Bowling For Dummies E-Book

A. J. Forrest

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 428

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2010

Beschreibung

The fast and easy way to perfect your bowling game

Bowling is an inexpensive date, an affordable night out for the whole family, and a fun hangout activity for kids of all ages. Bowling For Dummies reveals the tips, tricks, and rules of play for this iconic American sport.

While not every player can hope to bowl 300, you can improve your average and show off for friends, family, and bowling league teammates. Bowling For Dummies provides easy-to-understand instructions for improving your bowling game. The expert tips and advice take you through every step of the game, from selecting the right shoes to the proper way to yell, "Strike!"

• Packed with photos and line drawings
• Step-by-step instructions and illustrations included for all techniques
• Covers beginner through more advanced techniques

Whether you're a casual bowler or on a bowling league, the practical, friendly advice in Bowling For Dummies will have you itching to hit the lanes to try out your new skills.

Leseprobe

Bowling for Dummies®

Table of Contents

Introduction

About This Book

Conventions Used in This Book

What You’re Not to Read

Foolish Assumptions

How This Book Is Organized

Part I: The Opening Frame

Part II: Body Basics: Throwing Yourself into the Game

Part III: Time to Get Rolling: Making Your Shot

Part IV: Staying on Your Game

Part V: Joining Others at the Center

Part VI: The Part of Tens

Icons Used in This Book

Where to Go from Here

Part I: The Opening Frame

Chapter 1: Welcome to the Wonderful World of Bowling

Figuring Out How the Game Works

Seeing what equipment you need

Bowling in a nutshell

Looking at scoring

Surveying the Main Benefits of Bowling

Providing a social outlet

Improving your health

Chapter 2: Getting Down to the Basics of the Game

Dem’s da Rules: Bowling 101

Keeping Score

Diving into the basics

Scoring strikes and spares

Walking through a frame-by-frame scoring example

Letting the computer score for you

Calculating your bowling average

Looking at the Lanes

Walking through the parts of a lane

Deciphering lane markings

Pondering Pin Particulars

Curves ahead: Examining a pin’s shape

Triangles, splits, and pockets: Figuring out pin configuration

Coping with Mechanical Difficulties

Chapter 3: Heading to the Center

Going to the Center for the First Time

Finding a center near you

Choosing when to go

Dressing for the center

Counting (and cutting) the costs

Checking out what’s where

Renting Bowling Shoes

Discovering the benefits of bowling shoes

Making sure the shoe fits

Sharing shoes the safe and sanitary way

Choosing a House Ball

Get a grip: Seeking out the right finger span and hole size

Not too heavy, not too light: Finding a ball that feels just right

Do the best with what you can get: Accepting that your ball isn’t perfect

Watch Yourself: Minding Bowling Manners and Safety

Being a courteous bowler

Keeping it safe

Chapter 4: Buying Your Own Ball, Shoes, and Accessories

What to Know Before You Buy a Ball

A bowling ball’s makeup

Coverstock options

Choosing a Custom-Drilled Bowling Ball

Knowing where to shop

Picking the perfect weight

Buying a ball that’s made to hook or go straight

Getting a grip

Drilling the ball for a perfect fit

Adding a bag to store your stuff

Maintaining and Storing Your Bowling Ball

Keeping your bowling ball cleaned and polished

Letting a machine do the work

Dealing with defects

Where (and where NOT) to store your ball

Deciding When to Upgrade or Add Another Ball

Selecting the Right Accessories for Your Feet

Buying your own bowling shoes

Outfitting your shoes

Get Wise and Accessorize: Hand Gear

Supporting your wrist with a bowling glove

Avoiding slip-ups with gripping aids

Part II: Body Basics: Throwing Yourself into the Game

Chapter 5: Finding Your Form and Style

Understanding the Finer Points of Form

Getting a feel for the different forms

Determining your natural form

Using more than one type of form

Holding and Releasing the Ball Properly for Each Form

Throwing a straight ball

Throwing a hook shot

Throwing a backup ball

Putting Your Own Spin on the Game: Bowling Styles

Chapter 6: Positioning Yourself for a Smooth Approach

Getting into Position

Choosing a starting spot

Setting your stance

Moving through the Four-Step Approach

Assessing Your Stance and Approach

Doing a little self-examination

Asking for a critique

Chapter 7: Throwing the Ball

Setting Your Fingers, Hand, and Wrist

Sticking your fingers into the ball

Positioning your hand and wrist

Putting Your Arm through the Motions

Swinging your arm forward, back, and forward again

Releasing the ball

Following through

Seeing How the Ball Rolls

Knowing your ideal ball speed

Putting a little spin on your hook shot

Chapter 8: Correcting Common Approach Problems

Reevaluating Your Equipment

Correcting the bowling ball blues

Solving shoe troubles

Sizing Up Your Stance

Standing in the right spot

Holding the ball properly

Aligning the rest of your body

Improving Your Approach

Fixing footwork fumbles

Bettering your backswing

Tweaking your timing

Recognizing Release Problems

For early releasers

For late releasers

Assessing Your Throw

Sending your ball spinning (or not)

