Learn How To Bowl Part 2

In the first section of learn how to bowl, we covered the some of the basics bowling. Now we will start getting into the bowling techniques for a beginner.

How to select a bowling ball

When you first start out bowling, you will most likely use a house ball. Every bowling alley has free bowling balls for use by their customers. These balls are good for learning how to bowl as well as sometimes when you have your own ball you may want to try a different weight. The advantage of these balls is that you can learn to get comfortable with the techniques before you invest in your own bowling ball. This disadvantage is that the ball may not fit your hand as well as a ball that has been drilled to fit your hand perfectly.

What  bowling ball weight should I use?

The bowling ball weight that you use generally depends on your age and physical condition. Bowling ball weights range from 6 to 16 pounds  You want to use the heaviest ball that you can maintain control during your approach and release. Generally,  younger bowlers will use a weight between 6 and 14 pounds. The older children will be in the higher range. Women are usually in the 10 to 14 pound and men in the 12 to 16 range. One rule of thumb is to select a ball that is not more than 10% of the bowlers weight.

One test for bowling ball weight is to hold it out straight out with both hands. You should be able to hold the ball comfortably for at least 5 seconds. You can also test swing the ball to make sure it feels good and is not too heavy.

How to grip a bowling ball

As a beginner, you want to use the standard bowling grip. First you insert your thumb and make sure that it fits comfortably. If possible find a ball that is neither tight nor very loose on your thumb. You should be able to comfortably insert and pull out your thumb. If it is too tight you will have problems releasing the ball and too loose you will not have as good of control of the ball.  Next insert your middle and ring fingers in the other two holes. Your fingers should be able to be inserted to the second joint. The index and pinkie should be extended  flat against the ball on either side of the two holes. Go here to see a video on how to grip a bowling ball.

 Alright, now that we have the basics down, it is time to start bowling!!! Go here to learn the four step approach in bowling.

Bowling Lanes—psd (Flickr.com)

Learn How to Bowl

Congratulations on wanting to learn how to bowl. Bowling is great sport for everyone that can be enjoyed throughout your lifetime. Young kids and older adults and everyone in between can have a great time bowling together!

What Equipment Do You Need to Bowl?

One of the great things about learning how to bowl  is that it can be done with a minimum of equipment that you need to immeditately buy, which is really you don’t need to buy anything! You really only need bowling shoes, a bowling ball and a bowling alley. All bowling alleys rent bowling shoes at a minimum cost and some even include it for free.  Bowling alleys also have “house” bowling balls which you can use for free.  You will need to pay for the bowling which is usually charged per game or for a fixed time period. The only thing you need to get started is a pair of socks and some bowling alleys are giving those away for fee too!

Bowling Lanes

Once you arrive you will be assigned a bowling lane to bowl on. It is a good idea to learn about bowling lanes since this knowledge will assist you in becoming a good bowler.  All bowling lanes should be the same dimensions. The lane is 62 feet 10 and 3/16 inches long from the foul line to the end of the lane. The foul line is the latest point you can release the bowling ball and it is 60 feet exactly to the head or 1 pin. A gutter is on each side of the bowling lane.

You will also notice the lane has a set of seven arrows. These arrows will assist you in aiming the ball.

There are ten pins that you are trying to knock down and they are arranged in an equalateral triangle and the pins are 1 foot apart. The pins are numbered from the front and then each row left to right. The front pin is number one,  the second row left to right is two and three, the third row four, five, and six, and the back row is seven, eight, nine, and ten.

The area that you will use to for throwing your bowling ball is called the approach or runway. It is 15 feet long  and 42 inches wide. If you look closely, you will notice that the lane has consists of boards that are a little over an inch. The lane has 39 boards and you can use this to help with your starting position and adjustments for spares. You will also notice that there are three sets of dots on the approach and these are called guide dots. You will use these dots to set your starting position for each throw.

