Participants: 

Bowling is one of the biggest participant sports in the world. Although each bowler performs as an individual, their score can be added those of teammates to produce a team score for league competition. Generally each player in a league championship has as handicap, which allows players with varying abilities can compete on virtually the same level. 

Competitive Site:

Bowling is conducted on a lane made of smooth wooden flooring that is about 63 feet long and 42 inches wide. Their is a foul line boundary on the starting end and pins on the other. Two troughs, or gutters, line the sides of the lane from the foul line to the pins. The flooring of the lane is generally that of maple wood and the two ends, and pine in the middle. Lanes are maintained by regular sanding and polishing.

The "approach" is the  15 to 16  foot area preceding the lane, where the bowler steps toward the pins as he prepares to deliver the ball. Between the approach and the lane there is the foul line, which the bowler cannot legally step across.

There are three sets of markings on a bowling lane and the approach area and the approach area. There are dots located at the foul line and 12 to 15 feet behind the foul line. The spots on the lane, usually seven in number, are called arrows. Each arrow is supported by five boards from the nearest arrow to either side, and the arrows at the extreme right and left are separated by five boards from their respective gutters.

Equipment:

The average bowler's target are the 10 bottle-shaped objects, known as pins, which are made of plastic-coated wood. These pins are 15 inches high, 2╪ inches in diameter in the base, 4╬ inches in diameter at the widest part (before the neck), and 1╬ inches in diameter at the neck. The pins are arranged in a four-row triangle. Pin number 1 is the head pin; numbers 2 and 3 compose the second row; numbers 4,5, and 6 make up the third row; and numbers 7, 8,9, and 10 form the fourth and final row. (See diagram.)

 

Pins are arranged and replaced by a machine, which also automatically returns the ball to the approach of the lane.

At the foul line is an electronic sensor which sets of a loud buzzer or bell any time a bowler commits a foul by stepping over it.

Bowling balls are composed of either rubber or plastic, and do not exceed 27 inches in circumference. The balls vary in weight from 10 to 16 pounds. The exact individualized weight and size of the ball is essential for the maximum performance of the bowler.

Bowling shoes are specially constructed so that the bowler can slide efficiently on his last step before releasing the ball. This is usually accomplished by having a slick leather sole on one shoe and a rubber sole on the other. Whether the right or left shoe has the slick sole is determined by whether the bowler is right-handed or left-handed. The right handed bowler wears the leather-soled shoe on his left foot and the rubber-soled shoe on his right.

Rules:

The object of bowling is to knock down as many of the 10 pins as possible on each roll of the ball. A bowler receives two turns, or rolls, in each of the 10 frames that make up a game. The first turn is an attempt to knock down all the pins; the second is to knock down any pins left standing after the first attempt.

The scoring system counts the number of pins knocked down, plus bonuses for spares (knocking down all 10 pins with two rolls in one frame) and strikes (knocking all 10 pins with the first ball of a frame). The bonus for a spare is the total number of pins knocked down with the first ball of the next frame, while the bonus for a strike is the total number of pins knocked down with the first ball of the next frame whereas the bonus for a strike is the total number of pins knocked down with the next two balls. A spare in the 10th frame gives the bowler an extra roll, while a strike in the 10th means two extra rolls. A perfect game would consist of a bowler rolling 12 straight strikes for a score of 300. The highest score possible for a game without rolling spares or strikes is 90. 

Penalties: 

The bowler must release the ball from behind the foul line. If the bowler steps over the foul line, the turn is treated as though the bowler had rolled the ball in the gutter. A foul on a first ball requires that all 10 pins be reset for the second ball, while a foul on the second ball means that only the result of the first ball is counted.

Technique/Strategy:

The primary thing to keep in mind to this simple game is to make a ball hit a pin, or pins - in addition to the ball itself - will knock down other pins. Throwing the ball with accuracy is what counts, whether the ball travels a straight line, follows a gentle curve, or hooks sharply after it leaves the bowler's hand and traverses the line. 

The bowler's approach to the foul line can have an enormous effect on the delivery - and accuracy - of the roll. The four-step approach is the most basic and the most popular, although many good bowlers utilize either a three-step or five-step approach. In a four-step approach, the right-handed bowler takes a step with the right foot, and winds up by sliding to a stop on the left foot just short of the foul line. The procedure is just reversed for left-handed bowlers. 

During the approach, the bowler allows the ball to swing in a pendulum motion - first back to the rear (the back-swing) and then forward in the delivery. The delivery itself involves more than merely the release of the ball. The arm and hand must continue the pendulum movement into a follow-through, swinging upward until at least an eye level. 

The bowler's target can either be the pins themselves or the dots and arrows at the foul line an on the lane. Most professional bowlers utilize the spot technique, which is based on the concept that it is much easier to place the ball on a spot 14 feet beyond the foul line than it is to hit a pin or pocked 60 feet away. Every bowler must experiment to find the best spot for his or her particular style. Good bowlers reach the point at which they know the precise spot over which they must roll the ball to get a strike on the first ball, and where the ball must be rolled to pick up all different types of leaves. 

Bowling Terminology:

Blow: The inability to score a strike or a spare in any given frame.

Brooklyn Slide: The pins on the left-hand side of the head pin when a right-handed bowler is bowling; opposite for left-handed bowlers. 

Cherry: A ball which arcs from right to left (for a right handed bowler) as it traverses the lane; opposite for left-handed bowlers. 

Dutch 200: A game in which the bowler alternates strikes and spares, with no blows, to achieve a score of 200. 

Hook: A ball which rolls straight down the lane for some distance and then breaks sharply to the left (for a right-handed bowler); opposite for left-handed bowler.