Bowling Tip #1: Use the right tools

In any sport, using the correct equipment for the job you have to do improves your performance. In bowling, the ball is the most important piece of equipment you will use, so choose the right one for the job! Be sure to try out many, and select one that’s the right weight, material and finger-grip fit.

Bowling Tip #2: Are you bowling enough?

To progress at bowling, you need to bowl at least once or twice a week. The most economical way to get this amount of practice in is by joining a league. Usually, the more experienced players show up before the game to practice. This is when you can learn the most, from people committed to the sport.

Bowling Tip #3: Learn to walk the walk

While professional bowlers tend to use a 5-step approach, that’s just not suitable for someone just learning the sport. Beginners are usually more comfortable with a 4-step approach. You can practice your approach without throwing a single ball. Keep your shoulders square to the front, your head up, arm swing smooth, and your pace consistent and even.

Bowling Tip #4: Let ‘em roll

Spend time rolling the ball. A bowling ball should never be thrown. How do you tell the difference? A thrown ball will land with a loud “clunk” and then slide a few feet before beginning to roll. A rolled ball lands quietly and quickly rolls down the lane. If you find that you’re in the habit of throwing the ball, simply slow down. Try taking a slow, deep breath or two before bowling to settle any anxiety. You will hit more pins with a rolled ball than with a thrown one.

Bowling Tip #5: What you think is what you do

Spend time visualizing and analyzing your shots. Visualize your movements and your shots before you do them. If your ball goes consistently too far right, begin a little further left. You will learn to “feel” when you’ve bowled a good ball. When you do, write it down before you forget. What did you do? How did the ball feel? Where did the ball hit? Keep it for future reference so you can do it again.

Bowling Tip #6: What if I can’t be at the alley enough to practice?

Any smooth surface with a long, clear distance is suitable for practicing your approach. It’s not safe to practice the release, however, as a bowling ball will easily roll straight through walls if you miss your target! Not to mention you’ll ruin the surface of your ball. When practicing at home, mark your foul line and arrows in masking tape or other material that will not damage your floor. Also mark where your toes need to be for each step. Practice your approach until it’s second nature.

You can practice your arm swing outdoors with a bucket of water with a small hole at the bottom. The water drops on the ground will mark the path of your arm and the direction the ball would go. It’s a good way to see if you arc around your body when you bowl and which direction your arm is going. This can be a very enlightening experience.

Bowling Tip #7: Don’t spare yourself the trouble

It’s a very good idea to practice picking up your spares. A bowler who can consistently pick up his spares can easily hold a 180 average without getting any strikes. It’s especially useful to practice bowling at the 7-or 10-pins by aiming at them and bowling across the strike zone (the “x” on the lane) from the opposite side of the lane.

By practicing these bowling techniques on a regular basis, you’ll be honing the skills that will help you improve your bowling game!

Among the many sports that man has ever played, perhaps, bowling is the most popular among all. With over 50 million players in the United States alone, bowling is definitely one sport that is a cut above the rest.

Among the many reasons this particular sport has remained at top of is the fact that it is a highly flexible sport. It promotes easy adjustment methods that are why many children and adults alike can take part in this remarkable game.

About 95% of bowlers consider bowling as a sport that can be exploited as a recreation, a form of relaxation, a societal factor, and a competitive nature as far as sportsmanship is concerned.

The simplicity of the game contributes to its adaptability. Because its rules are easier to understand, more and more people are engaging in this sport, not because of competition but basically because they want to enjoy the time with their friends or family.

With all these advantages, many people are still not aware of the health benefits that bowling can provide. They just thought that the activity could promote physical vigor and it stopped there. What they do not know is that the health benefits of bowling is more than just building stamina and releasing energy.

So for those who are not yet aware of these benefits, here is a list that you should know:

1. Promotes good muscle exercises

Merely walking along the lane, while attempting to make a strike or a spare, is enough to exercise the muscles in your legs. It resembles that of the “walking exercise” that most health buffs do; the only difference is that there is more weight involved. This is because in bowling, your hands are holding the bowling ball.

