History of Bowling

Though we have a tendency to think of bowling as a fairly modern sport, the truth is, the history of bowling is quite varied and it seems to have developed independently in places all around the world. The people playing didn't speak our modern language or wear our clothes, but when it came to the use of a ball being rolled to knock over upright pins, that is something that they would definitely have recognized.

One of the first places that bowling can be traced to is ancient Egypt. A very primitive version of a bowling ball and pins all sized for a child, were discovered with some artifacts that could be deliberately dated back to 3200 BC, something which makes them over five thousand years old. This is not the only suggestion that bowling is quite ancient though. Other people claimed that the pins and ball represented a different game altogether and stated that the game originated in Germany a mere two thousand years ago.

One of the first mentions of bowling that we see involves an English king outlawing it due to the fact that his troops were playing it and ignoring their archery practice. This places it in England during the 1300s, but we can tell due to its depictions in art and literature that it was popular and legal again just a short time afterwards. There were very variations on this very basic theme, and the from country to country, the size of the balls and the number of pins would vary.

When the first European settlers came to America, they brought bowling with them. The very first mention of bowling in America is related in the famous Washington Carver story, Rip Van Winkle, which was published in 1812. In this story, the main character meets strangely dressed men who are enjoying a game of ninepins. This differs from our own modern game, which uses ten pins,and the story of the addition of the tenth pin is an interesting one. The game of bowling suffered something of a shady reputation due to the fact that it was very popular with criminals and gamblers and laws were passed in several places which forbid the owning of bowling establishments. To get around this many establishments simply added another pin to the set and claimed they were playing a different game altogether!

The rules of the game that we play today were standardized in 1895, and that was also when national competitions began to be formed. In 1914, the first Mineralite bowling ball was created and in 1952, pin setting machines came into play. Bowling saw a huge surge in popularity when it was televised in the fifties, and as we can see, that popularity continues to this day!

Jay Villaverde is an avid league bowler and owner of http://www.DiscountBowlingBalls.net A site that offers the lowest prices on bowling balls from manufacturers such as Columbia, Storm, Hammer, Track, Ebonite and many more. Along with bowling ball bag, shoes and accessories, DiscountBowlingBalls.net has what you need to get in the game.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jay_Villaverde http://EzineArticles.com/?History-of-Bowling&id=1136474

Related Articles:

'A Place Called Home' Presents it's Inaugural Stars & Strikes Celebrity Bowling Event
"Stars & Strikes: Celebrity Bowling Event" is an event that will benefit A Place Called Home (APCH) youth center in South Central Los Angeles which has served over 4,000 at-risk children with programs that include a Los Angeles Unified School District "alternative" school, literacy and tutoring, dance, music, creative arts, health and well-being services, counseling, sports/recreation programs and APCH's nationally recognized mentoring program.

Google Bowling and Negative SEO: Tearing Down Rather Than Building Up
There's been a lot of talk recently about some methods of dirty SEO, known collectively as Negative SEO. The basic premise behind these methods is the simple idea that it is quicker and easier to rear down your competition than it is to build yourself up.

Swing Bowling Success Tips
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.

How YOU Can Choose the right Bowling Ball for Yourself
Bowling balls are always a hot topic. Not only novices but also advanced players every now and then go out of the way to buy a bowling ball. Why? Specific purpose. Not only bowling balls avail to suit a playing style, some bowling balls are best suited for specific conditions such as dry lanes. Reactive balls afford more hooks than a plastic ball, but with a much too dry lane, a hook could lead the ball straight instead to the gutter.

How To Shop For A Bowling Ball
Ever since its creation thousands of years ago, bowling has become a sport that people of all ages can enjoy and millions around the world do. Minimally physical, fairly fast-paced and generally quite affordable, there's just something about bowling that hooks people quick. Those who decide to really delve into the sport will likely find themselves shopping for a bowling ball of their own.

2004 Shocker Bowling Tryouts Underway
Collegiate bowlers representing 20 states, Canada and Columbia are participating in the 2004 open tryouts of the national championship-winning Wichita State Shocker Bowling program. There are 50 men and women participating in the tryout process with sixteen players returning from last year's season to try out for the new team.

A Bit About Bowling Balls
Besides the money you?ll save by bringing your own gear, ball and shoes with you, why would you necessarily want to own a bowling ball? The reason is that having a ball of your own is the same thing as choosing the right bat when you?re playing baseball, or finding your own racket when playing tennis. These things aren?t going to make up for lack of skill, of course, but if you know your equipment inside and out you?ll be able to up your bowling average at least by a fraction. Let?s take a look at some of the different kinds of bowling balls and discuss the particular makeup of each ball.

Bowling Tips For Beginners
Bowling Tips For Beginners

Bowling Tip - Correct Your Timing
Out of sync Here is a simple cure for a complex problem

Bowling Tips - Introduction To Bowling
The sport of Bowling (also known as tenpin bowling) is an indoor sport in which a ball between 6 and 16 lbs in weight is rolled down a lane about 42 inches wide by 60 feet long from the foul line to the head pin, in an effort to knock down 10 pins set in a triangular array at the end of the lane

Brayton Purcell a Sponsor of Bowling Fundraiser for Big Brothers, Big Sisters
For the fourth time, the law firm of Brayton Purcell will be a sponsor of Bowl for Kids' Sake, a fundraiser for Big Brothers, Big Sisters of the North Bay. Participants form bowling teams, set their fundraising goals and help solicit contributions on behalf of the charity.

Choosing a Bowling Ball The Correct Way
The sport of bowling, I used to think that it is an easy game. You just have to aim and then throw the ball towards the pins. It looks very easy to me but when I tried it myself, I fell like being dragged by the ball. It was heavy plus it was not that easy to let go of the ball, if you don not know exactly how to do it. Really, I almost stumbled and rolled with the ball on the floor if it were not for my friend who was just in time to grab my arms before I could make a laughing stock out of myself. It could have been a very embarrassing moment. After the incident, I took time to study the game before I tried another shot.

Weird Bowling - Tales From The Dark Side
Bowling is one of the most loved participant sports ever However, when it comes to incredible mishaps and weird disasters, bowling is in a league of its own

Zapp It Bowling Products Making Strides in the Bowling Industry
Zapp It Bowling Products introduces their first product into the bowling industry, a new bowling ball cleaner that extracts oil and dirt from bowling balls without any hazardous chemicals involved. This bowling ball cleaner has been tested and approved by the American Bowling Congress as acceptable for use during ABC/WIBC sanctioned competition.

Bowling Goes to the Dogs... and the Cats
"Back by popular demand" BV humane Society Bowling Tournament, Last minute sign-ups Welcome.