Introduction

Ever wonder why bowling balls move the way they do? This article will help answer that question.

The path of a bowling ball is determined to a large extent by the skill of the bowler from the start of the approach to the point of release. Beyond that point, the path is completely determined by the laws of physics. In this article I will point out things affecting the movement of the ball after it leaves the bowler’s hand and contacts the lane. Also, I will suggest that it is feasible to calculate and display ball paths on a computer screen, giving the bowler a new tool to help improve his or her game.

Basic Mechanics

A bowling ball in motion can be thought of as having these properties:

Related Technical Term

Speed: How fast the ball is moving on the lane Speed

Direction: Angle relative to the lane center line Line

Friction: Between the ball and the lane surface Fast lane > Slow lane

Rotation speed: About an imaginary axis Side roll / revolutions

Rotation angle: Relative to the lane center line Side roll / track

Note:

Speed and direction are each a part of what is technically known as a velocity vector. Most people are not aware of this distinction between speed and velocity and erroneously use the two words interchangeably. (For everyday matters that is not important, but it must be taken into account when calculating ball paths).

Friction between the ball and lane plays an important role in ball movement. Friction varies considerably from lane to lane and from ball to ball.

The path of a bowling ball can be calculated with a suitable algorithm (formula) using the known values of speed, rotation, etc (as listed above) at the point of contact with the lane. This algorithm can be found in Classical Mechanics textbooks.

Ball Motion

Straight Line Motion: This is the simplest case in which the axis of rotation is 90 degrees to the direction of the ball (no side roll). If you have trouble visualizing this, think of how your cars wheels rotate when the car is moving in a straight line. At the point on the ball which contacts the lane has two velocity vectors, one due to sliding, and one due to rotation. At first they are opposite in direction and not equal in speed, but eventually friction will equalize them. Equal and opposite vectors will cancel each other making the velocity at the point of contact zero. This is the place on the lane at which the ball stops sliding and rolls in a straight line.

Curved Motion: This motion is more complicated than the straight line motion due to the rotation the bowler puts on the ball when he or she releases it. The axis of rotation will have an angle other than 90 degrees, and the sliding and rotational vectors will not be initially opposite in direction as it is with straight motion. The algorithm used to calculate the ball path will have to account for this new geometry. When done correctly the calculated path will not be a straight line, but will be a curved line with the shape of a parabola.

Relation to everyday bowling experience

The average bowler is not interested in formulas and numbers. This is understandable because path calculations alone cannot be easily visualized. However, thanks to computer graphics the numbers can be transformed into pictures that are understandable. Ball paths displayed on the computer screen allow the bowler to see how changes ii speed, direction, angle, etc affect the ball path without actually bowling. This gives the bowler another tool to help improve his/her game.

Mike Keenan is a retired engineer and semi-pro bowler. No longer active in bowling for medical reasons, he now devotes his time to helping bowlers to gain a clearer understanding of the technical side of the game.

To learn more please visit his site at http://www.ballpath.com This article may be freely distributed, provided that the author resource box and link are left intact.

Every bowler, whether amateur or professional, needs a good bowling bag. Today’s bowling bags do not only hold balls – they can also hold your bowling shirts, shoes, and other essential equipment. Here are some tips on choosing the right bowling bag for your needs.

Bag capacity

Bags for bowling balls are available in single-ball and multiple-ball varieties. The former is practical for beginners as they don’t need a lot of equipment. Single-ball bags can hold one bowling ball, a pair of shoes, gloves, and towels.

Multiple-ball bags are usually for professional players who use different ball weights in a game. They are usually made with rollers or straps to provide easier transport, since you can’t carry multiple balls by hand. It also features several compartments for smaller equipment.

Bag material

Most bowling bags are made of leather or polyester. Leather is considered more stylish, but polyester and other synthetic fabrics will hold up better against the weight of the bowling ball. Choose polyester bags if you carry multiple balls or other heavy equipment.