Consequently, as you swing around to hit the pins, the flexing and stretching provides adequate exercise for your tendons, joints, ligaments, and muscles in the arms.

2. Fat burning

As your muscles flex, turn, and twist in every swinging motion that you make while playing bowling, these moves can actually promote the burning of some accumulated body fat.

3. Builds friendships

One of the health benefits that can be derived in bowling is based on the kind of relationship that is being built with your friends or family. As some psychologists contend, building social relationships can actually promote better performance of the heart muscles. Emotional stress can shorten the lifespan of an average person.

Indeed, there can be no better or enjoyable way to live a healthy life than bowling can.

Printed From: http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/3-health-benefits-of-bowling-tone-those-muscles-and-make-a-strike-352678.html

The home can be a suitable venue to practice in place of the bowling lanes. Find a place in the house where the floor is vinyl, hardwood, tile or any flooring that is similar to the texture of the bowling lanes.

Make a “T” shape using a tape or any marker to mark the place as the starting position. The player may then put his toes on the top of the “T” that he improvised. He will then be able to figure out his ideal step and mark the exact spot where he can make his first step.

He can then proceed practicing by visualizing the bowling action and getting the strike. Repeat the first step several times to become consistent with the move. It is important not to look down at the marker he made each time he takes that step. He should be able to master the exact location of the ideal step he has assigned in the marker. The repetition will allow him to perfect his step.

He may also perform his moves on the imaginary lane that he made. He can do the moves even without a ball or he can improvise with any round object that can roll and has the same weight as a standard bowling ball. He can imagine the lane, focus at the center of the imaginary lane, and think that there are pins standing on it. Practice the backswing and hook techniques by imagining throwing a ball at a specific target.

Practicing at home is a great way to master the skills and get consistent strikes when bowling. Bowling requires focus and imagination and practicing at home using the improvised lane is one good way to stay focused and be imaginative.

About the Author:

If you want more bowling tips, visit http://www.thebowlingcoach.com for tips on how to improve your bowling score and bowling hook.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Get That Strike in Bowling

Whether a professional bowler or not, it is recommended that you have the proper equipment and accessories before heading to the lanes. Here are some accessories that should be considered:

Bowling Balls

Bowling balls are the most important equipment in bowling. When buying bowling balls, some features should be considered. They are the weight, size of the ball holes, and whether the balls are designed for right-handed or left-handed persons. There are also three types of balls: beginner, intermediate and the advanced bowling balls. Kids may also buy bowling balls that are designed specifically for them. There are also bowling alleys that provide/rent bowling balls to players…

Bowling Shoes

Bowling shoes are also necessary in bowling. Bowling shoes are not just ordinary shoes; each shoe in the pair serves a purpose. One shoe is designed for better sliding while the other is for braking. Most bowling alleys provide/rent shoes to their customers. When choosing bowling shoes, it is important to consider the size. They should not be too loose or too tight on the feet. The bowler must be able to move comfortably.

Bowling Shirts

Like other sports, proper clothing is necessary and must be comfortable. Specially designed bowling shirts with collars are worn by professional bowlers. However, if the player is just an ordinary bowler, any regular shirt with collar will do as long as it fits comfortably and not be a distraction while bowling.

Bowling Gloves

Bowling gloves are very beneficial to bowlers. These are used to provide a better grip of the ball. Bowling gloves help players throw a ball accurately and with power. Gloves are helpful in supporting the wrist and making a smooth delivery possible.

Bowling Towels

Towels are important and used to wipe the oil residue from the balls. Towels may be improvised or there are special bowling towels available in sports supply stores.

Other accessories may also be considered like bags, face towels, wristbands and bowling ball cleaners and polishers. All these accessories are beneficial in providing mobility and comfort to bowlers. If one is interested in getting into the bowling lanes, then he may avail one of these accessories for his own.

About the Author:

For more bowling tips and techniques or bowling stuff just visit The Bowling Coach.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Equipment and Accessories for Bowling

You want to improve your bowling game right? Well if you do then you need the essential bowling tips and techniques to make yourself the most successful at the game. These tips are easy to learn and can improve your game drastically… by dozens of points at least.