Throwing the ball with consistent force and speed

Following through for strong throws

Checking for Problems, Point by Point

Part III: Time to Get Rolling: Making Your Shot

Chapter 9: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Hook Shots

Getting Acquainted with the Hook Shot and Your Form

Creating a Hook

Hook shot must-haves

The how-to

Improving Your Hook

Fixing a throw that’s hooking too much

Pumping up a throw that isn’t hooking enough

Understanding what the lanes are telling you

Chapter 10: Knocking ’Em All Down: The Secrets to Bowling Strikes

The Key to Strikes: Hitting the Pocket

How to Throw a Strike

If you’re a right-handed straight bowler

If you’re a left-handed straight bowler

If you’re a right-handed hook bowler

If you’re a left-handed hook bowler

Increasing Your Odds of Throwing a Strike

Adjusting how you throw

Increasing your pin action

Being consistent

I Was Robbed! What to Do When You Can’t Buy a Strike

Looking into the lane conditions

Double-checking your form

Chapter 11: Picking Up Spares

Seeing Why Spares Are Essential

Picking up spares makes you a better bowler

Picking up spares is essential for high scores

Identifying Spares and Adjusting Your Shot Accordingly

Single-pin spares

Multipin spares

Mastering Spares

Chapter 12: Conquering Classic Splits

Splits — Why Every Bowler Hates ’Em

Understanding how you wound up in Splitsville

Recognizing how splits affect your score

Avoiding the Splits

Identifying the Different Types of Splits

Easy splits

Not-so-easy splits

Almost-impossible splits

Converting Splits

Picking up the easy ones

Picking up the more difficult splits

Picking up the toughest splits of all

Part IV: Staying on Your Game

Chapter 13: Understanding the Ins and Outs of Oil on the Lanes

Flooring Basics

Oil, a Slippery Topic

Recognizing how oil affects your bowling

Factoring in the weather

Looking at Oil Patterns

Knowing where oil patterns come from

Zooming in on PBA patterns

Compensating for Oil

Adjusting your approach

Bowling around the pattern

Chapter 14: Staying in the Game, Physically and Mentally

Bowling as Exercise? You’d Better Believe It!

Staying Flexible for Better Bowling Form

Loosening up your neck

Crossing over to stretch your shoulders

Stretching to avoid the “Oh, my aching back” scenario

Keeping your hands and fingers limber

Being nice to your knees

Moo-ving on to the calf stretch

Common Injuries: How to Avoid Them (And How to Treat Them If You Can’t)

