Are you looking for a fun yet casual sport to play over the holidays? Bowling is the top choice for a recreational activity whether you are searching for a solo sport or team fun with family members and friends. This target sport is perfect for beginners and does not require any age limit or skill level as long as you are playing it as a leisure activity.
However, bowling makes up for an impressive competitive sport. The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) is the highest governing body for bowling sport – more specifically for professional ten-pin bowling in the United States. While several bowling styles such as five-pin bowling and nine-pin bowling – particularly famous in Europe, we will discuss in detail ten-pin bowling which we think is the most popular and widely played type of bowling, especially in the United States!
HOW TO BE GOOD AT BOWLING?
Bowling is a beginner-friendly activity, although mastering this sport may not be a piece of cake! But we are here with a few bowling tips that can help you score some decent points.
The first tip is concentration – I know this sounds like a cliché but target sports such as bowling require excellent focus because you need to position and throw the ball in such a way that it hits the pins. This helps you take down the maximum number of pins at a time.
For a steady game of bowling, try to keep your shoulders squared and align them with the foul line.
A lot of people bend over to release the bowling ball, but it is better to keep your back straight when bowling. The same goes for the arms – avoid bending your elbow and you’ll be good to go!
Lastly, practice bowling as many times as you can, while keeping in mind the techniques mentioned above!
WHAT IS THE HIGHEST SCORE IN BOWLING?
First, you need to understand some commonly used bowling terms.
Frame – this refers to a single turn that a bowler takes in each game. In total, there are ten frames per game and for each frame, there are two chances given to the bowler to knock down the maximum number of pins.
Strike – this involves knocking down all the 10 pins in the first throw of the frame. The bowler gets 10 points for each strike with additional points for the next two shots.
Spare – this involves knocking down all the 10 pins in the second throw of the frame – or in other words, hitting all the pins in the two balls of the frame. 10 points are awarded for a spare plus a score of the next ball.
The maximum number you can achieve in one frame is 30 points which is done by 3 strikes in a row.
The highest score in bowling with 10 pins is 300 points. This is executed by getting 12 strikes in a row.
Some known variations of Tenpin bowling games are:
- Ten-pin bowling
- Candlepin bowling
- Duckpin bowling
PERFECT GAME SCORES RECORDED IN HISTORY
- Starting with the first ever bowler recognized in the history of bowling – Ernest Fosberg bowled the perfect game by achieving 300 points back in 1902.
- The first perfect game of bowling that was featured on live national television was the PBA event. Jack Biondolillo scored 300 points in 1967 at the Firestone Tournament of Champions opening game.
- The first female to achieve a perfect game of bowling as broadcasted on national television was a Japanese bowler, Ritsuko Nakayama in 1970.
- Robert Mushtare, aged 17 was the youngest bowler to have the title of a USBC-certified 900 series. He is also the only bowler who has achieved the certified 900 bowling series twice!
- In 2013, Hannah Diem became the youngest American bowler to record a USBC-certified 300 game at the age of only 9 years!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT BOWLING SCORES
Q. What is the highest you can score in bowling?
300 is the maximum number of scores that can be achieved in a game of ten-pin bowling. A score of 300 can be completed by bowling 12 strikes in a row.
Q. Why is 292 a rare score in bowling?
The most difficult score in bowling is 292. This can only be done with 11 consecutive strikes and then two more on the last ball!
Q. What are 12 strikes in a row called?
If you have managed twelve strikes in a row then you have achieved a perfect game.
Q. Who has bowled 900 series twice?
Robert Mushtare is the only person who has bowled the infamous USBC 900 series twice.
Q. How many frames are there in bowling?
There are ten frames in total in a game of bowling, where players get two chances to knock down the pins in each frame.
Author’s Opinion
As a sports enthusiast, I have read about many popular sports and their detailed rules. However, learning about the many terms and rules for bowling was a very insightful experience to my surprise, even though bowling as a sport is regarded as one of the least popular sports. I highly recommend this recreational activity which is a perfect indoor sport, which can be played at any time of the year! Do follow the bowling tips to become a pro at bowling!