Look At The Equipment
If you are going to bowl a good game, then you need the right equipment.

1. You should have a ball that is the right weight for you. Do not have a ball that is too heavy, it will not give you added power. In fact, a lighter ball is better so that you can move it easily during your swing.

2. One of the important bowling tips and techniques is to have bowling shoes that are yours. This is often overlooked but if you can get the right shoes that fit you nicely and won’t slip on the alley floor, then you are on the right track.

Getting The Lift and Release Right
These steps will ensure you can get that strike or spare much more frequently.

1. If you are right handed, step with your right foot first. If you do it properly, you should be releasing with your left foot out at the end of the lane.

2. When you are making your stride, aim with the arrows on the floor and with your hand to get the ball going exactly where you want it to.

3. Do not aim for the middle pin, it will only give you a split.

4. When you are releasing the ball, ensure you bend your knees as far as is comfortable.

5. Do not turn your wrist unless you want to create a hook. This is another of the important bowling tips and techniques that are often forgotten.

6. Oil up the ball if you want it to move straight, and leave it dry if you want it to move with a curve.

How to Hook a Bowling Ball

from wikiHow – The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Are you a beginner looking to take that next step and improve your bowling game? Here’s how to throw a mean hook shot with a tenpin bowling ball.

Steps

1. Get the right equipment. No matter what you do, if the ball can’t catch any friction on the lanes, it’s not going to hook. Generally, you need a ball made of Reactive Resin or better (e.g. Particle load or newer epoxy resin coverstocks) for anything but the driest of lanes. These are very easy to find and can be bought at relatively little expense. Though most bowling centers do offer “house balls,” they are generally plastic (polyester) and won’t hook very much, though they are good for most spares since they will travel very straight. Having your own plastic ball for spares (spare ball), and a resin ball for strikes and some spares (strike ball) is a good idea for any level of bowler as house balls don’t usually fit your hand perfectly and won’t carry pins very well.
2. Have your ball(s) drilled correctly. This is a personal thing depending on how and where you bowl, so you will need to talk to your local pro-shop operator for advice on this one. The drilling for the ball is very important, if not crucial, so make sure the drilling is appropriate for the conditions you bowl on and your own physical limitations. Obviously, it is critical that your own ball is fitted to your hand, but if you purchase a ball, the pro shop operator will do this as part of the cost of the drilling.
3. Use the proper grip. Grip the ball with the two middle fingers (the middle and ring fingers) of your dominant hand (i.e. The hand you write with), and place your thumb the whole way into the thumb hole. There are 2 main types of grips: conventional, where the middle and ring fingers are inserted up to the second knuckle; and the fingertip grip, where the same fingers are inserted only up to the first knuckle. Finger-tip grips will give you more revs than a conventional grip. A new thing out these days in the bowling community are Vacu-Grips. These grips will expand and contract to your finger width. This helps if you are going to bowl a lot. You will find that most of the pros use a finger tip grip, as it allows you can get your fingers out of the ball much more quickly. In addition, there is the Sarge Easter grip. This grip is uncommon and much more advanced. It is designed to help power players control their shot by reducing the revolutions on the ball. Also, tucking your pinky finger and changing your index and pinky finger positions are more advanced techniques that slightly alter the release but are not a good idea for beginners.
4. Visualize the line you’ll take across the lane. Depending on the lanes you bowl on, this will vary greatly, but let’s focus on a typical house condition. Most of the oil is on the inside, leaving roughly 8-10 boards of relatively dry lane to be used. These boards can be both a friend and enemy to you. Depending on the amount of oil and the way your ball reacts to different lane conditions, you will want to line up your feet slightly to the left hand side of the lane. Starting with your right foot on the middle dot on the approach is a good way to test how much the lanes are hooking. It is important to keep your feet closely together. Stand with your heels several inches from the foul line and take the amount of steps in your approach away from the lane to determine your starting position. If you have a 4 step approach take 4 steps, etc. You then want to aim to throw your ball at one of the arrows on the lane. The easiest way to teach aiming is to use the arrow markings or the dots that are just before the arrows on the lane. For this tutorial, you should start off aiming somewhere around the second arrow on the right, allowing the ball to roll over this arrow, move out to only a few boards from the gutter, and then hook from the dry spot of the lane (about 38 to 40 feet down on a house shot) all the way back to the 1-3 pocket (for a left hander, this would be the 2nd arrow on the left, and the ball would hook to the 1-2 pocket).