Bumps and bruises

Cuts, scrapes, and blisters

Wrist and knee sprains

Shoulder injuries

Repetitive stress injuries

Having a Good Mental Game

Visualizing success

Staying positive

Chapter 15: Improving Your Game on Your Own or with a Coach’s Help

Doing as Much as You Can on Your Own

Deciding Whether You Need a Coach

Wanted: A Personal Bowling Coach

Considering your goals and commitment level

Finding a coach

Knowing what to look for

Working with a Coach

Setting goals together

Looking at commonly used coaching techniques and drills

Chapter 16: Bowling When You Have Special Health Conditions

Staying Safe with Baby on Board

Heading to the Lanes in Your Senior Years

Adding some sparkle to your golden years

Accommodating special senior circumstances

Bowling with Special Needs

Adjusting for physical limitations

Taking advantage of special equipment

Finding bowling opportunities through special organizations

Post-Surgery Bowling, Your Doctor’s Decision

Bowling with a Bad Back

Understanding how bowling affects your back

Taking care of your spine

Part V: Joining Others at the Center

Chapter 17: Taking the Kids Bowling

Kids and Bowling, a Winning Combination

Choosing the Right Ball

Finding a ball with the right weight and fit

Hunting down a house ball

Purchasing a child’s bowling ball

Teaching Kids the Basics of Bowling

Explaining the game in kid-friendly terms

Letting your child play the game

Avoiding common pint-sized bowling problems

Signing Your Child Up for a League or Tournament

Surveying your child’s league options

Trying out a youth tournament

Bowling in School

Playing for the high school team

Hitting the college circuit

Letting the Good Times Roll with a Bowling Party

Keeping things under control

Making sure everyone has fun

Chapter 18: Playing in Leagues and Tournaments

Introducing League Bowling

Discovering how a league works

Getting acquainted with the various kinds of leagues

Deciding whether to go sanctioned or not

Joining a League

Finding a league

Making your choice

Signing yourself up

Using a substitute when you can’t bowl

Following League Rules for Bowling

Doing the Math for League Scoring

Calculating your average

Calculating your team’s average

Calculating handicaps

Competing in Tournament Play

Checking out the types of tournaments you can enter

Signing up for your chance to play and win

Part VI: The Part of Tens

Chapter 19: Ten Ways to Add 10 Points (Or More) to Your Score

Give Your Ball a Tune-Up

Practice, Practice, Practice

Improve Your Approach

Analyze Your Hook

Move Around

Understand the Oil

Consistently Hit Your Target

Adjust for Spares

Take Care of Your Body and Your Mind

Stay Calm, Relax, and Have Fun

Chapter 20: Ten Tricks to Throwing a Great Hook

Have the Right Kind of Ball

Make Sure Your Ball Fits Right

Get a (Fingertip) Grip

Clean Up Your Stance and Approach

Work on Your Timing

Spin That Ball

Hit the Target

Know How to Read the Lane

Avoid Overthinking

Commit to Practicing

Chapter 21: Ten Ways to Make Bowling More Fun

Coordinating Team Building through Bowling

Starting a League

Organizing a Fundraiser

Participating in Charity Bowling Events

Hosting Parties and Celebrations

Getting Hitched at a Bowling Center

Engaging in Virtual Bowling

Changing Up the Routine

Watching a Tournament

Visiting the International Bowling Museum

Chapter 21: Glossary

Bowling For Dummies®

by A.J. Forrest and Lisa Iannucci

Bowling For Dummies®

Published byWiley Publishing, Inc.111 River St.Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774

www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, [phone], fax [phone]. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, [phone], fax [phone], or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2010928473

ISBN: 978-0-470-60159-4

Manufactured in the United States of America

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About the Authors

Over his 15-year amateur bowling career, A.J. Forrest has racked up a host of accomplishments, including a total of twelve 300 games, eight 800 series, multiple 299 and 298 games, and 20 games where he bowled 11 strikes in a row. In 1996, he was a member of the Region 15 College Team, and in 1997, he was on the National Junior College Athletic Association All-American Bowling Team. He qualified for and participated in the Empire State Games, New York’s Olympic-style amateur athletic program, and has been a coach for the Empire State Games bowling team since 2006. In 2006, A.J. was the Dutchess County/Putnam County All-Events Bowling Champion, the Dutchess/Putnam Singles Bowling Champion, and the Dutchess/Putnam Doubles Champion. In 2008, the Hudson Valley chapter of the United States Bowling Congress presented A.J. with its Award of Distinction, and in 2010, he was a recipient of the Shaker Award, given by the Greater Southern Dutchess Chamber of Commerce.

A.J. has coached college bowling for four years, leading the Dutchess Community College bowling team to its first regional championship in 2007. He was named the Region 15 Coach of the Year and is a level one and level two certified bronze medal coach. Previously, A.J. owned his own pro bowling shop in Dover Plains, New York. Currently, he is general manager of all five HoeBowl Family Fun Centers in upstate New York (hoebowlfamilyfun.blogspot.com). You can reach A.J. at [email protected].

Lisa Iannucci is an award-winning veteran of magazine and book publishing who has been in the business for more than 20 years. She has written articles for USA WEEKEND, SHAPE, Parenting, Frequent Flyer, the Travel section of the Los Angeles Times, The COOPERATOR, BobVila.com, and many more publications and Web sites. She writes on many topics, including health, travel, celebrities, and real estate. Lisa is also the founder of a celebrity-do-gooders blog (celebrity-do-gooders.blogspot.com) and the author of young adult biographies of Ellen DeGeneres and Will Smith. She has been bowling since she was a kid and now has two children in the USBC Youth League program, where they have won multiple awards in league and tournament play as well as a scholarship. You can reach Lisa at [email protected].

Dedication

From A.J.: I dedicate this book to my boys — 2-year-old Tyler and 6-year-old Baylee. They’re young and yet already bowlers. Helping them has been so much fun and has shown me how much fun it would be to help others, so they’re my inspiration for writing this book. I’d also like to dedicate this book to my mom, Barbara Forrest. She has always been a positive influence and inspiration.

From Lisa: When I wrote my first book, my kids — Nicole, Travis, and Samantha Brinkley — were 6, 4, and 2. Today, 11 years and many books later, they’re slowly making their way out into the world, yet they still inspire me every day. Thanks to my mom, Patricia Quaglieri, who not only modeled for this book but is also my hero. The family that bowls together stays together, and we’re a bowling family.

Authors’ Acknowledgments

This book wouldn’t be what it is without these people who helped us along the way: our acquisitions editor, Mike Lewis; our fantabulous, amazing project editor, Vicki Adang; our Dummifier, Sharon Perkins; our amazing copy editor, Jen Tebbe; and our technical editor, Joan Taylor.

Special thanks to our agent, Marilyn Allen, who was behind this project since the beginning, and our models, Chrissy Gallagher, Travis Brinkley, Heidi Hoffman Kane, Patricia Stein, Patricia Quaglieri, Venus Worthy, and Walter Sankar II. Thanks to Diane Hoe, owner of HoeBowl Centers in New York’s Hudson Valley, for the use of her center for our photo shoot and to photographer Mark Engelman. Thanks also to the entire staff at Holiday Bowl in Wappingers Falls, especially Eric Brought and Marshall Smith; to Gene Pedicone, owner of GT’s Behind The Line bowling pro shop; to the USBC’s and the PBA’s press departments; and to physicians Dr. Jeannette Anderson and Dr. Dolly Garnecki.

Lisa thanks A.J. for all of his hard work and sacrifice during the writing of this book. A.J. would also like to thank Lisa for asking him to write a fun book on a fun topic.

