Practical Guide of the Tenping Bowling

USEFUL GUIDE

Introduction

The tenpin bowling can provide you with balls and shoes for you to play. When choosing your ball, look for the one best suited to the size of your fingers, trying to avoid taking one that is too light. To improve, you will have to assimilate the bowling technique as quickly as possible. Then, when you have acquired a certain mastery of the basics and you want to move on further, you can invest in your own equipment, which you will be able to buy from the pro-shop, which is however not obligatory.
Try, as much as you can, to take advice from skilled players, so you acquire the right habits from the start. Indeed, if you work on your game on your own, any little faults you have to start with tend to accentuate and afterwards it takes a long time to correct them.
Every discipline needs an apprenticeship and tenpin bowling is no exception to this rule.

And above all, don't forget to enjoy yourself !

The Lane

Whatever country you are in, all tenpin bowling lanes have strictly the same dimensions.
Normally in the bowling world all the measurements are expressed in Anglo-Saxon terms, however here they are given in French measurements to make them clearer.
The lane, 106cm wide and 24.04m long, is composed of 4 distinct parts :
1. The run-up or approach zone (maple or synthetic material) measures 4.87m, it ends at the fault line (dark coloured line) which must under no circumstances be crossed or stepped on.
2. The release zone (maple or synthetic material) measures 4.80m, it has a first row of dots at 2.13m, and ends in triangular markers.
3. The rolling zone (pine or synthetic material ) measures 13.49m, and it ends in the pins zone (Pin Deck).
4. The pin deck (maple or synthetic material) measures 88cm.
The lane is composed of 39 (or 40) 27mm wide slats, each of these slats being 70 mm thick. Each slat has a number starting with 1 on the right and ending with 40 on the left. The dots, as well as the triangular markers (or arrows), are placed every 5 slats.
This lane is meticulously maintained to ensure it remains perfectly smooth and flat. It is coated with a varnish which protects it against the wear and tear engendered by the rolling of the balls, and in addition "every day" a lubricant commonly called "oil" is applied onto this varnish to protect it and to facilitate the rolling and sliding of the ball. While traditionally the lanes are made of wood (pine and maple) as we have seen, there are also lanes made of synthetic material ; their maintenance is different and depends on the basic product used.

The pins or skittles

The pins are made of maple wood and covered with gloss-painted plastic. They are 38.10cm high, 11.43cm wide at their widest part and 5.7cm at their base. They weigh at least 1.530kg.
The pins have a specific centre of gravity so that a pin that leans 8� does not systematically fall, but from an angle of 9� it falls over.
They are arranged in an equilateral triangle with sides of 91.2cm. The gap between each pin (from axis to axis) is 30.40cm. Each position (spot) represents a number.

Marking the score

A game is played over 10 frames (two throws to knock over the 10 pins).
The maximum score is 300 by making 12 consecutive strikes.

Strike : You have knocked over the 10 pins with the first throw. This is the highest scoring hit, 10 + number of pins down after two more throws.
E.g. : frame 1 (10+10+10=30), frame 3 (10+8+2=20), frame 6 (10+8+1=19)

Spare : You have knocked over the 10 pins with two throws. 10 + number of pins down on the following throw.
E.g. : frame 4 (10+0=10), frame 5 (10+10=20), frame 9 (10+6=16)

Open frame (or hole) : Less than 10 pins down with two throws. It is equal to the number of pins down.
E.g. : frame 7 (8+1=9)

Split : Case where, after the first throw, there are still 2 or more pins standing apart. It is considered to be a difficult hit (it is depicted by a circle). If the throw is successful it does not count any more than a normal spare, apart from the personal satisfaction gained.
E.g. : frame 7 unconverted split, frame 9 converted split.

Frame 10 : This frame is rather unusual as if you achieve:

� a strike with the first throw, it gives you the right to 2 extra balls ;
� a spare, it gives you the right to a third throw.

However, if you have a hole (8 and 1 for example), you have no extra throw.

The balls

There are several types of balls, they are characterised by their weight (16 English pounds maximum), substance, hardness and hook rate (ability to curve or hook), but their dimensions on the other hand are all identical (22cm diameter, 69cm circumference). The best way for you to get advice is to go and see someone who knows, and you will find them in the Pro-shop of your tenpin bowling.
The hard balls (white point), have a low hook rate, their behaviour is constant whatever the conditions of the lanes and they are easy for a beginner to master. They are also used by "pros" to finish off spares.
The reactive balls : there are all sorts of these, from low to high hook rate, from a long slide to a hook which is activated very late, or a full curve along the whole length of the lane. These balls are not recommended for beginners.
The ball is held with the thumb, the middle finger and the ring finger.
For the thumb and ring finger there are 3 types of hold:

1) conventional (the first two joints of the fingers go into the holes) ;
2) semi-finger tip (intermediate position between the conventional and the finger-tip);
3) finger-tip (the first joint in the holes).

The shoes

It is essential to have a pair of special shoes reserved solely for this use, and the price can vary from 250FF to over 1,000FF.
The sole is generally made of leather, enabling the wearer to slide on the last step, while the rubber heel helps to brake the wearer so as not to cross the fault line.