5. Make the swing. A 4 step approach is recommended, though you can use as little as 1 step and as many as 8 (though most steps over 4 are basically just timing steps where your ball doesn’t move). For a 4 step approach, you want to push off the ball on your first step, stepping with your right foot first for right-handed players; have the ball be parallel to your ankle at the 2nd step, and start to bend at your knees; be at the top of your back swing by your third step; and then bring the ball back through and release by the end of your slide. With 5 steps, it’s basically the same thing, only you’ll start with your left foot instead, and the ball won’t move for that first step. Keep in mind that you want your arm to remain completely straight the entire way through your swing; having your arm tucked too far behind you or held too far away from your body will cause a bad angle when you release the ball. It’s easiest to keep your arm straight if you adjust your push away. There are many different styles such as bending at the waist (a la Walter Ray Williams Jr. or Wes Malott) or opening your shoulders (a la Tommy Jones or Chris Barnes) when you bring your arm up for the backswing, but sticking to the basics is a good idea when first learning how to do this. Remember, you want the ball to hook when it gets to the dry area at the back of the lane, but until it gets there, the ball should be traveling a relatively straight path, varying only a few boards at most. Again, everyone has a different style, and you can adjust this as you feel comfortable.
6. Time your release. As you begin to drop the ball out of the backswing, make sure that your palm is directly underneath the ball, facing upwards. Now, as the ball starts to approach your ankle, you want to rotate the ball so that when you release your hand, it is on the side of the ball and slightly under it, just as if you were holding a football to throw an underhand spiral. Then follow through as though you were going to be shaking hands with the pins. A good way to practice this technique is to actually throw an underhand spiral with a football; similar physics are involved.
7. Follow through. Just as important as the release itself is following through with your arm after you let go of the ball. After release it is important to follow through outward onto the lane, not upward. Your fingers will create the upward lift without you having to lift upward on the ball. An easy way to remember this is the old ESPN advert: “Roll the ball, then answer the phone.” Though, hopefully you have better form than the guy in that commercial. And remember, fluidity here is essential: don’t do the hand-shake, pause slightly, and then do the follow through — it must all be one smooth motion. A good follow through is crucial to maintaining consistent ball speed and accuracy.
8. Make the necessary adjustments. Once you are comfortable with your release, and can execute it properly on a consistent basis, you can learn to adjust your footwork in tandem with your release. On a house pattern, you want to move the direction you are missing: For a right hander, if your ball hits high (to the left of the headpin), then try moving your feet a couple of boards to the left and keeping your target on the lane the same as before. If you hit the pocket light (to the right of the 3 pin), try moving your feet a couple of boards to the right and keep your target the same. It is important to move your target on the lane when you move your feet. Otherwise you may end up playing very weird angles. Once you become more advanced and start playing on more challenging sport lane conditions, the left and right moves become more complicated and sometimes speed and hand adjustments are required.

Tips

• When you swing the ball, it is important not to force the swing. It should be a pendulum-like action, allowing gravity to dictate the swing. Should you need more or less ball speed, hold the ball higher or lower before push-off (higher for faster, lower for slower). Trust your ball; there is no need to force it down the lane.
• Keep the ball close to your ankle at release. Hooking the ball is all about creating leverage. The closer the ball is to your ankle at release, the more your fingers can be under the ball. As your hand rotates around the ball, your fingers “catch” the holes and provide upward force, thus creating spin and revolutions.
• If your ball has too much speed, it will be harder for it to catch at the dry section of the lane, resulting in a smaller (or no) hook. If your ball doesn’t have enough speed, it can hook early, causing you to hit high.
• While big hooks generate more power, it is important to note that, generally, the bigger the hook is, the more difficult it will be for a begginer to control. Find a happy medium that you feel comfortable with and doesn’t compromise your balance. Then you can fine tune your shot to add hook or cut back on it, depending on lane conditions.
• This takes some practice and adjusting, so don’t give up on it if you don’t get it right away.
• It can help you a great deal to simply watch and learn from some more experienced bowlers, like the pros on the PBA, or even some of the more talented bowlers you might see at your local bowling center. More often than not, they will be willing to give you some friendly advice if you show some interest in their skill.
• You should consider getting a coach to help you, and see what works best for you.