Publisher’s Acknowledgments

We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments at dummies.custhelp.com. For other comments, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax [phone].

Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development

Project Editor: Victoria M. Adang

Acquisitions Editor: Michael Lewis

Copy Editor: Jennifer Tebbe

Assistant Editor: Erin Calligan Mooney

Senior Editorial Assistant: David Lutton

Technical Editor: Joan Taylor

Editorial Manager: Michelle Hacker

Editorial Assistants: Rachelle S. Amick, Jennette ElNaggar

Art Coordinator: Alicia B. South

Cover Photo: © iStock / James Steidl

Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com)

Composition Services

Project Coordinator: Patrick Redmond

Layout and Graphics: Brooke C. Graczyk, Brent Savage, Erin Zeltner

Proofreaders: Betty Kish, Jessica Kramer

Indexer: Rebecca Salerno

Special Help: Sharon Perkins; photographs by Mark Engelman

Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies

Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies

Kristin Ferguson-Wagstaffe, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies

Ensley Eikenburg, Associate Publisher, Travel

Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel

Publishing for Technology Dummies

Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher, Dummies Technology/General User

Composition Services

Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services

Introduction

Anyone can bowl — whether you’re 2 or 102, a league bowler or someone who has never picked up a bowling ball before — and we want you to have just as much fun with bowling as we do. And at a time when many folks are looking for an affordable activity that’s closer to home, bowling is an outing an entire family can enjoy for less than the cost of heading to the movies and springing for overpriced popcorn, soda, and candy.

If you’ve never bowled before, you’ll wonder why you waited so long to have so much fun, and we guarantee you’ll come back again. If you’ve been away from bowling for a while and need a refresher course, welcome back, we’ve missed you. And if you’ve been bowling for a few years and want to raise your game to the next level, then get ready to bowl better and achieve higher scores with the information we present in this book.

About This Book

Bowling isn’t a complicated sport. All you need to know to start knocking down some pins are the basic rules of the game, a few tidbits about scoring, and some simple tips on how to throw the ball. Getting started bowling really is that easy, and this book is just as easy to understand. Bowling For Dummies takes you through every aspect of the game with simple terminology, as well as illustrations and photographs to help you understand more complex points.

Bowling For Dummies starts with an overview of bowling and then moves into the specifics, including how to move your body, how to throw a hook shot, and how to throw strikes and pick up spares. We go on to share how you can get kids excited about bowling and what you can do to keep yourself in tiptop condition (and what to do when an injury slows you down or age catches up with you).

The great thing about Bowling For Dummies is that it includes something for every skill level. If you’re new to bowling, you find out about the proper shoes and equipment to start with. If you’re more advanced, we give you tips for picking up difficult shots and fill you in on what you can do to improve your score. Regardless of your bowling expertise (or lack thereof), we’re certain you’ll discover something helpful in the following pages.

Conventions Used in This Book

We use the following conventions throughout the book to make things consistent:

All Web addresses appear in monofont. (Note that we haven’t inserted any extra punctuation if an address breaks across a page. Just type it in exactly as you see it.)

New terms appear in italics and are closely followed by an easy-to-understand definition.

Boldface is used to highlight the action parts of numbered steps and keywords in bulleted lists.

You’ll also find that we refer consistently to bowling centers rather than bowling alleys. Years ago, bowling alleys were called alleys because they were just for bowling and bore a resemblance to a back alley. Bowlers smoked, ate, drank, and bowled; they didn’t have any other activities available to them. Today’s bowling facilities are now smoke free, and many have even been expanded to include additional fun activities such as rock climbing, paintball, and arcades, as well as fancy restaurants. Some state-of-the-art centers even resemble night clubs with catering services and big-screen televisions. So now that bowling alleys offer more than just bowling, people refer to them as bowling centers.

Additionally, in some of the photos throughout this book, it may look like the bowlers are standing at the foul line as they’re preparing to make their shot. Rest assured, they’re not; they’re standing in the right place to begin their approach. The photos were taken at a bowling center that has two different shades of flooring, which makes it look like the pictured bowler is already at the foul line.

As a final note on the convention front, we recognize that every bowler is different, so we kept that in mind when writing this book. Even though it may seem that what we tell a right-handed bowler to do is pretty much just the reverse of what we tell a lefty, we often provide the instructions for both right-handed and left-handed folks.

What You’re Not to Read

Whenever you come across sidebars (the information in gray-shaded boxes), trust that the material in them is interesting but not essential to your understanding of bowling basics. Feel free to skip over sidebars for now (or forever!).

Foolish Assumptions

We know the old saying that you shouldn’t assume anything about anyone because you make an . . . well, we’ll assume you know that saying. However, we did have to make some assumptions about you while we were writing. Here’s what we came up with:

You’ve either never been inside a bowling center and bowled a game or you’ve bowled years ago and are just now thinking about returning to the sport.

You want to take your bowling skills to the next level, improve your average score, and pick up perplexing spares.

You’ve seen advanced bowlers throw amazing hook shots, and you want to know how to throw one just like ’em.

You understand that practice is the only way to get better in any sport, so you’re ready to practice on your own, with friends, or both.

