Ten-Pin Bowling is the most popular form of bowling worldwide and is played on a surface known as a lane. The lanes are 60ft long and are 42 inches wide Make sure that you don’t bowl wide of the lane as that will be carried away from the pins without hitting them.
This game requires two-equipment which include a ball and ten pins to play. The basic rule of the game is you have to hit the pins with the ball. The object of the game is to knock down more pins than your opponent.
The game consists of 10 rounds which are known as frames and in each frame, you’ll get two chances to knock down all the pins. So, let’s have a quick look at the highest score that you can actually get in this game and what can you do to improve your ten-pin bowling score.
What is the highest score in 10-pin bowling?
In a game of bowling, the maximum you can score is 300 points. This is done by rolling 12 strikes in a row. This is because, if you get a strike in the last frame, the score for that frame can’t be recorded before rolling twice more. This is known as a ‘Perfect Game’ or a 300.
How to improve your bowling score? (Step By Step Guideline)
Bowling is a sport that every day you can do for recreation and is for all ages from very young to the elderly. However, no matter what age or skill level, we always want more of beings. So, we’ve come up with five basic steps that will definitely help you to improve your bowling score.
Step-1
The first step has to do with your alignment and to help you with the alignment; there are seven dots on the floor. These dots correlate with the dots and arrows on the lane.
Step-2
The second step has to do with your approach and within your approach depending on how big your strides are, you want to take four or five steps with your final steps in your toe line. Ideally, you want your toe to slide up to the line on the same line that you originally had lined up in your approach.
Step-3
The third step is probably the most important part which is the swing. The swing is very important because it will dictate where your ball ends up going. You should start your motion in your swing with your first step.
This is to help get power behind the swing and within it you want your backswing to go as far as possible. This will aid in momentum and power as you’re coming forward with your swing. Always make sure that your arm is straight.
Step-4
The fourth step is your aim. As I mention in the first step there are dots and arrows all along the lane and approach area. If you’re left-handed, then you will aim for one of three left arrows and if you’re right-handed, then you will aim for one of the right three arrows.
When you throw your ball, you want it to roll over the arrow you’re aiming for and more often than not you will hit the target.
Step-5
Finally, the last step is to release the ball and when releasing the ball you want to make sure the timing is right. If you wait too long then the ball will fly in the air. The same goes for if you release the ball too early. Don’t just stop and release, make sure you follow through with your swing.
Another thing that will help you with your score is bowling courtesy. If someone picks up their ball and start their approach as you’re in your beginning stance, then stop and regain your focus. Otherwise, you’re going to end up with a bad throw.
You can join any professional competitve league to see how they practice. You can watch and follow them to improve your bowling game.
Score Rules for 10-pin Bowling
Open Frame
The rule of the game is to be scored for every knocked-down pin. In each frame, you’re given two chances to knock them down. However, if you fail to hit any of the pins then the frame will be known as an open frame.
Strike
If you’re a regular on the bowling alley then you’re probably accustomed to this term. If you manage to knock down all the pins within one frame then you’ll be awarded a bonus based on the number of chances it took you to knock you down.
However, if you knock down all the ten pins on the first delivery then it’ll be considered as a strike. A strike is marked as an “X” on the scoreboard. The player will get the 10 points of all the knocked down pins and the additional points for the number of pins he/she knocks down during the next two bonus throws.
Double
Who doesn’t like it when the fun gets double, right? Just like the name suggests, the double is indeed a treat and a dream for every bowler. If you land on two consecutive strikes then it will be counted as a double.
Suppose, if you score two strikes then on the third frame if you hit 5 pins on the first go and 3 pins on the second go then it will be counted as follows.
Frame 1: 10+10+5=25
Frame 2: 10+5+3=18
Frame 3: 5+3=8
So, a total of 25+18+8=51 from three frames altogether. Sounds like a charm, no?
Triple
Scoring a triple is no joke and it takes quite a lot of practice and hardship to achieve that. If the bowler lands on three consecutive strikes then it will be counted as a triple or a turkey. For example, if the player scores three strikes then on the fourth frame the player scores a 5 on the first delivery and a 3 on the second delivery. So, the score will be counted as follows.
Frame 1: 10+10+10=30
Frame 2: 10+10+5=25
Frame 3: 10+5+3=18
Frame 4: 5+3=8
So, a total of 30+25+18+8=81. You will be able to score a whopping 88 points in four frames. This will ensure your winning ratio to a great extent.
Long Consecutive Strikes
The long consecutive strikes are usually witnessed during the professional tournaments. It’s nearly impossible for the novice players to achieve such remarks.
Four consecutive strikes are known as Llama, 6 consecutive strikes are known as wild turkeys or golden turkeys. It’s an extremely rare scenario to witness a game with 12 consecutive strikes. However, those are known as a perfect game or thanksgiving turkeys.
Clean Game
A clean game is where the player obtains one strike in each frame. As the maximum score from a strike is 30, as the player shoots the 10th strike, he/she will be awarded two more chances.
In those two chances, if the player again scores a strike then he/she will be awarded 30 points which are known as striking out.
Final Thoughts
For many of us, the game is more about enjoying the time with friends while having some fun. However, the scores play a very vital role among professionals or advanced players. The maximum score that can be obtained from a 10-pin bowling match is 300 if you score 12 perfect strikes. However, it is rare in bowling to score 300 points. If you want a scoring video tutorial, here is for you.