Warnings

• Be very careful when first trying this. If you can, use a lighter weight ball than you’re used to at first, just to get the feel for the release. It is also a good idea to have a more experienced bowler or coach watch you while you do it.
• This release is prone to injury if done incorrectly, so again be very careful and try not to over-throw it. As in golf, less is more. It’s more about swing mechanics than raw power here. If you “crank” too much it can result in serious wrist, elbow, or shoulder injury. *As with most sports, no manual can replace a good coach.
• Lane conditions can dictate how much hook potential you have. If you are not making it to the pocket or crossing over onto the Brooklyn side, it may be the lane conditions, therefore don’t try to crank the heck out of the ball at first, learn to adjust. It is after all the most important thing in bowling!
• Don’t let the ball be thrown in to the air. Especially if it’s a plastic or wooden ball. There is a chance it can break in half.

Things You’ll Need

• A resin bowling ball with a moderate hook rating that is good for the entry level bowler. Once you have learned to hook it, a more aggressive ball may be appropriate.
• A towel, preferably a micro-fiber towel to wipe off oil between shots. Resin bowling balls absorb oil on every shot. Wiping them often and using oil removing cleaner between series will help maintain their longevity. Otherwise they will lose some of their hook and consistency after a few hundred games.
• If you are having trouble keeping your wrist straight you may also need a wrist brace to prevent injury and keep your wrist straight. Wrist braces help create more consistency as they limit your wrist’s range of motion. Consult your pro shop to see what size and style will be best for you.
• Bowling shoes. Having your own shoes is important to the consistency of your slide as well as balance and timing.
• A bowling video can help you a lot. Currently, someone has uploaded Walter Ray Williams Jr.’s 3 part video lessons to youtube.com under: Walter Ray Williams Jr. video.
• A coach. It is important, especially for beginners, to have a coach. Practicing without one can sometimes lead to the development of bad habits. A few lessons are a good idea for someone just learning to bowl. Coaches are like a human manual that can help you forget your bad habits and maintain good ones.

Related wikiHows

• How to Throw a Knucklecurve
• How to Throw a Four Seam Fastball
• How to Throw a 12 6 or 10 4 Curveball
• How to Serve a Tennis Ball
• How to Bowl an Easy Bowling Strike in Wii Sports
• How to Bowl a 91 Pin Strike in Wii Sports

Sources and Citations

• eHow to Practice Bowling Etiquette
• eHow to Keep Score in Bowling
• eHow to Strengthen Your Hand for Bowling

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Hook a Bowling Ball. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

If you just want to have some fun with friends then I wouldn’t worry too much about it. But if you want to take your hobby a little more seriously, impress your buddies and improve your bowling game then keep reading for some great bowling tips on how to bowl strikes.

The easiest way is to spin or hook the bowling ball while aiming for the ideal place of impact. I didn’t mean to make it sound that easy though. It will take a lot of time to learn the bowling technique and you will have to practice it a lot if you want to consistently score strikes and improve your bowling game. Read the following bowling tips.

1. Learn how to hook the ball. This involves twisting your wrist as you release the ball. You need to start with your hand under the bowling ball and as you let go, turn your hand to the left (if you are right-handed) if you get this right the ball should travel straight and then curve into the pins as it gets to the end of the lane. Right-handed bowlers will need to aim for the second triangle from the right.

2. If you want to score a strike you will need to aim for “the pocket”. If you are right handed this is between the 1st and 3rd pins. If you are left-handed the pocket is between the 1st and 2nd pins.

3. Take into account the lane conditions. Oily lanes make for a smoother delivery though it can make it more difficult to control the bowling ball.