How This Book Is Organized

Bowling For Dummies is divided into six parts that group together important information so you can easily find what you’re looking for. Following is a short rundown of what the different parts cover.

Part I: The Opening Frame

Here’s where you discover what bowling is all about, from why it’s so popular and how it’s played to how it’s scored and what equipment you need to get started. Not only do we walk you through an actual bowling center so you know what to expect when you arrive but we also give you some insight into the many health and social benefits bowling offers and fill you in on how to buy your own bowling ball, bag, shoes, and other equipment. By the time you’re done with this part, you’ll be ready to bowl.

Part II: Body Basics: Throwing Yourself into the Game

The secret to bowling well lies in your form, which is why this part gives you step-by-step instructions on holding the ball, starting your approach to the lane, and throwing the ball. We show you where to aim and explain how to get your ball to go to the sweet spot that makes a strike a sure thing. Whether you’re a lefty, a righty, a hook bowler, or a straight bowler, we cover it all right here. We also help you troubleshoot any problems you may be having, such as too much of a hook, too little of a hook, and not hitting your target.

Part III: Time to Get Rolling: Making Your Shot

Bowlers love high scores, and strikes are what make those high scores possible. This part shows you how to knock ’em all down and helps you understand how the angle of your throw affects the number of pins you knock down. And because most people can’t bowl a strike every single frame, we also show you how to pick up spares (which is when you knock down all the pins with your second throw) and splits (which are what you have when the pins left standing after your first throw have a varying amount of distance between them). This part is a great guide to refer to over and over again during your game so you can ace every throw, especially if you want to score strikes, pick up spares, and convert splits.

Part IV: Staying on Your Game

Lots of factors can affect your game, from the oil on the lanes to your own mental state. In this part, we show you how each lane is different, explain how the oil that’s used to condition the lanes affects how your ball travels toward the pins, and give you tips on adapting to potential game-changing factors. This is also the part where we get into your head and show you how to keep a positive attitude and stay injury free, both of which will improve your game. And if you think you need some extra help to better your game, this part even tells you all you need to know about finding and working with a bowling coach. We also review cautions for those bowlers who are pregnant or have other special considerations that may cause them to adjust how they normally bowl.

Part V: Joining Others at the Center

Bowling is a social sport, and this part helps you find others to play with. First, we reveal everything you need to know to take the kids bowling, including the type of equipment they need and how to sign them up for a youth league. Of course, adults deserve a little playtime too, so this part also addresses adult bowling leagues, including league rules and costs as well as how the scoring differs from traditional scoring. It also covers bowling tournaments and how to sign up for one.

Part VI: The Part of Tens

This part is short and sweet but filled with a great deal of helpful information. It contains three chapters that are chock-full of ways to improve your score, throw a better hook, and make bowling even more fun. Refer to these chapters often for quick tips on improving your game or making bowling a bigger and better part of your life.

We also include a glossary containing some familiar and some not-so-familiar bowling terms. You can turn to these pages when you need a refresher about a word’s meaning.

Icons Used in This Book

Even though all the information in this book is useful, we mark especially important text with an icon. Here’s a key to what each icon represents.

If you take nothing else away from your read of Bowling For Dummies but the information marked by this icon, then you’ll have a solid foundation for years of bowling fun.

Text marked with this icon includes suggestions for different things you can do to improve your game. You don’t have to follow them, but if you do, you may wind up having an easier time with bowling.

When you see a paragraph marked with a Warning icon, pay attention because you’re about to absorb something you need to know to avoid harming your game and stay safe (or keep others around you safe) while you’re bowling.

Where to Go from Here

Excited about throwing a hook? Then jump to Chapter 9. Interested in signing up for a league but want the inside scoop before the first week? Jump ahead to Chapter 18. Where you decide to start reading is up to you. However, if you’re not sure where to start, especially if you’ve never bowled before, we recommend that you start right at the beginning. That way you can progress with your bowling as you go through each chapter.

Part I

The Opening Frame

In this part . . .

This part is your opportunity to take a closer look at the sport of bowling, including how and where it’s played. We get you familiar with the rules and scoring and reveal that those little marks on the lane aren’t just there for decoration — they’re actually there to help you become a better bowler. We also run through the equipment you need to get started, from your very own bowling ball (should you want one) to bowling shoes (they’re not all ugly, we promise).

Chapter 1

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Bowling

In This Chapter

Reviewing the finer points of bowling

Enjoying the social benefits of the sport

Looking at bowling as a form of cardiovascular and strength-training exercise

Every year, millions of people go bowling and have a great time with their family and friends. Bowling is a sport that just about anyone can play, you can enjoy it year-round, it’s easy to learn (not to mention affordable), and you can get started right away without having to buy any special equipment. All you have to do is walk into your local center, rent some shoes, borrow a ball, and you’re ready to go.

Consider this chapter your introduction to the sport of bowling. In it we give you an overview of the various aspects of the game and highlight its mental and physical benefits.

Figuring Out How the Game Works

Several types of bowling exist, including duckpin, five pin, and candlepin. In this book, however, we focus on ten-pin bowling because that’s the most popular version of the sport in the United States.

