Bowling game is an interesting game that is not only played for competition purposes but also played by people, families, and kids for fun.
Bowling game is played by experts, newcomers/beginners who are still new in the game and are less skilled and also by people with less interest in it, those playing for fun.
Bowling is a game that involves a bowler rolling a bowler through a surface lane with the aim of hitting the target, targets in bowling are pins which are arranged at the far end of the lane.
Bowling is played for both competition and also for fun or as a recreational activity. Bowling can be played by pros, professionals, beginners, people with no interest in bowling as a career and also kids.
Majoring on kids, we are going to discuss steps followed while teaching bowling to kids. Below is an outline of the steps to be followed while teaching the kids:
- Creating an interest in the kid on bowling
Under these, we are to discuss the interesting things that are found in a bowling alley that is likely to draw the interest of the kid to bowling and these are:- Building the right mindset to the kid.
- Mind fooling the kid (cheat a little)
- Good ambience
- Bowling shoes
- Other recreational activities/arenas found in a bowling alley.
- Guiding them through the rules and basic terms used in bowling
Here the bowling teacher takes the kids through the bowling game rules and basic terms used in the game. This helps the kid get a clue of what bowling game is all about. Here we are to discuss:- Basic rules
- Rules of play
- Basic terms in bowling
- Bowling pins
- Bowling lane
- Approach
- Gutter
- Strike
- Spare
- Split
- Teach the kids on how to prepare for a bowling play with the help of a guardian
Here we are going to discuss key things that a kid needs to observe while preparing for a bowling play, below are steps highlighted:- Finding a suitable bowling alley.
- Look for an ambient good.
- Find well-fitting bowling shoes.
- Select a ball and place in your alley line.
- How to play
Here we are to discuss the basic things that a kid gets to learn. Foundation of play being laid in a kid, we are to discuss;- How to hold a ball.
- Transitioning from one hand to two hands.
- How to make a throw.
- How to do a spot bowling.
- How to approach a line.
- Finally, get the kid his/her own ball.
Introduction to bowling
Bowling game is an interesting game that is not only played for competition purposes but also played by people, families, and kids for fun. Bowling game is played by experts, newcomers/beginners who are still new in the game and are less skilled and also by people with less interest in it, those playing for fun.
A bowling game has rules that a player needs to learn and observe during the play, there are tips and resources also needed for one to engage in the bowling game. Given one gets to master all these rules, tips and requirements, he/she is likely to engage in the game with friends and family, and also in bowling competitions.
Bowling is a game that involves a bowler rolling a bowler through a surface lane with the aim of hitting the target, targets in bowling are pins which are arranged at the far end of the lane.
The bowling game consists of 10 pins arranged at the end of a long surface lane. A bowler is required to hit the pins at the furthest end of the lane using a bowling ball. A bowler has a chance to hit up to all the ten pins, depending on the accuracy of the bowler while making a throw.
In bowling, the bowler has an objective of knocking all the ten pins using his/her first two throws. Given a bowler falls all the ten pins using the first ball, then this is considered a strike. If a bowler falls all the ten pins using his/her first two balls then it’s considered a spare.
The future in bowling is determined by the kids, many specialists in the field of bowling advise teachers of bowling games to nurture young talents since they are the people who’ll keep bowling legacy going on. Majoring on teaching bowling to kids, below are steps in needs to follow:
1. Creating an interest in the kid on bowling
Bowlers are advised that while teaching kids on bowling, the first essential thing that you need to do is create a positive interest in bowling in the kid’s mind. Kids are easy to manipulate given you provide them with an offer or an interesting thing about the deal in place.
Parker Bohn III, a member of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Hall of Fame is well known for introducing and nurturing his kids to bowling as early as his kids could stand on their feet.
Parker Bohn III is a 35-time PBA Tour title winner and has 5 kids who all started engaging in bowling at an early age.
Borrowing concept from Parker Bohn III way of teaching the kids, there are certain things that build a child’s interest in bowling and these are:
Building the right mindset to the kids
A bowling teacher, specifically the one teaching the kids should first create positive thinking to the kids about bowling, a bowling teacher is advised to make bowling game look easy to learn and play to the kids.
Most bowling lanes used for teaching the kids have their gutter covered, this allows the kid while making his/her throw manage to hit at least one of the pins thus encouraging/building interest to the kid in bowling. Bowling teachers also allow the kids to throw the ball using both hands so that it’s much easier for them.
These create a positive mindset and also the interest of the kid to bowling games. It makes the kids have the impression that bowling game is easy to learn and play.
Mind fooling the kids (cheat a little)
Bowling teachers use ramps and the add-on bumpers to cheat the kids and make the game look easy to them. Bumpers are commonly used to create enhancement for very little kids to just get out of their comforts and come to alleys to bowl. Bumpers give the kids confidence in the game since even when a kid throws a wild pitch it still gets to knock a pin at the furthest end of the lane.