4. It is important to completely focus when you are bowling a strike. Clear your mind of everything else going on, you must remain calm and positive or you will not score your strike. This focus must start from the first step you take as things can start to go wrong from this point.

5. Practice, practice, practice. You should practice your bowling technique over and over to consistently score strikes. Follow these bowling tips and find the technique that works best for your style. You can even do this without the bowling ball. Once you find what bowling technique works for you, practice until its perfect!

By: David Stephino

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

If you want more information on how to bowl strikes, bowling technique or more bowling tips, click on the following link for a great bowling guide with everything you need to know: www.betterbowlingguide.com/

When bowling with a group, do you regard scorekeeping as a task? How many times, when bowling in league play, have you run into people who won’t keep score-mainly because they don’t really know how? It is not difficult to score bowling.

If someone has never really learned to keep score, there’s no excuse for it; it’s sheer laziness. Scoring in bowling is so simple.

To start with, there are 10 pins in a full rack. If you knock down seven of them with two deliveries, you count seven. If you knock down nine of them, you count nine. If you knock down all of the pins with two shots you have made a spare. If you fell all the timber with your first shot you get a strike.

A split is a combination of two or more pins in which there is a pin down between two standing pins, provided the head pin or No. 1 has been knocked down. However, the following are exceptions and are still called splits: Nos. 4-5, 5-6, 7-8, 8-9 and 9-10. A miss or error occurs when you fail to knock down all of the pins in two shots and there was no split staring you in the face.

A circle is the marking for a split; a horizontal line indicates the dread miss or error; a foreward slash is the score sheet indication for a spare; and a cross is for the most coveted of all-a strike.

The first thing you should remember is that a spare is worth 10 plus the number of pins you knock down on the first ball in the succeeding frame. A strike also is worth 10, BUT there is a premium. The strike is worth 10 plus the number of pins you knock down on the next two balls you throw, whether it takes you one or two more frames in which to throw them.

As an example, say you get a spare in the first frame, then you get an eight count on your first ball in the second frame. You would then give yourself a count of 18 in the first frame, say that you missed the two standing pins for an error. Your score would then be 26.

Now to show you how to score bowling when you are striking, let’s say that you started with a spare and then got three successive strikes. The spare would be worth 10 plus the number of pins you knocked down on the first ball in the next frame. In getting a strike, you counted 10, so you would score 10 plus 10 in the first frame-20. You have a strike in the second frame which is worth 10 plus the number of pins knocked down on the next two balls.

Your first strike would be worth 10, your second 10 more and your third strike an additional 10, or 30 pins in all. Adding this 30 to your first frame 20, you would have a count of 50 in the second frame. You cannot mark anything yet in the third frame, because you haven’t thrown the second ball – your third frame strike needs to complete the count. Say you leave a split in the fifth frame such as Nos. 3-10. The eight pins you got on that first ball in the fifth frame added to the 10 for your third frame strike and the 10 for the fourth frame strike would give you a sub-total of 28 for the third frame or a total of 78.

Say you fail to convert the split, leaving up one of the two pins. Your fourth frame strike is worth 10 plus the number of pins you get on the next two balls which would be nine. So you have a sub-total of 19 for the fourth frame or an overall total in that frame of 97. You made only nine pins in the fifth frame so, for that frame, you add the nine pins to your 97 and you have a fifth frame total of 106.

As long as you’ve completed five frames, keep on going. You can score bowling!

Whether you are looking for a new family activity for Games Night, or you want to expose your child to new things, there are several different ways you can spark their enthusiasm for the game of bowling.

A few ways you can get your kids started with bowling include having a bowling party, buying them some cool gear, trying unique variations of the game, or using bumpers to help them build confidence.

Bowling Parties

Most bowling alleys are equipped to host birthday (or other) parties for kids. Like any other birthday party, you’ll have cake and ice cream, and presents, but unique to a bowling party is the way team work is encouraged. The kids will have a great time keeping score and shouting wisdom and encouragement to each other. You can rent a few additional lanes, and the adults can join in the fun too. Call your local lane to get details on what they provide.

Bowling Gear

Children tend to become more interested in a new activity if it involves getting new (or new to them) stuff. Think about buying your child their own bowling ball. For one thing, you’ll be sure there will always be a ball light enough for them to use, and they’ll feel special having their own.