Ten-pin bowling involves knocking down bowling pins with a bowling ball. The pins are set up in a triangle at the end of a lane that’s 60 feet long. Your task is to stand behind what’s called the foul line (if you cross it, you don’t get any points), throw the ball down the lane, and try to knock down all the pins. You earn points for each pin you knock down, plus bonus points if you throw well enough to knock down all the pins with one shot. At the end of the game, the person with the highest score wins.

In the following sections, we cover the basics of bowling so you can be ready to head to the lanes tonight.

Seeing what equipment you need

One of the best things about bowling is that you don’t have to invest hundreds of dollars in equipment in order to start playing. In fact, you don’t have to buy any equipment at all. The center has bowling shoes that you can rent and bowling balls that you can borrow (flip to Chapter 3 to read all about bowling shoes and house balls). All you have to do is pay for your shoe rental, the number of games that you bowl, and any snacks or drinks that you consume.

Exploring the different types of bowling

This book focuses on traditional ten-pin bowling, but if you travel around North America, you’ll find bowlers who participate in other forms of bowling, such as the following:

Candlepin bowling: Candlepin bowling is popular in the northeast portion of the United States and in parts of Canada. The major difference between candlepin and ten-pin bowling is the size of the pins and the bowling ball. Candlepins are much thinner and a bit taller than traditional bowling pins, and the ball is smaller and lacks finger holes. In fact, a candlepin ball weighs slightly less than a single pin, making candlepin bowling more difficult than other forms of bowling. You get three tries per frame as opposed to two, but after each throw, the fallen pins aren’t cleared away from the lane, increasing the game’s difficulty. Because of these differences, strikes are rare in candlepin bowling.

Another difference between candlepin and ten-pin bowling is the lob line, a heavy black line located 10 feet down the lane from the foul line. The ball must be in contact with the lane prior to reaching this line, or else the pins struck by that throw don’t count toward your score.

Duckpin bowling: You can think of duckpin bowling almost like a miniature version of ten-pin bowling. Duckpin bowling balls weigh only 2 to 4 pounds, and the pins are shorter and fatter than the pins used in ten-pin bowling. Another difference between duckpin and ten-pin bowling is that you get three chances per frame to knock down all ten pins. If you knock down all ten pins with your three shots, that’s called “getting a ten.”

Five-pin bowling: Popular in Canada, five-pin bowling is actually the result of complaints. According to the Canadian 5 Pin Bowlers’ Association, ten-pin bowling came to Canada in the 1880s, but customers complained about the size and weight of the bowling balls and thought that the game was too strenuous. A bowling center owner had his father reduce the size of five of the standard pins down to approximately three-quarters of their original size. The owner then took the five smaller pins, spaced them out equally on the 36-inch ten-pin triangle, and rolled a hand-sized hard rubber ball (approximately 5 inches in diameter and 31//2 pounds in weight) down the ten-pin lane at the five pins, inventing the new game of five-pin bowling. In this version of bowling, you get three chances to knock down all five pins.

Street shoes and bare feet are a no-no on the lanes, so you must wear bowling shoes. These shoes are designed to protect the lanes and allow you to slide properly when you’re releasing the ball. If you try to get away with wearing anything but bowling shoes while bowling, you may wind up damaging the lanes and injuring yourself or other bowlers.

Of course, just because you don’t have to buy equipment to bowl doesn’t mean you can’t decide to buy your own bowling ball if you really like the sport. When you’re ready to invest in your own equipment, head to Chapter 4; it contains everything you need to know about buying a bowling ball, shoes, and other accessories.

Bowling in a nutshell

Bowling is probably one of the easiest sports to learn how to play because you don’t need to memorize a bunch of complicated rules (although if you want to know the basic rules of the game, you can refer to Chapter 2). You just need to become familiar with the main concepts of the sport. Here they are:

A game of bowling consists of ten frames. In each frame, you get two chances to knock down all ten pins.

You throw a specially weighted ball, which ranges in weight from 4 to 16 pounds, down the lane to try and knock down the pins.

As you bowl, you move your arms, legs, hands, and wrist in certain ways to make the ball go where you want it to. (When you’re ready to tackle the specifics of form and throw, take a look at the chapters in Part II.)

If you knock down all the pins with your first throw, your turn ends and the other bowlers, if there are any, take their turn until that frame is over.

If you don’t knock down all the pins with your first throw, you get a second try. After you throw the ball a maximum of twice in one frame, your turn is complete.

The tenth frame works like a bonus frame. If you knock down all ten pins on your first try, you get two bonus throws. If you knock down all ten pins with two throws, you get one bonus throw.

Looking at scoring

Scoring a game of bowling is pretty easy because each pin you knock down is worth 1 point. However, it becomes slightly more complex when you start throwing strikes (when you knock down all ten pins on your first throw) and spares (when you knock down all ten pins with two throws). Strikes are automatically worth 10 points, plus whatever you get on your next two throws. Spares count for 10 points plus the number of points you get on your next throw. (We show you how to throw strikes in Chapter 10 and spares in Chapter 11.)

