Bowlzee

The act of trying to knock over a series of pins by rolling a round object towards them may not be new, but this great activity is as challenging and engaging today as it was in the past. Archaeologists have found evidence of bowling-type games from as long as five thousand years ago. This makes bowling one of the oldest sports on record, dating all the way back to the civilization of the ancient Egyptians. Every time you pull on your bowling shoes and head for your favorite lane to try and hit a few strikes, you are participating in a ritual that has amused and challenged humans since the year 3200 BC.

Although the unique pedigree of bowling hardly sounds like a recipe for one of modern America’s favorite family pastimes, the truth remains that the game is roughly ninety percent derived from ancient Egypt and ten percent derived from nineteenth century law dodgers. Add a splash of turn of the century technology, and you have the modern game of bowling.

From what historians have been able to piece together, the basic game of bowling did not change very much between its inception at the dawn of human culture and the middle of the nineteenth century. At that time, the ancient game of ninepin bowling had caught on all over Europe and had made its way to the United States where it was a very popular sport in the underworld community and became a favorite target for gamblers. This led the government of the state of Connecticut to pass an 1841 law that prohibited owning a ninepin bowling alley. This was an attempt to fragment the gambling community by making it impossible for them to meet in the bowling alleys where they usually gathered.

To get around this law, the gamblers in the area simply changed the rules of the game. They added an extra pin to the bowling setup; thereby making their alleys into tenpin bowling alleys. The tenpin bowling alleys were technically legal to own and operate simply because they hadn’t existed when Connecticut banned the game of ninepins. The game of tenpins proved to be more fun than its predecessor, and ten is the number of pins that we still play with today.

Once ten pins became the standard for the game, the only aspect of bowling that remained old fashioned by today’s perspective was the ball. The first modern bowling ball was not introduced until 1905. Before that time, most bowling balls were made of a wood called “lignum vitae,” which was prized both for its light weight and its durability. However, wooden bowling balls did not have as much spring or bounce as the materials we use today.

The first rubber bowling ball hit the market in 1905, and was immediately popular. By 1914 a new rubberized plastic compound was created specifically for use in bowling balls. This compound was known as Mineralite and its use transformed the game, enabling faster rolling speeds and greater precision. This created whole new styles of bowling techniques, many of which are still in use today by both top bowlers and by young children who are just starting out.

Bowling competition between two people not only brings about the determination of a person to win, but to show good sportsmanship when losing. The game has evolved to a level where different types of people can play the game. Social status, at one time, was a hindrance but this is no longer true. No matter what one’s life status (professional or otherwise) all participate together when bowling.

Bowling alleys, in different places, are usually busy because of the massive popularity of this sport. There was a decline in its popularity in the early 1970’s, when more people concentrated on other interesting activities. This was the start of the loss social interaction between the high society class and the middle and lower class people.

Nevertheless, it is still one of the most popular indoor sports played today. Many people consider it a fun sport where they enjoy spending time with their families and friends.

There are many bowling alleys that provide quality bowling lanes and equipment where people can get together to spend quality time bowling. Bowling alleys found in many places seem to have similar designs that were inspired by the old bowling alleys of the 1950’s.

Today bowling alleys still have the same features even though they contain the latest equipment. The modernized designs of today’s bowling alleys provide their players with new bowling lanes, durable plastic seats, and benches that are architecturally designed. There are also alleys that now use computer scoring.

The newer bowling alleys attract many who play the game. The modernized look and high quality facilities also host many leagues and tournaments, especially in the cities. They are a place where those who play the game can relax and enjoy the sport.

Learning the basics of bowling is never a difficult task. If one is eager to learn the basics of bowling, he can start by focusing on the selection of a ball the fits properly.