Disney makes a great, inexpensive line of kids bowling balls featuring your favorite Disney characters.

Creating family team bowling shirts, or buying them their own bowling shoes is another easy and inexpensive way to get them more involved in the sport.

Bowling Variations

There are always ways to make the standard game of bowling a little more interesting. Something as simple as dividing into teams may do the trick. Or, try no-tap variations for the kids (knock 8 or 9 pins down, score it as a strike). Check with your local bowling alley, as they also might have some great ideas to spice the game up a little for your kids.

Bump Up Their Confidence

Most bowling alleys provide at least a few lanes with “bumpers” for kids. In these lanes, instead of gutters, there are bumpers or padded rails. Since most kids have difficulty keeping the ball straight and in the lane, the bumpers ensure that no one gets a gutter ball.

Because there are usually limited numbers of these lanes available, call your local alley. You may need to make reservations.

Family Friendly Programs

Many bowling alleys have special bowling theme nights that are great for family nights out. Rock and Bowl, glow bowling, moonlight or cosmic bowling are just a few variations. Again, check with your local lanes to find out dates and times of the events available.

Probably the best advice is to have fun. Regardless of how competitive you might be, remember that your kids are just there to spend time with you, and maybe learn a new skill. The easiest way to make sure they have a great time, is to have a ball yourself! 

Creativity, originality and memorability (is there such a word?) do not just happen. Especially when it comes to making up your bowling team names. If you are you still looking for that striking (get it?) name for your bowling team then what you need is a good old fashioned brainstorming session? There are some simple rules and strategies you can follow when creating your own team name. Rule number one for a fun bowling team names session is “no name is too lame”. In fact the more the team groans at any suggestion the better the name.

Rule number two is write ALL bowling team names down because you probably won’t remember them tomorrow because of rule number three. This is Pythagoras’ theorem of team names, where the sum of the fun is equal to the sum of the square of the other two ingredients, beer and pretzels.

Rule number three is “always make time for a rhyme”. Start with a word related to bowling and come up with as many cute or better still raunchy rhyming words as you can. Here are a few to get your poetic juices flowing.

STRIKE, HIKE, LIKE, TYKE, PIKE, DYKE.

SPLIT, WIT, FIT, TIT, HIT, ZIT, MIT, PIT.

GUTTER, FLUTTER, UTTER, MUTTER, STUTTER, PUTTER.

Now I know what you are thinking and I just have four words for you. Remember rule number one and have another beer. I guess that’s eight words so it’s a good thing the machine counts the pins for me.

If you want to avoid cute rhyming then you could try the strategy of picking one or two of the above words and put them together with an adjective for a little more pizzazz. Go for something with a good ring to it, or a little alliteration. Such as;

‘Strikes unlimited’, (or more honestly, ’strikes every now and then’)
‘Crazy Pin Prowlers’
‘Bowling Braves’
‘Soft Shoe Shakers’

OK, OK but remember rule number one! I highly recommend you explore the puns and wordplay. A good start is to think of a common phrase that happens to use one of those bowling related words in the list. Simply reuse that phrase and you automatically have a bowling team name with a double meaning. For instance, “Spare Change”, “Wildcat Strikes”, or “Alley Ways” are regular phrases that work well for bowling team names.

If you want to get even more experimental and want a more complex pun, you can try thinking of words, phrases, movie titles, or celebrity names that sound similar or rhyme with bowling terminology. Top of my list would be, “Spare Wars”, “The Umpire Strikes Back”, “Return of the Dead-eye”, “The Magnificent Five”. Or try swapping similar-sounding words in and out of a bowling phrase. Here are a few more ideas along those lines…

Thunder Bawl, Changing Lanes, Alley McBowl, The Mis-Splits, Bowlfinger, The Tenpin Commandments, Axis & Alleys, Split-finger Fast-bowl, The Pin Pricks The Incredibowls. Oh I could go on! Anyway, whatever bowling team you come up with the important thing is to remember rule number one and that bowling isn’t real life. It’s much more important than that!

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