Nowadays, most bowling centers have automated scoring machines, so you don’t need to fuss with all the adding when you just want to bowl. Yet even with automatic scoring, it’s good to know how to keep score in case the computer messes up. We delve into the details of scoring in Chapter 2.

Surveying the Main Benefits of Bowling

Bowling provides two main kinds of benefits: the mental ones and the physical ones. On the mental front, bowling is a great way to socialize with other bowlers and have fun with family and friends. On the physical side of things, bowling is an activity that gets you up off the couch and moving your body, which can lead to improved health in the long run. We delve deeper into the details of these benefits in the sections that follow.

Providing a social outlet

Sure, you can bowl alone, but bowling is even more fun when you do it with others. It can even be a way to meet new people if you’ve moved to a new area. Whether you’re just bowling casually with friends or you have a competitive game going, bowling is a social sport. When you play it, you have the opportunity to share laughs, conversation, and good times with family, friends, co-workers . . . the list goes on and on.

Bowling centers offer many opportunities for you to expand your social circle, either as an individual or with a group of friends or family. Here are just a few of them:

Leagues: Leagues are a great way to socialize and compete with other bowlers. You can find all kinds of leagues, including ones for beginners, advanced bowlers, and children, that fit into just about any schedule. You can even choose a league based on how long it lasts. For instance, if you’re looking for a long-term commitment, sign up for a league that runs from September through April. Want a shorter-term commitment? Join a summer or short-season league that lasts anywhere from 12 to 16 weeks. Turn to Chapter 18 for more information about leagues and ask your local center for a list of its leagues to find one that’s right for you.

Tournaments: Tournaments offer another opportunity to engage in friendly bowling competition with others. Some tournaments raise funds for charities; others are just about competing for fun and prizes, including cash. Whatever the purpose, you can find a tournament that sounds fun to you by checking with your center. (For insight into how to sign up for a tournament, see Chapter 18.)

Charity bowling events: You can meet other bowling do-gooders through charity bowling events, such as bowl-a-thons. Sign up to help out the charity and meet others while having fun for a good cause.

Other social groups: Bowling centers host bowl-and-mingle events for singles and other groups all the time. Coauthor A.J.’s centers have worked with local online dating sites to host their speed-dating events. Ask the folks at your center what events are coming up.

Have an idea for a group that doesn’t exist at your local center yet? Let the managers at the center know about it. They’re always looking for great ideas to get bowlers in the door, and some of the best ideas come from bowlers like you.

If you want to bowl by yourself during open bowling (when the lanes are open to the public and aren’t being used for tournaments and leagues) but you still want to enjoy some camaraderie, ask the staff person at the front desk whether he can put you on the lane next to a solo bowler or a group of people so you can strike up a conversation.

Improving your health

Contrary to what some people may believe, bowling is a good form of exercise because it moves your entire body. It’s a great low-impact sport that combines fun with an activity that keeps your joints and muscles in action, making it great for people who’ve had minor joint surgery and other operations where mild activity is recommended during healing. (Low-impact sports cause minimal wear and tear to your weight-bearing joints, which include your feet, knees, and hips.)

When you bowl, your muscles and joints flex, turn, and swing. This movement helps keep your muscles and joints moving and flexible. As a result, it also helps your body burn calories. If you’re the type of person who likes the couch more than the treadmill yet you’re looking to get out and be a little more active, then bowling is a perfect activity for you.

Bowling also improves your hand-eye coordination, flexibility, and balance. When you bowl, you need to be able to hold the ball, focus on your target, swing the ball back, walk to the foul line, bend down, and release the ball. (We show you how to do all of this in one quick, graceful motion in Chapters 6 and 7.) These actions require you to maintain your coordination, stay limber, and keep from falling down. The more you practice bowling with the proper form, the more your coordination, flexibility, and balance will improve.

The next sections explain how bowling can be both a cardiovascular and strength-training activity.

Bowling as cardiovascular activity

From a heart-healthy standpoint, bowling isn’t going to give you the same cardiac workout as, say, skiing or aerobics would because you typically don’t build up a consistent cardiac-intense workout while bowling. The sport does, however, keep you moving, and any kind of movement and activity helps your heart.

Want to burn more calories or get your heart beating faster for a better cardiovascular workout? Try to avoid bowling with four people or more on one lane. When you have too many people on a lane, you get too much rest in between frames, and your heart doesn’t really have time to become active to the point where bowling can be considered a cardiovascular activity. Instead, bowl a few games on your own or with a partner, or bowl with no more than four bowlers spread out between two lanes. Because of the smaller number of participants, you’ll get up and down to bowl more frequently, which will get your heart pumping more.

Bowling as strength training

Whether you’re carrying a 6-pound ball or a 16-pound one, your arms and joints are still working to carry that extra weight every frame (and sometimes twice a frame) for several games. If you bowl fairly regularly, your upper body strength will increase, and your shoulders, arms, and legs will improve in muscle tone, strength, and power.

