Booming Bowling!
by Nilma DOLE
Bowling is a sport that has now
achieved immense popularity among the young and the old. In Sri Lanka,
the only place to go bowling is the Excel World Strikes bowling centre.
 Ramesh Seneviratne of Excel World said, “You can even have your
birthday bowling party at the Strikes bowling centre which is a great
way of getting a workout and having fun.” Offering a twist to the
tradition, the Strikes bowling centre has made youth active and
energetic rather than lazing at home and wasting time on video games.
“The Strikes bowling centre recently concluded a bowling tournament
where winners received prizes of free bowling games and this was a hit,”
said Ramesh. Starting your first bowling game, make sure you ask for
proper bowling shoes before you start the game.
You can get your appropriate show size and wear them with clean and
laundered socks too. Thereafter, you have to then write down the names
of your group and hand it over to the counter where they will give you a
lane number.
The game that the Strikes bowling centre offers is ten-pin bowling,
commonly referred as ‘bowling’. It is a competitive sport in which a
player or ‘bowler’ rolls a bowling ball down a wooden or synthetic
(polyurethane) lane with the objective of scoring points by knocking
down as many pins as possible.
The bowler is allowed ten frames in which to knock down pins, with
frames one (1) through nine (9) being composed of up to two rolls. The
tenth frame may be composed of up to three rolls: the bonus roll(s)
following a strike or spare in the tenth (sometimes referred to as the
eleventh and twelfth frames) are fill ball(s) used only to calculate the
score of the mark rolled in the tenth.
 The kind of scoring bowling has is unique keeping note of not only of
the present score but also strikes and spares that give bonus points.
There are three kinds of marks given in a score; a strike (all ten down
in the first ball), a spare (all ten down by the second ball), and an
open (missed pins still standing when the turn ends). A strike wins you
ten points plus the points for the next two balls thrown. A spare wins
you ten points plus the points for the next ball thrown. The maximum
score in ten-pin bowling is 300 and there some die-hard professionals
who practice everyday. This consists of getting 12 strikes in a row in
one game and is also known as a perfect game.
Use the different size balls in various colours. You can use
everything from a light 6 pound size ball to the heaviest that is 16
pounds. Anything over 16 pounds is illegal. The best way to turn a ball
is to use your middle and ring finger. Younger bowlers and disabled
bowlers can use the ‘bowling ramp’ to have better control of the ball.
The Strikes Bowling Centre has a restaurant and a café where you can eat
anything from a wholesome ‘Nasi Goreng’ or just chilling out with a few
soft drinks. In addition to this, you can even listen to your favourite
music as a stereo surround sound system is present and you can even get
a DJ to play at your bowling party. Good luck with your bowling!
Bowling Tips for the new or casual bowler:
 - First, knowing how to keep score in bowling can really help. We
know that the alley you bowl in has automatic scoring but you need to
understand how score is calculated so you can maximize it!
- Know the bowling terms can help when at the alley
- Check that you use proper finger technique when bowling
- Make sure you know how to pick the best house ball to use
- Learning some beginning bowling stances is a great tip. Ask for
tips from the instructors there
- All bowlers need to know the common courtesies for bowling
- You should start learning to bowl a hook, as this can help raise
your score even more
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