU
CANNOT GO BEYOND THE FOUL LINE BECAUSE IT IS VERY SLIPPERY AND YOU COULD FALL.
LANES ARE CONDITIONED WITH OIL FOR BOTH PROTECTION AND TO INFLUENCE HOW THE
BALL REACTS ON THE LANE.

NEXT, NOTE THAT THERE ARE SEVEN ARROWS ON THE LANE LOCATED AT 15 FEET PAST THE
FOUL LINE. EACH OF THE ARROWS ARE SEPARATED BY 5 BOARDS FROM EACH OTHER AND
THE EDGE OF THE LANE ON EACH SIDE. THE ARROWS AND APPROACH DOTS ALL LINE UP
WITH EACH OTHER. FOR EXAMPLE, THE CENTER DOTS LINE UP WITH THE CENTER ARROW
AND THE HEAD PIN. THE NEXT ARROWS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE CENTER ONE LINE UP WITH
THE TWO AND THREE PINS. AND SO ON. THIS THE BASIS OF THE TARGETING SYSTEM IN
BOWLING AND IS THE MOST IMPORTANT CONCEPT TO UNDERSTAND FOR ANYONE TO
IMPROVE THEIR GAME. IT IS MUCH EASIER TO HIT A TARGET THAT IS CLOSER TO YOU THAN
ONE LIKE THE PINS WHICH ARE 60’ AWAY! NOW, SOME OBSERVANT BOWLERS MAY ASK
ABOUT THE DOTS JUST PAST THE FOUL LINE ON THE LANE. THESE ARE FOR ADVANCED
BOWLERS WHO USE THEM TO FINE TUNE AN ANGLE TOWARD A TARGET. THEY ARE NOT
LOCATED ON THE SAME BOARDS AS THE LOCATOR DOTS ON THE APPROACH AND THE
ARROWS FOR THIS REASON. IN OTHER WORDS, AN ADVANCED BOWLER WILL DRAW AN
IMAGINARY LINE IN HIS TARGETING FROM ONE OF THE LANE DOTS TOWARD AN ARROW
TARGET TO BE MORE PRECISE IN FINDING THE STARTING POSITION FOR HIS APPROACH AND
THE ULTIMATE ENDING POSITION OF THE BALL AT THE PINS.

THE FIRST 15 FEET OF THE LANE IS MADE OF HARD MAPLE WOOD TO RESIST THE POUNDING
OF THE BOWLING BALLS. BALL LOFTING IS NOT ACCEPTABLE BECAUSE IT CAUSES HEAVY
DAMAGE.   A PROPERLY RELEASED BALL SHOULD ONLY GO A COUPLE OF FEET OVER THE
FOUL LINE. AT THE 15 FOOT POINT ON THE LANE THE MAPLE DOVETAILS INTO SOFT
PINEWOOD. THE PIN DECKS AT THE END OF THE LANE ARE ALSO MADE OF HARD MAPLE AND
TEN SPOTS ARE SET ON THEM TO SHOW THE TRIANGULAR POSITION OF THE TEN PINS. THE
PIN SPOTS ARE 1 FOOT APART CENTER TO CENTER. THE DECKS ARE MADE OF HARD MAPLE
WOOD TO RESIST THE POUNDING OF THE PINS. ON BOTH SIDES OF THE PINS DECKS ARE
SIDEWALLS AND FLAT GUTTERS WHICH ARE THERE TO INCREASE PIN ACTION.

THE PIN POSITIONS ARE NUMBERED FROM ONE TO TEN. GOING LEFT TO RIGHT. THE FRONT
PIN IS CALLED THE HEAD PIN OR NO. 1 PIN. PINS WEIGH FROM 3 LBS 6 OZ TO 3 LBS 10 OZ.
WHEN DESCRIBING PINS SUCH AS THOSE REMAINING IN A SPARE LEAVE, ALWAYS REFER TO
THEM IN ASCENDING ORDER, FOR EXAMPLE, 4-7-10, AND, NOT 10-4-7.

THERE ARE A FEW OLD BUT FUN STANDARDS THAT FIT BOWLING TALK, FOR EXAMPLE,
THERE IS THE 3-9 SLEEPER (THE BACK PIN, THE 9 PIN IS REFERRED TO AS SLEEPER SINCE IT
IS HIDDEN BEHIND THE FRONT 3 PIN); THE 3-10 BABY SPLIT (BECAUSE IT IS SMALL); THE 1-2-10
WASHOUT (ANY LEAVE WITH A GAP THAT INCLUDES THE HEAD PIN IS NOT A SPLIT BUT IS
CALLED A WASHOUT); AND THERE ARE MANY MORE SUCH AS THE 2-4-5-8 BUCKET, THE 4-6-7-
10 BIG FOUR SPLIT AND THE 5-7-10 SOUR APPLE! OTHER ARE KNOWN AS THE GREEK
CHURCH OR A BUCKET WITH A MAN IN MOTION! THE 5 PIN IS KNOWN AS THE KINGPIN SINCE IT
IS SURROUNDED BY THE OTHER PINS. THREE STRIKES IN A ROW IS A TURKEY. FOUR IN A
ROW IS A FOUR-BAGGER! DEADWOOD, IS A TERM FOR FALLEN PINS. BOWLING IS SO MUCH
FUN, EVEN THE LINGO IS EXCITING!