The first few times you bowl, you’re bound to experience some muscle soreness. That’s normal if you’re using muscles you’ve never used before. Pain, however, is something else. If any part of your body starts to hurt when you’re bowling, you may be using a ball that’s too heavy or you may have thrown incorrectly at some point and injured yourself. Stop bowling immediately and check with your doctor.

If you’re concerned about injuring yourself while bowling, turn to Chapter 14, where we show you some warm-up exercises and tell you what to do if you pull a muscle or suffer another injury while at the center. Have a bad back? You can still bowl. Just follow the advice we include in Chapter 16.

Bowling on the big and small screens

Even Hollywood gets in on the bowling action. Feature films such as the Coen brothers’ The Big Lebowski use bowling in key scenes. Probably one of the silliest movies featuring a bowling storyline is Kingpin, directed by the Farrelly brothers and starring Woody Harrelson and Randy Quaid.

Over the years, the characters of many hit television sitcoms have gone bowling too. One of the most popular sitcom duos ever, Laverne and Shirley, not only bowled competitively on the show, but Laverne’s father owned the local pizza and bowling hangout. Ralph Kramden and Ed Norton from The Honeymooners is another pair of famous sitcom bowlers. Speaking of sitcoms, the show Ed revolved around Ed Stevens, a big-time lawyer who moved to his hometown and bought a rundown bowling alley after getting fired from his job. Shows such as Roseanne, Malcolm in the Middle, The Simpsons, According to Jim, and Glee have featured bowling scenes too. And who can forget cartoon legend Fred Flintstone’s twinkle toes bowling performance or his granite bowling ball as it literally splits in half going down the lane in order to hit all the pins? Classic!

Chapter 2

Getting Down to the Basics of the Game

In This Chapter

Getting familiar with the basic rules of the game

Calculating your score

Taking a good look at all the parts of a lane

Considering the specifics of pin structure and formation

Knowing what to do when the lane fails

Bowling is fun even if you don’t know what you’re doing, but if you want to do well, you should go to the center armed with some basic knowledge of how the game works. That’s what this chapter gives you. In the next several pages, we explain the basic rules of bowling and show you how to keep score. (Even though almost all centers have computerized scoring that does the work for you, it’s good to understand the fundamentals.) We also introduce you to the lanes and the pins because knowing what the various markings mean can help you become a better bowler. Finally, we give you some advice on what to do when something goes wrong in your lane or with your ball.

Dem’s da Rules: Bowling 101

A game of bowling consists of ten frames. Your mission in each frame, should you choose to accept it, is to roll your ball down the lane and knock over the ten pins sitting at the end of it.

In order for the points to count, the ball must hit the pins directly. The points don’t count if the ball jumps out of the gutter or hits the side wall and comes back onto the lane. If either of these scenarios occurs, you have to change the scoring manually because the computer doesn’t know that those points don’t count. Ask the center’s staff to help you change the scoring.

You have two throws in each frame to hit all the pins. After your first throw, any pins you knock down are automatically swept away by a bar known as the sweep. While the sweep removes the fallen pins, any pins left standing are automatically lifted up and out of the way by the pinsetter. They’re then placed back onto the lane for your next shot. Note: Sometimes the pins don’t reset correctly for your second throw of the frame. We tell you how to handle this and other mechanical difficulties later in this chapter.

After you’ve completed your two tries, your turn is over for that frame, and your score is recorded. The next time you bowl, all ten pins are set up again.

Each pin you knock down is worth 1 point. If you knock down all the pins after rolling the ball twice, that’s called a spare, and it gives you one opportunity to score bonus points. Knocking down all ten pins on your first throw of the frame means you bowled a strike — the best you can do in that frame. When you strike, your turn in that frame is over, but because you did such a great job, you’re rewarded with two chances to add bonus points to your score. (We fill you in on the details surrounding bonus points in the later “Keeping Score” section.) If, however, the ball goes into one of the gutters (the alleys on the side of the lane), that’s a gutterball. You don’t get any points for gutterballs. Nothing. Zip. Zilch. So keep your ball out of the gutter.

You can bowl as an individual or form a team and compete against other teams. If you’re bowling with others, you take turns in each frame until every player has completed the game. If you’re playing on your own, you just move on to the next frame when you’re done with your turn. The winner is the individual or team that scores the most points by the end of the tenth frame.

Keeping Score

Bowling scores are supposed to be high — as close to 300 as possible — which means you do a lot of math while you keep score over the course of a game. Most bowling centers have computerized scoring machines that calculate your score for you; at a few centers, however, you still have to keep score by hand using pencil and paper. We explain how to keep score during a game in the following sections.

Diving into the basics

Each pin counts as 1 point, so if you knock over three pins on your first throw, for example, you get 3 points. If you knock down four pins on your second throw, you add those points to the points from your first throw to get your score for that frame. In this case, your total so far is 7. This number gets recorded by the computer or on a paper score sheet.

Both paper and electronic score sheets have ten squares, which represent the ten frames of a game. The first nine large squares contain two smaller squares, and the tenth large square contains three smaller squares (we explain why in the next section). Figure 2-1 shows you what a handwritten score sheet looks like.

Figure 2-1: A handwritten bowling score sheet.