Bowling:

The game of bowling has been around for years. It ranks second only to soccer as the most popular participant sport in the world. It is said to have originated in Germany. It was a take off from a nine pin game called Skittles. The Dutch settlers brought the older form of the game that was an outside game to America. The rules were confusing until the American Bowling Congress (ABC) was formed in 1895. Few modifications to the rules that they set have been made since. ( Funk & Wagnall's Encyclopedia.)

Bowling was one of the most fun sports that I could enjoy with my children as they were growing up. I worked the night shift, so staying up late on weekends was fine with me. My wife and kids must have taken a nap during the day, because we often spent from 10 or 11PM, until 6AM at the neighborhood alley. We waited for the leagues to finish up. The proprietor became use to us and only charged a small flat fee for the night. He told me that the coffee was on, to help ourselves. He was going to take a nap.

To make it an exciting evening I had promised all the kids that when they beat me, I would buy them a ball and all the equipment. They tried hard and it took them several trips to the alley before they accomplished this. I had a one fifty average. They all succeeded legally. I never slacked on purpose.

When I was a teenager, I bowled a lot of times with my buddies. We started bowling with the straight ball style. Then gradually tried to switch to a curve ball. I found my best style was to set my thumb at eleven o-clock position and being sure to swing my arm straight back and bring it straight through. Kicking my right leg away from my body while keeping my torso facing straight ahead. Balance is important. Because I was a tall person, I took only three steps before releasing the ball.

I'm not an instructor or really that good a bowler, but I am average and I have a good time bowling. If anyone would like to try my style, follow the procedure that I have outlines below.

I start with my left toe on the center dot, my right on the next dot to the right. My hand and the ball over the third dot. Concentrating on my arm flowing straight back and forward down the floor board lines and across the second arrow down the alley.

Crouch a bit and bring the ball up to eye level, aiming at the arrow mark on the alley. As I take off with my left leg I bring the ball down and back, following through as I step ahead. One, two, and three. Kick the right leg left, loft the ball a foot out, straight at the arrow. Don't cross your body toward the center pin. Don't even think of the center pin. When you follow through straight, the eleven o-clock position of the thumb will cause the ball to roll from left to right, striking the pins in the pocked. Unlike the straight ball you will not end up with a lot of splits.

Learn to play the marks to pick up the spares. Sometimes a straight ball can be the answer, but I like to play the curve ball.

Learn more about this author, Donald Courtney.
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