4. TECHNIQUE

KEY PARAMETERS: TO FIND YOUR STARTING POSITION FOR A FOUR STEP APPROACH START
AT THE CENTER DOT AT THE FOUL LINE, TURN AND FACE THE SETTEE AREA AND TAKE 4 AND
1/2 NORMAL WALKING STRIDES. TURN AROUND AND FACE THE PINS. THIS IS THE POSITION
WHERE YOU WILL START FROM EVERY TIME WHICH WILL ENABLE YOU TO TAKE A FOUR STEP
APPROACH AND NOT CROSS THE FOUL LINE. FROM THE MIDDLE DOT ON THE APPROACH,
TARGET THE SECOND ARROW OUT ON THE LANE WITH YOUR EYES. THIS IS WHERE YOU
WANT THE BALL TO CROSS OVER ON ITS WAY TO THE PINS. PUT YOUR FINGERS IN THE BALL
AND POSITION IT ON YOUR RIGHT SIDE (FOR RIGHT HANDERS - DO THE OPPOSITE FOR
LEFTYS) . TO START THE SWING PUSH THE BALL AWAY TOWARD YOUR SECOND ARROW
TARGET AND MOVE THE RIGHT FOOT FORWARD AT THE SAME TIME TO TAKE YOUR FIRST
STEP; LET THE BALL SWING NATURALLY, DOWN BACK AND THRU AS YOU TAKE YOUR NEXT
THREE STEPS. IT’S EASY - JUST LIKE WALKING - YOU CAN DO IT. ON YOUR LAST STEP SLIDE
TO A SMOOTH STOP, RELEASE THE BALL AND FOLLOW-THROUGH WITH YOUR ARM OUT
TOWARD THE SECOND ARROW TARGET AND UP PAST YOUR HEAD TO FINISH THE SWING.
VISUALIZE THE BALL AS IT SWINGS ON A PLANE THROUGH THE SHOULDER. THIS WILL HELP
YOU UNDERSTAND HOW A PROPER SWING IS DONE. IF YOU DO IT ANY OTHER WAY YOU CAN’T
HIT YOUR TARGET UNLESS YOU HAVE ENOUGH STRENGTH TO MUSCLE THE BALL INTO THE
CORRECT POSITION.   THE APPROACH AND SWING HELPS YOU EASILY GENERATE GOOD BALL
SPEED SO THAT, ULTIMATELY, YOU AND YOUR BALL WILL BE EFFECTIVE IN KNOCKING DOWN
THOSE PINS.

5. SAFETY

KEY PARAMETERS: SOME OF THESE ISSUES HAVE ALREADY BEEN ADDRESSED, SUCH AS NOT
GOING PAST THE FOUL LINE ON THE LANE. OTHERS WOULD BE AS FOLLOWS: NEVER PUT
YOUR HAND IN THE BALL RETURN; KEEP YOUR FINGERS AWAY FROM THE SIDE OF A BALL ON
THE RACK WHEN ANOTHER COMES OUT OF THE RETURN; NEVER GO DOWN THE SIDE OR ON
THE GUTTERS TO RETRIEVE A BALL OR DEADWOOD BUT, INSTEAD CALL THE CONTROL DESK
TO SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS; NEVER THROW A BALL AT ANYONE; DO NOT RUN IN THE
BOWLING CENTER; BE CAREFUL NOT TO GET WATER ON THE SLIDING SHOE BECAUSE IT WILL
STICK ON THE APPROACH WHICH MAY CAUSE A FALL.

6. SCORING

KEY PARAMETERS: A GAME CONSISTS OF 10 FRAMES.   IF YOU KNOCK DOWN ALL TEN PINS
ON YOUR FIRST BALL IT’S CALLED A STRIKE. FOR THAT FRAME YOU GET A SCORE OF TEN
PLUS WHAT YOU KNOCK DOWN ON THE NEXT TWO BALLS. IF YOU DON’T GET A STRIKE AND
LEAVE PINS STANDING, THEN YOU GET ONE MORE BALL IN THAT FRAME TO KNOCK THEM
DOWN. IF YOU KNOCK DOWN ALL TEN PINS ON TWO BALLS IT’S CALLED A SPARE. FOR THAT
FRAME YOU GET A SCORE OF TEN PLUS WHAT YOU KNOCK DOWN ON THE NEXT BALL. IF YOU
FAIL TO CONVERT A SPARE IT’S CALLED AN OPEN FRAME AND YOU GET THE TOTAL OF THE
PINS YOU KNOCK DOWN FOR THAT FRAME. A PERFECT GAME CONSISTING OF 12 STRAIGHT
STRIKES AMOUNTS TO A SCORE OF 300. THIS IS OUR GOAL EVERY TIME WE BOWL.