Bag rollers

When choosing multiple ball bags, always pick one with rollers so you won’t have to carry the weight of the balls. The weight can strain your shoulders and tire you out even before your game starts. If you want the shoulder strap type, make sure the straps are padded to reduce the pressure on your shoulders.

Bag rollers

Make sure that your bowling bag goes well with your bowling outfit. If you wear a team uniform, choose a bowling bag that complements the color of your uniform. If you are just a recreational bowler and wear regular jeans and shirts when playing, go for a darker shade — they go with almost everything and do not get as dirty as fast as bowling bags in pastel and lighter shades do.

Picky Guide has more information on on bowling bags . Picky Guide is one of the fastest growing online magazines giving free consumer advice and product information.

These days, the bowling shirt is not a fashion reserved solely for an evening at the local lanes. With a demand for retro articles, the bowling shirt has experienced greater demand as well. It was in the 1950’s that teenagers and young adults started to don this attire while out and about, as opposed to just in the bowling alley. This opened a new door for the shirt in terms of popularity.

The sport of bowling has been traced back to ancient Egypt, as long ago as 3200 BC; archaeologists have unearthed tombs bearing the remains of games played with pins similar to bowling. It is a timeless game that appeals to all age groups and, even today is enjoyed by millions of people across the country and throughout the world. Although a bowling shirt is not a requirement of play like bowling shoes, it has certainly become associated with the sport of bowling.

The classic shirt has several common characteristics. For starters, it is always a button-up shirt with a collar and a shirt pocket. The color scheme is in block patterns of only two colors. For instance, the shirt may be all black with a white colored pattern; or it may be blue on the back and white on the front. Finally, it is always a short-sleeved shirt crafted in a box cut design. This combination of characteristics makes it extremely recognizable among other shirts.

Bowling enthusiasts who wish to take the design one step further have the option of customizing their shirts. There are many retailers that offer custom embroidery and silk screening; customers provide a shirt and either a picture they wish to have displayed on the back or the print they wish embroidered on the front or back. Often, team or company logos will be added to the back of the bowling shirt for each member of a team to add personality and recognizability. The options surrounding personalization are only limited by your imagination.

Most importantly, the bowling shirt is extremely comfortable, made usually of cotton or a cotton blend. It is also quite a versatile article of clothing. Although not too dressy, these casual shirts are still the equivalent of a polo shirt and certainly a step up from the tee-shirt.

Bowling is a classic sport played by generations of people. Its appeal transcends age, sex, and culture. The sport of bowling includes several components that have come to be part of the American consciousness. Most recognizable are bowling balls, bowling pins, bowling shoes, and the bowling shirt. Bowling balls, as well as bowling pins, can serve very little purpose outside of a bowling alley, with the exception of decoration. Bowling shoes, although not worn outside a bowling alley, have been copied by fashionable sneaker companies such as Converse and Vans. However, the bowling shirt certainly holds a place both inside the bowling alley and out. It’s a stylish shirt that gets noticed wherever you might wear it. It is truly the most versatile element of the sport of bowling.

Get all the latest in bowling know how from the one and only true source at http://www.bowlingquestions.com Be sure to check our our bowling shirts page.

The bowling alley is a popular entertainment center for people of all ages. No matter where you are, in the modern day, it is difficult to drive very far without passing a bowling alley. The sport of bowling has steadily increased in popularity over the past century, which has, in turn, increased the demand to support this game.

Although the sport of bowling has been traced back to 3200 BC Egypt, standardization of the game did not come into play until the late-19th century. In the primitive stages of the game people set the pins at the end of each lane after each player bowled. These pinsetters were later replaced by a mechanical pinsetter that would automatically set the pins after each bowl. This efficiency was the dawn of technology in the bowling alley, and helped to spur even more interest in bowling. The mechanical ball return also did the same for the game.

With bowling organizations for all groups of people “men, women, and children” bowling has become a sport oriented to families as well as people of all ages. In many cases, a bowling alley will offer special attractions geared toward all age groups, including video games, table games, and snack bars. At night, many turn down the bright lights, turn up the black lights, and employ the use of fluorescent colored pins and decorations in conjunction with popular music to add to the entertainment factor and draw a young, hip crowd. Additionally, it often will provide space to accommodate children’s birthday parties and community fund raising events.

