by Chris Campbell

Bowling is a game, that has roots that go back for hundreds of years. While most of us are familiar with the traditional bowling game that is played in a indoor bowling alley with either 5 or ten pins, there are actually many variations of this popular game.

One of the contributing factors to the success of bowling, is not just the game itself, but the social interaction as well. It can be enjoyed with family and friends. It's easily lends itself to a team sport, but can also be played individually in a group.

Believe it or not, there are some people who would think that bowling indoors is strange, and some people who would think that bowling outdoors is equally strange. But, there are variations of that game that are played in both venues. While they do have differences, they also have a lot more in common.

Most bowling game lanes, are rectangular in shape. There may be some square ones, but I haven't seen any. It's quite a long rectangle, usually with a length to width ratio of about 20:1.

In the western hemisphere, ten pin bowling has to be the most played. Although five pin bowling would be a close second, and is great for smaller children, who may not have the strength to handle the bigger 10 pin balls.

Just a few other types of bowling worth mentioning are candle pin and skittles. Skittles is more prominent in European countries, and is played with nine pins.

Another popular bowling variation, more popular in the north eastern US states, is duckpin bowling. It's very similar to regular bowling, but the pins are short and fat, and sometimes you play with a red bonus pin for extra prizes.

People who play a lot of ten pin bowling, would do very well at duckpin. If you ever get a chance to play it, you should give it a go.

Cocked hat bowling would be really tough, if you think 5 pin is tricky. Using only 3 pins placed as far apart from each other as possible, and you throw a duckpin ball. It's like trying to throw spares all the time.

If you can find a place where cocked hat bowling still takes place, be sure to give it a try.

Feather bowling, is a little bit like curling, and a little bit like nothing else. Everyone takes turns throwing a wheel shaped ball, with the goal of trying to get it as close the the feather at the other end as possible. The lane slopes in towards the middle.

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