November 20, 2021

Bowling Trivia and Smashing Facts

Bowling, the frustrating, sometimes maddening game between you and the pins, is one of the most popular leisure sports in the world. It can make you smile, frown, cuss and sometimes hurt your back. It’s a family friendly game that has been around for years (see our fun trivia question on the age of bowling below). It’s great for birthday parties, first dates, and team building outings.  It brings in regulars who partake in league bowling who convene at the bowling alley week after week, and occasional bowlers who come in to the alley for an evening of fun. How much do you know about the nitty gritty underlying facts of bowling? Find out below with our bowling trivia quiz.

 

How many bowling ball manufacturers are there in the world?

Eleven. Some of the most well known brands are Hammer, Storm, Ebonite and Brunswick

 

How old is the sport of bowling?

It could be as old as 7000 years, as archeologists have found wall drawings of a sport that looks like bowling in an ancient Eygyptian tomb.

 

Which 15th century German priest designated the number of pins to be used for bowling at nine?

Martin Luther. When the game made its way over to America, 9 pin bowling was associated with gambling and became banned.  10 pin bowling was implemented as a workaround to allow citizens to legally play.

 

What are the dimensions of a bowling lane?

Bowling lanes are 42” wide and it’s 60 feet in length to where the headpin is placed.

 

How many boards are laid across the width of a bowling lane?

39 boards

 

What type of material is used for the surface of a bowling lane?

Originally the boards were made from maple and pine wood, in the modern era most lanes are synthetic and made with fine particles coated with a melamine resin.

 

How many frames are in a game of bowling?

10

 

What’s the highest score that can be obtained in a game without bowling a strike?

190

 

What score can a bowler obtain if they bowl a perfect game with 12 strikes?

300

 

What is it called when a bowler bowls three consecutive strikes?

A turkey. Six strikes consecutive strikes is a wild turkey, and nine consecutive strikes is a golden turkey.

 

What angle does a right handed bowler need to hit the headpin and the three pin to dramatically increase the opportunity of obtaining a strike?

6 degree angle, which must be obtained by bowling a hook

 

Why were oil and lubricants initially placed on bowling lanes?

To protect the wood, the oil acts as a slip agent and extends the life of the surface of the lanes.

 

What do the names, Dead Man’s Curve, Athens, and Viper refer to in the game of bowling?

Oil patterns used on the lanes.

 

What are the three parts of a bowler's throw?

Skid, Hook, and Roll

 

What is the most popular surface for bowling balls today?

Reactive resin, aka modified polyurethane with a more porous surface

 

What is the regulation height for bowling pins?

15 inches tall

 

If you enjoyed the bowling trivia, we're thinking you may like other sports related trivia games. We've got those for you, as well as movie trivia. Go ahead and explore them today. You may find the perfect game to play with your bowling league friends!