Bowling lanes are also made short as compared to the usual length of the surface lane, this makes the whole “hitting the target” look easy to kid. Many bowling teachers say a little lie to the kids at times create the best out of a kids’ interest in the game.
Ambiance
Most bowling teachers on training the kids use a good ambient alley to make the training more catchy and interesting to the kid. The ambiance is simply the character and atmosphere in the bowling alley.
The ambiance in bowling is the musical/sound enhancement behind the scenes during a bowling play or training session.
These music sounds during the training of the kids make them more interested and create a good atmosphere that encourages the kids to build interest in learning bowling.
On teaching the kids you are advised to find a good ambient alley.
Bowling shoes
Bowling teachers advise parents and guardians of the kids to play a role also in nurturing the children’s interest in bowling. Bowling with good looking shoes, that’s a kid’s first impression on seeing bowling shoes. Buying him/her a new pair of bowling shoes will not only make him/her happy but also build interest in the kid on how and where those bowling shoes are used.
Guardians and parents are not only advised to buy bowling shoes but also specific bowling outfits that will build the kids’ interest in bowling. Kids need that.
Recreational activities in bowling alleys
Bowling alleys are not only used in bowling games but also recreational activities. Most bowling alleys have other recreational alleys, just to mention a few: table tennis, billiards, chess, dominoes, video games, spades, bouncing castles among many others.
Sharing these to kids, touring them in bowling alleys not only acts as a good experience to the kids but also builds interest in the kids to the game.
Benefits of being a bowler
Most bowling teachers share good achievements and benefits that bowlers who engage in the game are given. These are to create an ambitious character in the kids, that one day they’ll also get though in the game and get to earn those bowling benefits and awards.
2. Guiding them through the rules and language terms used in bowling
Bowling teachers are then advised to create brief sessions with the kids, the sessions should be brief since kids get exhausted fast.
These bowling sessions, kids are thought about different rules and basic terms used in bowling. These help the kids to get a clue of what bowling is all about. Below are some of the key rules that kids should learn in bowling;
Rules in bowling
Rules in bowling are divided in two, general rules and rules of play. Below are:
General rules
- Sportsmanship
There is a key role in bowling. Sportsmanship is simply respected for one another during the game, either playing for fun or for competition. One should play fair and have respect for the opponent. - Inclusivity
All bowlers are allowed to participate in the game regardless of their gender, ethnic group, race, nationality among many other differences. Bowling is open for everyone interested regardless of their background and personal status.
Rules of play
- A bowling game consists of ten frames, in each frame a bowler has two chances to knock down as many pins as possible.
- The standard number of pins in most bowling games is 10 and the pins are always arranged at the end of the surface lane.
- In a bowling game with more than one player, each bowler is given a predetermined order before a next frame begins.
- When a bowler hits all the ten pins using his/her first ball then it’s considered a strike.
- When a bowler knocks all the ten pins using his/her first two balls then it’s considered a spare.
- Bonus points are awarded when a bowler hits a spare or a strike on his/her last/tenth frame. If a bowler knocks a strike then he/she is awarded two balls, if it’s a spare then is awarded one extra ball
- 12 strikes in a single game is awarded a total of 300 points. Maximum points in the game and it’s referred to as a perfect game.
Basic terms in bowling
Below are basic terms that a beginner should know while learning bowling game, these include:
- Bowling lane
Commonly referred to as the surface lane in bowling. The surface lane is the floor where a bowler throws the bowling ball onto. The surface lane is oiled to give the bowling ball a gliding effect to reach the pins, this gliding effect is as a result of friction between the outer cover of the ball and the surface of the lane.
The surface lane varies in different bowling games depending on the rigidity of the surface in play. - Bowling pins
These pins are the target of bowling balls. Bowling pins vary in shape and size depending on the type of bowling ball in place. Tenpin bowling has ten pins that are arranged at the end of the surface lane as the target, ten pins are the common number of pins used in most bowling games, including candlepin bowling, duckpin bowling among others.
Bowling pins vary in size and shape depending on the type of bowling game in play. - The approach
The approach is an area that is approximately 15 feet long, ending at the foul line.
The area that a bowler stands while preparing for a throw. The approach is simply the floor that a bowler stands while he/she is about to make a throw. The area size of the approach varies depending on the type of bowling game and also the area where the foul line is marked.
The approach is commonly referred to as a four-step delivery approach, this is from the sound and counting steps that the bowlers make on the approach area before making a throw. Bowlers’ are advised to master the fundamental sound technique that is implemented in the approach area before making a throw. A bowler is cautioned in making the approach he/she should step over the foul line, for the throw will be disqualified. - Gutter
These are pits on each side of the surface lane that a bowling ball on the move falls into given the bowler makes a fault in his/her throwing. If a ball falls into the gutter, the ball is considered deemed and the bowler is awarded no point. - Strike
A strike is a term used in all bowling games, a strike indicates that all pins have fallen down or knocked down by the first ball of a frame from the bowler.
A strike on the scoring sheet is symbolized by an “X”.
