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Tenpin bowling
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==Facilities and equipment== ===Lanes=== {{See also | Bowling ball#Effect of lane characteristics on ball motion }} [[File:20181228 Bowling lane WITH measurements.png|thumb | right | 350px | True scale diagram: In tenpin bowling lanes, the nearest pin is 60 feet from the foul line—more than 17 times the lane's 41.5-inch width.<ref name=USBCspecs/> The optical illusion of [[Perspective (graphical)#Foreshortening|foreshortening]] that a bowler experiences when standing on the approach causes pins to appear closer together and bowling ball angles of entry to appear more dramatic than they are in fact.{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 14 ("Applying Your Tools") }}{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 11 ("I was robbed!") }}]] Tenpin bowling lanes are {{convert|60|ft|m|2}} from the foul line to the center of the head pin (1-pin), with guide arrows (aiming targets) about {{convert|15|ft|m|2}} from the foul line.<ref name=USBCspecs/> The lane is {{convert|41.5|in|m|2}} wide and has 39 wooden boards, or is made of a synthetic material with the 39 "boards" simulated using marking lines.<ref name=USBCspecs/> The approach has two sets of dots, respectively {{convert|12|ft|m|2}} and {{convert|15|ft|m|2}} behind the foul line, to help with foot placement.<ref name=USBCspecs/> {{multiple image | align=right | direction=horizontal | total_width = 350 | header={{gray|Oil patterns, with greater oil concentrations represented by darker blues<br><small>(Horizontal scale is compressed.)</small>}} | image1 = 20190112 Typical house shot oil pattern on bowling lane.png | width1 = | caption1 = Simplified THS (typical house shot): relatively dry areas on the sides, and more heavily lubricated areas surrounding the centerline, help to guide the ball toward the pocket.{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 15 ("Lane play")}} | image2 = 20190112 Sport pattern - oil pattern on bowling lane.png | width2 = | caption2 = Simplified sport pattern: a "flatter" (more even) distribution of oil across the lane presents a greater challenge to hit the pocket.{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 15 ("Lane play")}} }} Modern bowling lanes have oil patterns designed not only to shield the lanes from damage from bowling ball impacts, but to provide bowlers with different levels of challenge in achieving strikes. As illustrated, a typical house pattern (or THS, typical house shot) has drier outside portions that give bowling balls more friction to hook (curve) into the pocket, but heavier oil concentrations surrounding the centerline so that balls slide directly toward the pocket with less hooking.{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 15 ("Lane play") }} In the more challenging sport patterns used in tournaments and professional-level matches, a "flat" oil pattern—one with oil distributed more evenly from side to side—provides little assistance in guiding the ball toward the pocket, and is less forgiving with regard to off-target shots.{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 15 ("Lane play") }} The ratio of centerline oil concentration to side oil concentration (the ''oil ratio'') can exceed 10-to-1 for THSs but is restricted to 3-to-1 or less for sport shots.{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 15 ("Lane play") }} Lane oils, also called lane conditioners, are composed of about 98% mineral oil that, with numerous additives, are designed to minimize [[Glossary of bowling#Breakdown|breakdown]] and [[Glossary of bowling#Carry-down|carry-down]] that would change ball reaction after repeated ball rolls.<ref name=BowlingBallComLaneOil2012/> Lane oils are characterized by different levels of [[viscosity]], with oils of higher viscosity (thicker consistency) being more durable but causing balls to slow and hook earlier than lower-viscosity oils.<ref name=BowlingBallComLaneOil2012>{{cite web |last1=Carrubba |first1=Rich |title=Bowling Lane Oil Facts |url=https://www.bowlingball.com/wordpress/bowling-lane-oil-facts |publisher=BowlingBall.com (Bowlversity educational section) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151115185453/http://www.bowlingball.com/wordpress/bowling-lane-oil-facts |archive-date=November 15, 2015 |date=2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> ===Balls=== {{See also | Bowling ball#Effect of coverstock, core and layout on ball motion }} [[File:20181229 2 4 6 degree angle of entry for bowling ball.png|thumb | right | 350px | True scale diagram: A straight path, even one starting from the extreme outside corner of the lane, results in an angle of entry of at most 1.45°. Larger entry angles (shown in diagram) are achievable when [[hook (bowling)|hooking]] (curving) the ball. Larger entry angles have been shown to be generally more favorable for achieving strikes.