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When one witness a bowling game where the players use balls and pins that are midget-like, he is witnessing a duckpin bowling competition.

Beginnings

Duckpin bowling was born somewhere in the 1900’s in the eastern part of the United States. Duckpin is believed to have been born in the bowling alley which was owned by the famous baseball players Wilbert Robinson and John Mcgraw. History has it that people back then had an interesting idea of making the pins and balls smaller. The manager of the bowling alley, Mr. John Van Sant, hired a wood turner to customize the balls and pins. The people loved the new game and played it.

By the 1930s, around 200,000 people were playing the game. It has continuously gained popularity because people who wanted the fun of ten-pin bowling but hated the stress and backaches caused by the game quickly shifted to duckpin bowling.

Why is it called “duckpin” bowling?

The owners of the bowling alley (the baseball players) were also duck hunting enthusiasts. They loved hunting birds, especially duck during their spare time. As they watched the pins scatter around the alley, one of them made a comment about how the pins resembled ducks. This is the story of why the game was named “duckpin”

Specifications

Duckpin bowling has the same goal as that of regular ten-pin bowling- knock all the pins down. However, there are some major differences between the two games:

-The size of the duckpin ball is smaller, of course. A duckpin ball will measure to about 5 inches in diameter (maximum). The duckpin balls do not have holes in them, they are meant to be held in one hand.

-The pins are also smaller. The duckpins measure to around 10 inches in height.

-In duckpin, one can throw three balls during a certain round. Unlike regular ten-pin bowling, a player can try his luck three times during a certain round. This is because it is much harder to get a strike or a spare in duckpin bowling as compared to regular bowling.

-When a player knocks down all the pins in three throws, he is merited with 10 points. No bonuses are given to him for knocking all the pins down.

One must try playing duckpin bowling to experience the fun and excitement it brings. It’s as fun as ten-pin bowling but minus all the back and finger aches.

When one witness a bowling game where the players use balls and pins that are midget-like, he is witnessing a duckpin bowling competition.

Beginnings

Duckpin bowling was born somewhere in the 1900’s in the eastern part of the United States. Duckpin is believed to have been born in the bowling alley which was owned by the famous baseball players Wilbert Robinson and John Mcgraw. History has it that people back then had an interesting idea of making the pins and balls smaller. The manager of the bowling alley, Mr. John Van Sant, hired a wood turner to customize the balls and pins. The people loved the new game and played it.

By the 1930s, around 200,000 people were playing the game. It has continuously gained popularity because people who wanted the fun of ten-pin bowling but hated the stress and backaches caused by the game quickly shifted to duckpin bowling.

Why is it called “duckpin” bowling?

The owners of the bowling alley (the baseball players) were also duck hunting enthusiasts. They loved hunting birds, especially duck during their spare time. As they watched the pins scatter around the alley, one of them made a comment about how the pins resembled ducks. This is the story of why the game was named “duckpin”

Specifications

Duckpin bowling has the same goal as that of regular ten-pin bowling- knock all the pins down. However, there are some major differences between the two games:

-The size of the duckpin ball is smaller, of course. A duckpin ball will measure to about 5 inches in diameter (maximum). The duckpin balls do not have holes in them, they are meant to be held in one hand.

-The pins are also smaller. The duckpins measure to around 10 inches in height.

-In duckpin, one can throw three balls during a certain round. Unlike regular ten-pin bowling, a player can try his luck three times during a certain round. This is because it is much harder to get a strike or a spare in duckpin bowling as compared to regular bowling.

-When a player knocks down all the pins in three throws, he is merited with 10 points. No bonuses are given to him for knocking all the pins down.

One must try playing duckpin bowling to experience the fun and excitement it brings. It’s as fun as ten-pin bowling but minus all the back and finger aches.

Most bowling pins used in a casual game of bowling are pins that were specified by the American Bowling Congress. Kingpins in bowling are one of the most popular pins used in tournaments and leagues. They are much bigger than the normal sized pins. Professional bowlers use a big ball to knock down these pins.

In ten-pin bowling, they also use a big ball to knock down the pins. Ten-pin is more popular in European countries like England and Germany. In the United States, cities in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Brunswick have popularized this game and exported it to neighboring states and cities.

This game uses candlepins as their target. They are not removed from the lane after each attempt as they are in kingpin bowling. The lanes that are used in candlepin bowling are not oily compared to kingpin bowling, where the lanes are heavily oiled to meet professional tournament regulations.

Another kind of bowling that was also accepted by many people is the duckpin bowling. The game was popularized on the East Coast but originated in Baltimore as a summer sport when other bowling had declined in popularity. Duckpin bowling reached its peak of attraction in the 1960’s where it had spread its popularity along the Atlantic Coast from the states of Georgia to Maine.

When manufacturers of pin machine settings stopped producing the equipment, duckpin bowling waned in popularity. There are still bowling alleys for duckpin bowling in several cities in the states of Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Kingpin bowling is sanctioned by most bowling organizations for tournaments and leagues. It is the standard game for many professional bowlers in every bowling event held by Brunswick, because of the big size pins and balls, which are standardized by the American Bowling Congress.

For the casual players that just want to knock down kingpins in kingpin bowling, here are some tips to improve your scoring:

1.    He must find what he thinks to be the best starting position in front of the lane.

2.    He may walk towards the foul line with the dots that mark his starting position.

3.    He must turn around facing his back to the kingpins.

4.    After relaxing, he may face the pins and concentrate on his aim.

5.    Roll the ball to the lane and follow through with the arms and hands.

These few basic steps would help give a better performance in kingpin bowling.