The score awarded on a strike from a bowler in all the variety of bowling games is 10 points plus the points earned from the extra one or two balls remaining. - Spare
Just as a strike, a spare is a state when all the pins have fallen or have been knocked down with the second ball, given the first ball didn’t knock down all the pins in a frame or box depending on the type of bowling game.
A spare is awarded 10 points plus the score earned by the last extra remaining ball, it’s symbolized by a forward slash mark (/). - Split
A split in bowling occurs when the first ball from a bowler on a frame hits the headpin but leaves two or more adjacent groups of one or more pins standing.
A split in most occasion results in a spare given the bowler hits all the remaining pins using the second ball if a bowler scores a spare from a Spilt this is regarded as a killer shot.
3. Teach the kids on how to prepare for a bowling play with the help of a guardian
Given the kids have a positive mindset on the bowling game and also are familiar with the rules and basic terms used in the bowling games. Bowling teachers now are to prepare the kids on how to engage in the bowling game. Below are steps that bowling teachers follow while preparing kids for a bowling game:
- Find a suitable bowling alley
Bowling teachers when teaching the kids on how to prepare for a bowling game, the first key thing they tell the kids is to find a bowling alley of their choice and one that fits their type of bowling game. Bowling teachers find a bowling alley that offers bumper bowling. This is a bowling game for most beginners and kids to be precise. - Look for an ambient
Bowling teachers identify a suitable ambient bowling alley that will provide them with good musical sounds that will be of interest to them while playing/engaging in the bowling games. A good ambient alley not only makes the game interesting but also attract more people to come in that specific alley, thus making a lively atmosphere in the alley. - Find a fit bowling shoe for oneself
Bowling teachers advise the kids to wear bowling shoes that fit them well. Fitting bowling shoes not only make the kid comfortable but also flexible during play. - Select a ball and place in your alley line of choice
The kids are given bowling balls of their choice, balls fit for them. Bowling teachers then instruct the kids on where to place their balls during play, the balls are placed in an alley line of your choice or as per the given instructions.
When all the above is done by the kid under the instructions of a bowling teacher, then the kid is considered to be prepared for a bowling game/training.
4. Teach the kid on how to play
These are the most important part of teaching since the kid gets to learn and nurture his/her skills in bowling, below are ways in which kids are thought how to play bowling game:
- How to hold a ball
The first key thing thought to a kid during a bowling play/training is how to hold a ball. Kids on learning how to hold a ball, the ball teacher does not focus on the holes in the bowling ball while instructing the kid. The kid is first instructed on how to hold a ball using his/her two hands. - Transitioning from two hands to one hand
These are done for a while until the kid feels he/she is fit to try holding the ball using his/her one hand that he/she feels is comfortable with.
When a kid learns how to hold a ball using one hand, put their fingers in the ball with their hands of desire, then put the opposite foot in front facing the pins, making sure the back foot is also on the ground to keep them stable. - How to make a throw
After the kid has control over the ball, allow them to put the opposite foot in front facing the pins, making sure the back foot is also on the ground to keep them stable.
Once the kid is stable enough, make sure the ball you start the ball at their waist. Keeping the ball at their waist, with the help of an instructor push the bowling ball straight out and allowing the kid swing it once or twice and then roll it forward out on the lane after the targets on the end of the lane.
Repeat the same procedure with the kid until he/she is able to do it on his/her own. - How to do spot bowling
When kids learn how to hold and make a throw using a bowling ball, then a bowling teacher after a series of observing the kid allows the kid to learn how to aim/focus on the target.
Here the bowling teacher instructs on the following:- Introduces a foul line that the kid should stay behind while making his/her throw.
- It gives the kids an arrow and allows them to look down the lane and try throwing a straight line to that target at the end of the lane.
The aim of spot bowling is to allow the kid to learn to aim and stay behind the foul line while making a throw.
- How to approach the line
The bowling teacher instructs the kid to stand at the foul line, the instructor spins them around and walks 4 steps back to the approach. On doing this a number of times, a bowling teacher will identify an average starting spot for the kid.
On the average starting point, the bowling teacher adds a half step and turns the kid around, identifying that spot as their starting point.
Allow the kid to master the spot.
The following are then instructed to the kid:- Hold the ball near the waist.
- Put the foot that moves first on the same side as the ball.
- With a good momentum, move towards the approach line.
- Allow the ball to go back straight alongside your body in the first two steps, then move the ball forward in the last two steps before making a release.
- Allow the kid to do this frequently, to master his/her 4-step delivery.
The kid should stick on landing after making his/her release, the foot opposite their throwing arms should stop right at the line while they follow through with the throwing arm, sliding their trailing foot behind the opposite leg for stability. This technique requires frequent training for the kid to master.
5. Get the kid his/her own ball
This is the last step in teaching bowling to kids and also it’s a parents’/guardian’s responsibility, in order for the kid to be good in the game he/she requires his/her bowling ball for frequent training.
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