Bowling Courtesy

Bowling is a fun sport and everyone can have a great time while bowling, but remember that there are other people bowling around you so a little courtesy is always expected.  When bowling, when someone in the immediate left or right lane is on the lane ready to bowl, you should wait until they have thrown their ball before you move into position and bowl. Also, you need to have bowling shoes on when you are on the lanes and not street shoes. The bowling shoes should not be worn outside of the bowling alley. Doing so could ruin the shoes as well as any debris that you get on the bottom of the shoes could cause damage to the bowling lane. The important thing to remember is that everyone is there to bowl and have fun!

Bowling Overview

 The object of bowling is to knock down all of your pins. The game has ten frames and you can score a maximum of 300 points in a game and a maximum of 30 pins in a frame. You have  up to two chances to knock down the ten pins in each frame. On the first ball, if all of the pins fall down, then you have a strike. The frame is over when you get a strike. If you don’t eliminate all the pins on the first throw, you get a second chance to finish knocking them down. If you knock the remaining pins on your second ball, then you have a spare. If pins are left after the second attempt, you have an open frame. The tenth frame you can actually get up to three throws. If you make a strike in the tenth frame, you get to more balls to throw and you can potentially get two more strikes or a spare. If you get a spare on the first two balls in the tenth frame, then you get a third ball to throw too. Any pins left after the third ball in the frame will not count in the game. If you do not get a strike or a spare then you will only have the standard two balls for the frame.

Scoring in bowling is a little complicated.  Each frame is a running total of all of the points scored  in the game. If you make a strike, then you get 10 points plus the total of the next two balls that you throw added to the frame that the strike was made. This will get you the maximum 30 points for the frame. A spare will get you 10 points  plus the pins on the next ball thrown so the frame can be worth a maximum of twenty points. If you have an open frame, you only count the number of pins for that frame. The tenth frame is scored for the total pins in that frame only for a maximum of 30 points.

There are many ways to learn to bowl. Many bowlers learn from having friends show them the basics and watching the techniques of other bowlers. Many videos and books are available to show the new bowler different techniques as well. Some bowling centers will also have lessons available and sometimes even the employees at the bowling alley will show give new bowlers advice on their form.

Another great way to learn bowling is to join a league. Most bowling lanes have leagues each night as well as on the weekend. This is a great way to improve your bowling, learn new techniques, and meet new people. Leagues can be same sex or mixed making it a fun social event as well as friendly competition. Kids can even join a league.

Most bowling alleys are also a good place to have a party or have team building skills. It is a fun place for kids to have their parties, but many adults have been known to have their party there as well!

Kids can have a great time at the bowling alley. Usually they have side rails to prevent gutter balls. Many establishments also have amusement games to keep the children occupied while the parents bowl as well a snack bar featuring such nutricious food as pizza and french fries!

When you start bowling more you will probably want to consider purchasing some of your own equipment. Bowling shoes are usually high on the list. Having comfortable bowling shoes that are a little more stylish than the rentals not only look better, but will be more comfortable and will help you bowl better.

Owning your own bowling ball is very helpful in improving your bowling skills. This way you can get a ball that will fit your hands and will be easier and more accurate to throw. Sometimes, you can get a free ball when joining a league. They will give you a low end starter ball. As you progress in your bowling, you will probably want to buy a ball that is higher quality. You may also find that you will want a higher or lower weight ball or one that allows you to hook the ball.

Once you purchase a bowling ball, another must have accessory is the bowling ball bag. Most people will get bag that holds a single ball, but more advanced bowlers will want one that holds several balls so they can change balls during a game if the ball they are using isn’t perfoming as well as planned. You can also get a bag that rolls so that you don’t have to lug it around all the time!

If you are in a league, you will probably want to have a bowling shirt for your team. These are fun and help provide an identity for your team. Like everthing else, there are numerous options for all sorts of shirts. You can have a funny bowling shirt or polo bowling shirt or even a retro bowling shirt. You can even get a Disney bowling shirt. There are numerous bowling shirt choices for men, women, girls and boys!

We’re headed to the bowling alley in about 45 minutes and I was wondering: what are some times to taking some great photos? The lighting in bowling alleys is usually less-than-desired, and I just wanted to make sure that they look great!

Any tips to get a little flirty with her while having a fun time playing the game?