{{sfn |Benner |Mours |Ridenour | 2009}}{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 8 ("Why Does My Ball Hook?") }}]] Rubber balls (introduced in 1905) were eventually supplanted by polyester ("plastic") balls (1959) and polyurethane ("urethane") balls (1980s).<ref name=BBevolution2012>{{cite web |last1=Carrubba |first1=Rich |title=Bowling Ball Evolution |url=https://www.bowlingball.com/BowlVersity/bowling-ball-evolution |publisher=BowlingBall.com (Bowlversity educational section) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180917215354/https://www.bowlingball.com/BowlVersity/bowling-ball-evolution |archive-date=September 17, 2018 |date=June 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> Coverstocks (surfaces) of bowling balls then evolved to increase the hook-enhancing friction between ball and lane: reactive resin balls arrived in the early 1990s, and particle-enhanced resin balls in the late 1990s.<ref name=BBevolution2012/> Meanwhile, the increasingly sophisticated technology of internal cores (also called ''weight blocks'') has increased balls' dynamic imbalance, which, in conjunction with the coverstocks' increased friction, enhances hook (curving) potential to achieve the higher entry angles that have enabled dramatic increases in strike percentage and game scores.{{sfn |Stremmel |Ridenour |Stervenz |2008 }} Hook potential has increased so much that dry lane conditions or spare shooting scenarios sometimes compel use of plastic or urethane balls, to purposely avoid the larger hook provided by reactive technology.<ref name=BBevolution2012/><ref name=Siefers20070423>{{cite web |last1=Siefers |first1=Nick (USBC research engineer) |title=Understanding the relationship between core and cover stock |url=https://www.bowlingdigital.com/bowl/node/2324 |website=BowlingDigital.com (Courtesy of USBC Equipment Specification and Certification) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180920011257/https://www.bowlingdigital.com/bowl/node/2324 |archive-date=September 20, 2018 |date=April 23, 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[United States Bowling Congress]] (USBC) regulates ball parameters including diameter (between {{convert|8.500|and|8.595|in|cm|disp=or}}), circumference (between {{convert|26.704|and|27.002|in|cm|disp=or}}), and weight (maximum of {{convert|16|lb|kg|2|disp=or}}, no minimum).<ref name=USBCspecs/> ====Ball motion==== {{See also | Bowling ball#Ball motion }} [[File:20190113 bowling ball path - skid hook roll.png|thumb|350px | Simplified representation of the skid, hook, and roll phases of bowling ball motion.<ref name=BBcom3PhasesMotion20160728>{{cite web |title=Bowling Ball Reaction Keys |url=https://www.bowlingball.com/bowlversity/bowling-ball-reaction-keys |publisher=BowlingBall.com (Bowlversity educational section) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161110035756/http://www.bowlingball.com/BowlVersity/bowling-ball-reaction-keys |archive-date=November 10, 2016 |date=July 28, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> Technological advances since the early 1990s in ball design have allowed dramatically increased hook potential and strike frequency, without requiring additional skill on the part of bowlers.{{sfn |Stremmel |Ridenour |Stervenz |2008 }} <small>(Horizontal scale is compressed.)</small>]] Because pin spacing is much larger than ball size, it is impossible for the ball to contact all pins. Therefore, a tactical shot is required, which would result in a chain reaction of pins hitting other pins (called ''[[Glossary of bowling#Pin scatter|pin scatter]]''). In what is considered an ideal strike shot, the ball contacts only the 1, 3, 5 and 9 pins (right-handed deliveries).{{sfn |Benner |Mours |Ridenour | 2009}} Most new players roll the ball straight, while more experienced bowlers may roll a [[hook (bowling)|hook]] that involves making the ball start out straight but then curve toward a target, to increase the likelihood of striking: [[United States Bowling Congress|USBC]] research{{sfn |Benner |Mours |Ridenour | 2009}} has shown that shots most likely to strike enter the [[Glossary of bowling#Pocket|pocket]] at an [[Glossary of bowling#Angle of entry|angle of entry]] that is achievable only with a hook.