The game of bowling consists of bowlers, whose goal is to roll a large, heavy ball down a lane, often made of wood, in order to knock down a set of white pins. Bowling dates back many centuries, and the sport has gone through countless iterations during its existence. Many people enjoy the sport on a casual level, yet bowling maintains a strong competitive and professional presence as well.
Bowling is a sport in which players bowl a large ball, called a bowling ball, down a wooden lane coated with slick protective lubrication to knock down as many pins at the end of the lane as possible. In standard Bowling, there are ten pins at the end of the lane, called a bowling alley. The game of Bowling is played in segments called frames, made up of two halves.
Depending on a range of factors, including type and amount of equipment, differing hourly/round rates at bowling alleys, and training costs, it can be difficult to judge the true cost of becoming a bowler. A good rule is to always check your local bowling alley's cost for one round of bowling. In the US, one hour, or one game depending on how your lane charges, costs around $10 to $25. Alleys will provide balls, but additional balls can cost anywhere from $20 to into the $100s, depending on the type.
While modern bowling goes by many other names, such as tenpins, the name of "bowling" evolved from many previous iterations of the sport. To "bowl" means to roll something along the ground. Thus, the action performed in the sport is the reason for the name.
According to anthropologist Flinders Petrie's discoveries, bowling traces back to ancient times. However, Germany is cited for inventing the sport, in its closest resemblance to modern bowling, around 300 AD.
While a bowling game is simply referred to as a round or match, each round is divided into sections called "frames." Each round has a minimum of 10 frames, and a maximum of 12 frames. During a frame, a bowler has two attempts to knock down every pin, before they are reset for the next player.
Today, Bowling is played by over 100 million people and in over 70 countries. Bowling is covered worldwide online and television programs.
