Bowling

Essay by EssaySwap ContributorHigh School, 12th grade February 2008

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BowlingBowling is a fun sport, that requires much strategy and patience. To play all you have to do is roll a ball down a lane toward ten pins, and you try to knock down the ten pins. It?s not as easy as it sounds though.

A game consists of ten frames. A frame is one or two throws per persons turn. Each pin knocked down counts as one point. If you knock down all the pins in one throw, it counts as ten points plus the total of the next two balls. If you knock down all the pins in two throws it is called a spare and it counts as ten points plus the total of the next ball. In order to bowl a perfect game you have to get twelve strikes in a row. And your total score would be 300.

Some of the safety rules for bowling are make sure your shoes are clean and dry before approaching to throw the ball.

Don?t pick up the ball with just one hand. Make sure your bowling hand is bone dry. Check the bottom of your bowling shoes to see if there is moisture on any foreign objects. Wipe your ball thoroughly with a rag to remove any excess dirt or lane oil. Take a deep breath and exhale before you approach. And most important relax.

The American Bowling congress was founded in 1895, and the Women?s International Bowling Congress was founded in 1916. They hold yearly championships. Top bowlers now compete for prizes and money. Also the games of duckpins and candlepins (played with smaller pins and balls) also enjoy regional popularity.

Bowling goes as far back as 5200 B.C. in Egypt. A similar game was played in Germany using only nine pins. The Dutch probably introduced it to America. The game of tenpins became known in the 19th century. The invention of electric pin setters spurred the growth of bowling.

There are lots of different words that bowlers use to describe things. Such as anchor man. An anchor man is the last man to bowl. Back up ball is a reverse hook. A channel is the gutter on each side of the lane. A die is when the ball loses action at the end of the lane. A dump is dumping the ball at the foul line. Headpin is the one pin. A pie alley is an alley that allows high scoring. There are hundreds of more terms that the bowlers use these are just a very few of them. It almost seems like bowlers have their own secret language! A regulation bowling alley is made up of polished wood and it measures 41-42 inches wide, and 60 feet long from the foul line. Bowlers roll a ball that is made out of either rubber or plastic. The ball has three to four finger holes and weighs from ten to sixteen pounds. The ten pins at the end are made of wood and are fifteen inches high and weighing from three to four pounds.

In conclusion bowling is a fun sport. They say bowlers don?t practice much. And most rule books say you should. A game consists of ten frames. There are many safety rules and many other rules. Bowlers seem to communicate with words only they can understand.