{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 8 ("Why Does My Ball Hook?") }} A complex interaction of a variety of factors influences ball motion and its effect on scoring results.<ref name=BBcom_Motion_20130205>{{cite web |last1=Carrubba |first1=Rich |title=The Simple Keys Of Bowling Ball Motion |url=https://www.bowlingball.com/bowlversity/the-simple-keys-of-bowling-ball-motion?bowlversityarticleid=13127 |publisher=BowlingBall.com (Bowlversity educational section) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723194311/https://www.bowlingball.com/bowlversity/the-simple-keys-of-bowling-ball-motion?bowlversityarticleid=13127 |archive-date=July 23, 2021 |date=February 5, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=BowlingBallComBallMotion_20161229>{{cite web |title=Your Bowling Ball Motion |url=https://www.bowlingball.com/BowlVersity/your-bowling-ball-motion |publisher=BowlingBall.com (Bowlversity educational section) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170209030127/https://www.bowlingball.com/BowlVersity/your-bowling-ball-motion |archive-date=February 9, 2017 |date=December 29, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=BowlingBallCom_Variables_20160418>{{cite web |title=Variables You Encounter When Bowling |url=https://www.bowlingball.com/bowlversity/variables-you-encounter-when-bowling |publisher=BowlingBall.com (Bowlversity educational section) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012204113/http://www.bowlingball.com/bowlversity/variables-you-encounter-when-bowling |archive-date=October 12, 2016 |date=April 18, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> Such factors may be categorized as: * '''The bowler's delivery''' (see [[Bowling ball#Effect of delivery characteristics on ball motion|Effect of delivery characteristics on ball motion]]) Characteristics of the ball's delivery that affect ball motion include the ball's speed going down the lane, its rotational speed (''[[Glossary of bowling#Rev rate|rev rate]]''), the angle of the ball's axis of rotation in horizontal and vertical planes (''[[Glossary of bowling#Axis rotation|axis rotation]]'' and ''[[Glossary of bowling#Axis tilt|axis tilt]]'', respectively), and how far beyond the foul line that the ball first contacts the lane (''[[Glossary of bowling#Loft|loft]]'').{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 13 ("Create a Bowler's Tool Kit") }} * '''Bowling ball design''' (see [[Bowling ball#Effect of coverstock, core and layout on ball motion|Effect of coverstock, core and layout on ball motion]]). A 2005-2008 USBC Ball Motion Study found that the ball design factors that most contributed to ball motion were the microscopic spikes and pores on the ball's surface (present in balls with ''[[Glossary of bowling#Reactive resin|reactive resin]]'' [[Glossary of bowling#Coverstock|coverstock]]), the respective coefficients of friction between ball and lane in the oiled and dry parts of the lane, and the ball's oil absorption rate, followed in dominance by certain characteristics of the ball's [[Glossary of bowling#Core|core]] (mainly ''[[Glossary of bowling#Radius of gyration|radius of gyration]]'' and ''[[Glossary of bowling#Differential|total differential]]'').{{sfn |Stremmel |Ridenour |Stervenz |2008 }} Friction-related factors may be categorized as ''chemical friction'' (degree of "stickiness" designed by manufacturers into the resin coverstock) and ''physical friction'' (which can be modified by sanding or polishing, or by including additives that physically increase lubrication).{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 8 ("Why Does My Ball Hook?") }}{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 9 ("Track Flare, or Much Ado About Nothing?") }}{{sfn |Stremmel |Ridenour | Stervenz |2008 }} "Weak" (''pin down'') versus "strong" (''pin up'') [[Glossary of bowling#Layout|layouts]] of the finger and thumb holes with respect to core orientation affect [[Glossary of bowling#Skid|skid lengths]] and hook angularity.