The term “alley” has often carried the connotation of a dark, dingy, smoky lair of gambling and other crooked affairs. It was this same connotation that caused all early ninepins alleys to be outlawed in Connecticut in the mid-19th century, which in turn, created the common tenpins played in North America. It is increasingly popular for a bowling alley to be referred to as a bowling center. This helps to promote the more positive and friendly environment for which bowling has truly come to be known. It is also a more realistic representation of what is in store for those who enter the doors of their local bowling “establishment.”

At first glance, one may argue that each bowling center is the same. Dozens of bowling lanes, countless bowling balls lined up on tiered racks for bowlers to utilize, multi-colored bowling shoes for rent, the arcade, and the snack bar are all common. However, it is the character of each bowling alley that is so alluring. Some are old, some are new; some are smaller and some are quite large; some are decorated with trophies; and some decorated with colorful artwork and murals throughout. But the charm of the atmosphere is never the same from one to the next. Decades of evolution have fashioned it into an indoor entertainment center in which families and friends of all ages can take pleasure.

Get all the latest in bowling know how from the one and only true source at http://www.bowlingquestions.com Be sure to check our our bowling alley page.

The key instrument in the game of bowling is the bowling ball. It is the single most controllable tool a bowler has when playing the game. You can’t hold the pins, you don’t have control over where and how the pins are set, the lane is already oiled and that wasn’t done by you. But the bowling ball is in your hand, and you control where it is delivered, and with how much velocity, spin, and hook.

The core of each bowling ball is made of one or any combination of rubber, urethane, plastic, or reactive resin. The density of these materials directly affects the weight of the bowling ball. The standard regulation for the bowling ball requires that the ball be 8 1/2 inches in diameter with a weight between six and sixteen pounds. The only means of creating a ball that is sixteen pounds instead of six pounds at the same diameter is to pack the core with a higher density of material. The density of the materials will also have a direct impact on the spin of the ball and amount of friction the ball encounters when traveling down the lane towards the pins.

One of the most significant, and often overlooked, components of the bowling ball is the finger holes. A bowling ball is too large and heavy to be gripped in the palm of your hand. The finger holes allow the bowler to grip and control the ball. The bowling ball is drilled with three finger holes to accommodate the thumb, ring finger, and middle finger. Depending on the skill level of the player, there are three different grips to choose from - the conventional grip, the semi-finger tip grip, and the finger tip grip.

The most common grip for beginners is the conventional grip, which allows the fingers to sink to the second knuckle when inserted into the holes. This is also beneficial for players with less finger strength, as having more of your finger in the bowling ball makes for greater ease of handling. With the finger tip grip, the bowler’s ring and middle finger are inserted only to the first joint above the fingernail. This is the more advanced of the three grips. Using this grip, the bowler will sacrifice control for greater ball spin. Having more spin will enhance the hook of the ball for a more optimal point of contact with the pins when set. The semi-finger tip grip is the middle ground between the conventional grip and the finger tip grip. It allows a compromise for bowlers more advanced for the conventional grip, but not ready or possessing the strength for the finger tip grip.

The bowling alley comes fully stocked with numerous bowling balls of various weights. Most are pre-drilled for the conventional grip as a standard. More avid bowlers may choose to purchase their own bowling ball. When purchasing your own personal bowling ball, the most important step is working with a professional to have the finger holes drilled to your personal specifications that will match the weight and core of the ball you have selected. Bowling balls are customized in appearance for the bowler as well. They often have artwork, monograms, team mascots, or logos to personalize them.

A well selected bowling ball is the greatest asset a bowler can have when playing the game. Whether it is a house ball from the bowling alley or your own personal bowling ball, feeling comfortable and in control of the ball will add confidence as well as points to your game.

Get all the latest in bowling know how from the one and only true source at http://www.bowlingquestions.com Be sure to check our our bowling ball page.