Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with bowling

And you know, I love that ten-pound ball, and we're gonna keep it.

Chrysostom — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 05:16:49 -0800

What was Nixon's bowling average? Nixon is often described as an "avid" bowler, but was he any good? Is his average known?

is there a supply for my demand?

ramenopres — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:09:04 -0800

Why can't I buy the rental shoes at bowling alleys? I would like to buy a pair of the crummy rental shoes they have at bowling alleys. I don't want to spend a ton on bowling shoes, and I think the rental ones are cute and super comfy (don't judge me). The places I've called say they don't sell them and then refer me to pro shops, where you have to buy them new. If they just use them until they're unusable and throw them away, why not sell me a pair before they get torn apart? Is there some kind of secret phrase that I can use with the employees to get them to sell me a pair?

I guess my question has two parts, the conceptual and the practical -- what's the deal with not selling these shoes? and, aside from walking out with them on my feet, how can I get a pair of cheap (used) bowling shoes?

Custom fit hole-drilling worth the cost? the potential for error?

skyper — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 08:38:27 -0800

Bowling ball wanted; I'm seeking advice as first-time buyer. My local bowling alley has to special order a 10-lb plastic (for straight rolling) one so I must wait til Monday for it to arrive. They took measurements on my fingers but I am petite/fineboned enough (wrists under 5" around) that on a normal game I'd use an 8 lb ball. At least that's my recollection; I bowl infrequently, just read somewhere how much bacteria etc. finds its way into public-use bowling balls' holes, so it made sense to purchase one.

What does a first-time buyer need to know -- esp. has anyone gotten the holes custom-drilled and *not* found it to their satisfaction? And, since it's a $25 markup for the custom, has anyone found it's just as easy to track down a *used* ball that fits just fine?

(FYI they won't drill until I've arrived to pick it up and, I don't pay til they drill. I'm just uneasy that the drilling could go awry).

How does it know I throw Gutterballs?

sweetkid — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 20:34:22 -0800

How does the bowling alley computer know how many pins you knocked down? I feel like this question should be Googleable, but I couldn't find it anywhere. How does the bowling alley computer know how many pins you knocked down? This question was prompted by one afternoon's bowling, when one of my pins slid a few inches to one side, but didn't fall down. Some of my friends figured there were sensors under each pin that could tell how the weight was distributed when the pin was upright, but that doesn't really make sense to me. It seems like the pins are counted before the arm thing swoops the pins away.

Surely there aren't little men in there counting the pins, as much as we would like to imagine such a thing. So how does it work?

The stats of bowling 300

roofus — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 15:14:14 -0800

ProbabilityFilter: Can I predict, from my bowling average, how many games it will be (on average) until I bowl a perfect 300 game? There must be a fixed, but non-linear, relationship between bowling average and likelihood of bowling a perfect game. Assuming I don't choke on the 12th strike, can I work out how many games it will take me to achieve perfection? My maths skills have failed at the stage of trying to convert my average into a strike percentage.

Be Clever, readysetgo

craven_morhead — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 06:41:47 -0800

I'm working at being clever for a law school bowling team name. The best I can do is "Attractive Nuisance." Can the hive do better?

bowling team name

cleve9 — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 10:59:04 -0800

Need a bowling team name - work at an ad agency but having trouble being creative...

Right up my alley

punkbitch — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 09:13:01 -0800

What is the origin of the phrase "right up my (his, her, etc.) alley"??? Is it as simple as referring to being "in my neighborhood of expertise" or is there some sort of bowling reference going on? Google's letting me down here -- but maybe my search capacities are a little rusty.

Where to buy a bowling shirt?

chefscotticus — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 08:33:44 -0800

BostonFilter :: Where in the metro-boston area can i buy a used/vintage bowling shirt? I'm having a bowling party and want a cheepo bowling shirt. What are the best places to look for vintage/used bowling shirts? I went to Building 19 with no luck, and don't know what sort of stores carry them...

Men didn't die face down in the mud in Vietnam so I can get a gutterball.

pieoverdone — Wed, 07 Dec 2005 08:46:56 -0800

Donnie, I'm out of my element. Help me improve my bowling. I bowl on a league one night a week. Generally I bowl between 70-90 per game. I have a hard time rolling the ball straight. It always seems to go off to the left at the very end of the lane. Also, I have the hands of a 10 year old and use an 8lb ball with the smallest holes in it. I've got no power when sending it at the pins. I bowl tonight, so if you can help me break 100, I'll be happy.

Knocking down all the pins

petebest — Fri, 14 Jan 2005 09:25:44 -0800

BowlingFilter: Does anyone know how to best dismantle a bowling alley? [MI] A friend is considering buying a bowling alley and moving it from one state to another. The catch is that the building the bowling alley is in is set to be demolished next week.

Time being of the essence, he's looking for advice on how to best dismantle the lanes and move everything to it's new home.

I googled for awhile, but this appears to be a bit too esoteric for a pre-existing webpage. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Can I bowl Candlepin outside of New England?

tss — Mon, 12 Apr 2004 21:26:27 -0800

I went to Boston last weekend, and we all played candlepin bowling. I like it better than regular bowling, and I want to play again. Is there any candlepin outside of New England and the Maritimes? (more) ... Specifically, around Pittsburgh, PA? I know it's a long shot and Google confirms it, but here's why i'm Asking Metafilter today:

A few months back I received a local magazine that described how some bowling alleys turn up in strange places, e.g. church basements, VFW halls, etc. I seem to recall the article mentioning candlepin lanes somewhere in Southwestern PA. Does this ring a bell with anyone else?

Barring that, has anyone heard of a candlepin alley outside of New England (or, oddly, Cincinnati)? How about New York City? Philly? D.C.? I'm curious.