<ref name=BBdrill201501>{{cite web |title=How Should My Bowling Ball Be Drilled? |url=https://www.bowlingball.com/wordpress/how-should-my-bowling-ball-be-drilled |publisher=BowlingBall.com (Bowlversity educational section) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150711104913/https://www.bowlingball.com/wordpress/how-should-my-bowling-ball-be-drilled |archive-date=July 11, 2015 |date=January 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=CTDpinUpDown20170411>{{cite web |last1=Hickland |first1=Ronald |title=What is the difference between Pin up and Pin down Drilling on a Bowling Ball? |url=https://ctdbowling.com/blogs/news/what-is-the-difference-between-pin-up-and-pin-down-drilling-on-a-bowling-ball |website=CTDbowling.com (news section) |date=April 11, 2017}}</ref> * '''Lane conditions''' (see [[Bowling ball#Effect of lane characteristics on ball motion|Effect of lane characteristics on ball motion]]). Lane conditions that affect ball motion include ''[[Glossary of bowling#Lane transition|lane transition]]'' (including ''[[Glossary of bowling#Breakdown|breakdown]]'' and ''[[Glossary of bowling#Carry-down|carry-down]]''),{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 14 ("Applying Your Tools") }} the oil absorption characteristics of previously thrown balls and the paths they followed,{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 14 ("Applying Your Tools") }}{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 16 ("Advanced Considerations") }} wood versus synthetic composition of the lane (more generally: soft vs. hard lanes),{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 14 ("Applying Your Tools") }} imperfections in lane surface (''[[Glossary of bowling#Topography|topography]]''),{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 14 ("Applying Your Tools") }} and oil ''[[viscosity]]'' (thick or thin consistency; innate viscosity being affected by temperature and humidity).{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 14 ("Applying Your Tools") }} ===Pins and pin carry=== {{ multiple image | align = right | direction = horizontal | total_width =650 | image1 = 20200127 Bowling ball and pins for strike - front view.png | caption1 = '''Front view:'''{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 10 ("The Pocket Isn't the Pocket... and It's Nowhere Near Where You Think It Is") }} the ball impacts center pocket at "board 17.5"—found by a USBC pin-carry study{{sfn |Benner |Mours |Ridenour | 2009}} to maximize strike probability. The ideal impact point is closer to the center of the head pin than many believe.{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 10 ("The Pocket Isn't the Pocket... and It's Nowhere Near Where You Think It Is")}} | image2 = 20181230 Bowling ball at board 17.5 with pins.png | caption2 = '''Top view:''' Ideal impact for strike{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 8 ("Why Does My Ball Hook?") }} | image3 = 2009 USBC tenpin bowling pin carry study - probability of strike.svg | caption3= USBC study results indicating "board 17.5" to be the ideal ball location to achieve strikes, with higher entry angles (shown) and heavier balls (not shown) generally improving chances of striking{{sfn |Benner |Mours |Ridenour | 2009}} }} Bowling pins (with a maximum thickness of {{convert|4.766|in|cm|0}} at the waist) are "spotted" (placed) in four rows, forming an equilateral triangle with four pins on a side to form a [[tetractys]].<ref name=USBCspecs/> Neighboring pins are centered {{convert|12|in|cm|0}} apart, leaving a space of {{convert|7.234|in|cm|0}} between pins that can be bridged by a bowling ball of regulation diameter ({{convert|8.5|in|cm|0|disp=or}}).<ref name=USBCspecs>{{cite web |author1=United States Bowling Congress (USBC) |title=USBC Equipment Specifications and Certifications Manual |url=https://bowl.com/uploadedFiles/Equipment_Specs/Information/2012FebESManualWEBINTERACTIVE.pdf |website=bowl.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130619074452/http://bowl.com/uploadedFiles/Equipment_Specs/Information/2012FebESManualWEBINTERACTIVE.pdf |archive-date=June 19, 2013 |date=February 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> Pin ''carry''—essentially determining the probability of achieving a strike if the ball impacts in or near the pocket—varies with several factors.{{sfn |Benner |Mours |Ridenour | 2009}} Even before a 2008 USBC pin carry study, it was known that entry angle and ball weight affect strike percentages.{{sfn |Benner |Mours |Ridenour | 2009}} The 2008 study concluded that an impact with the ball centered at "board 17.5" causes pin scatter that maximizes likelihood of striking.{{sfn |Benner |Mours |Ridenour | 2009}}{{sfn |Freeman |Hatfield |2018 |loc=Chapter 8 ("Why Does My Ball Hook?") }} The material of the pin deck and "kickback" (side) plates was also found to materially affect pin carry.{{sfn |Benner |Mours |Ridenour | 2009}}
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