Bowling to a Strike

By Sean Puyot

Bowling, bowling, bowling; what is bowling?

Time to bowl.

Bowling is a target sport where the player who has the most points in 10 frames wins. Each frame is equivalent to 2 attempts. Each player is given a heavy ball with 3 holes for the fingers. They have to roll it on a slippery wooden surface and hit the pins. The players take turns in doing so. Each pin knocked down is worth 1 point.

When a player knocks all 10 pins down in one attempt, it is called a strike. Two or more consecutive strikes give point multipliers.

The more the strikes, the higher the multiplier.

And that is a major strike.

When a strike occurs, the player will no longer have to do the second attempt in any specific frame. On the other hand, when a player knocks down all 10 pins in 2 attempts, it is called a spare. Unlike their more popular cousins strikes, spares have no point multipliers.

That is one lucky pin, spared by a tiny mishap.

Now, in terms of the slippery wood one has to encounter to be a bowler, there are some unique features to notice. There are gaps on the sides of the wood. When the ball falls into one of the two gaps, it means a gutter has occurred. No points are given for this kind of situation.

That ball is not going to hit any pins anytime soon.

There are many techniques that bowlers can use to hit the pins more easily and efficiently. One popular technique is the arc, where the ball looks like it will fall into the gutter area, but because of a very fast spin, it changes direction and is very likely to end up in a strike or spare. Doing such requires the ball to move at a high speed, and rotate fast as well. Jason Belmonte, the world’s best bowler as of now, uses both hands instead of one hand. This may look unorthodox but with practice and muscle power, getting spares or gutters are almost impossible.

The two-handed technique. Jason Belmonte

Bowling is good for those with back problems, because in rolling, you have to bend your back down to make the attempt more accurate and powerful. It also strengthens the biceps and triceps, and even the legs. It isn’t very tiring unlike most sports; most others sports rely on cardiovascular endurance, speed and agility, but bowling only requires body coordination, accuracy, and muscular strength. One of our Philippine heroes, Rafael “Paeng" Nepomuceno, is recognized by many as one of the greatest international bowlers of all time for winning 4 World Bowling Cups.

Anyone can be like him with determination, practice, and consistency.

Rafael “Paeng" Nepomuceno, a Filipino bowling hero.

Photos used:

Bowling to a Strike

Recent Posts

Back to Top