The first step in choosing the right bowling ball is determining if the ball feels right to the one who will use it. Many players opt to use the same ball whenever they bowl after they find they like. When they feel comfortable using a particular ball it affects their bowling performance.  The weight of the ball must be considered as it has a great impact on the bowlers balance. The ball should not be too heavy for the bowler’s size. If the bowler does not have balance, the performance may be less than desired. This is why it is important to choose a ball that is right for the weight of the bowler.

The fit of the ball should be the primary concern in the selection of a ball. The ball should follow the configuration of the bowler’s hands. The holes’ sizes and the distances between them should be in accordance with the normal grip of the bowler and may vary depending on which grip heshe may use.

Inserting a good portion of the finger in the holes will allow a better grip of the ball and is why it is important that the finger fit comfortably in the holes. However, the holes should not be too big for the fingers. An improper fit causes a tendency for the grip to be loose or the fingers to slide when swinging the ball.

The bowling ball is an important consideration when learning the bowling basics. The ball should perfectly fit the fingers to have a better grip of the ball. Having a better grip allows a better release and enhances the performance.

When a person knows how to choose a ball that is right for himher, then it is easier for himher to perform the moves and strategies needed. Bowling will never be difficult as long as heshe knows the basics of bowling, and chooses the right ball.

A bowler who has the ability to bowl swing is an important asset in any cricket team as swing bowling is a great way to baffle a batman, add pressure and take wickets. The swing bowler has the ability to move the ball in the air either away from the batsman or in towards the batsmen. The swing is created by holding the cricket ball in a specific way so that when it is released from the hand the varying levels of air resistance combined with the position the seam is directed causes the ball to swing in the air.

The swing is accentuated by polishing and shining one side of the ball so that is smooth relative to the other side, which should get roughened up through the natural course of play. Select a side to shine at the start of the match and ensure all the bowlers and fielders know which side to polish. You can polish it by rubbing sweat into it and then rubbing it on your cricket trousers.

There are three generally recognised swing delivery types, in swing, out swing and reverse swing.

The out swing delivery is a ball which when bowled by a right handed bowler to a right handed batsman swings from the leg side towards the off side. The aim of the out swinger is to encourage the batsman into playing a drive and ideally the swing will increase the chance of getting an edge and getting the batsmen out caught behind, so make sure you’ve got some good catchers behind the stumps. You want to pitch the ball quite full, aiming at or just outside off stump so that the batsman is forced to play at the ball.

The grip for the out swing delivery is quite simple and provided the seam is up right at the point of release it should swing. You need to hold the ball as normal for a medium paced delivery with the seam vertical, however for the out swinger the seam needs to be vertical and pointing towards first or second slip at about a 15° angle, so that your fingers will be running slight across the seam. The shiny side should face the leg side of the batsmen, thus the rough side faces the off side and the direction of swing. The increased air resistance on the rough side and seam position will cause it to swing through the air towards the offside. The run up should be slightly angled and bowled from close to the stumps.

The in swing delivery is basically the reverse of the away swing in that when bowled from a right handed bowler it swings in towards a right handed batsmen from the off side towards the leg side. Have a straighter run up and deliver the ball slightly wider on the crease. In contrast to the away swing bowler, the in swing bowler aims to get the batsmen out LBW or bowled by pitching it up. Aim to bowl it so that it swings from outside off stump and pitches in line with middle and off stumps, be careful though because if you start it too straight it will swing down leg side and be easy for the batsman to hit away.

Tip – If you find yourself swinging the ball uncontrollably, hold the ball across the seam so that the seam runs horizontally, this will help negate and reduce the amount of swing.

You need to make sure that your bowlers and fielders are aware of which side of the ball in polished and that is constantly shined between deliveries. Most bowlers will shine the ball themselves but it is always useful to nominate one or two fielders to shine the ball as well while the bowler is walking back to his mark.

Changing weather conditions have an often noticeable affect on the amount that the cricket ball will swing. Dry hot sunny days don’t favour swing bowling, whereas overcast, cloudy conditions are found to be most influential at generating more swing. So take this into consideration when deciding who to bowl if you are captain.