Did you know nine-pin bowling was a form of bowling that is now banned in all states but Texas? Nine-pin and ten-pin bowling have been known to Texas since the 1830's. It was a lot more difficult to get a strike back then, especially with a wooden ball. It wasn't up until 1905 when the first rubber ball was introduced to the game. Now it is said that when you bowl an optimal strike, the ball itself only hits four pins. A right handed bowler's ball actually connects with the 1, 3, 5 and 9 pins (or in some instances the 8 pin), and a left handers will contact the 1, 2, 5 and 8 pin (or 9 pin), so theoretically, if I bowled a 300, I'd only hit 48 pins. Each pin is set 12 inches apart from each other.  Well for an optimal strike to be thrown in the first place, then you'd need to throw your ball to hit the pocket at 6°. The bowling pins that are set in the pocket, they each way roughly three and a half pounds, but as long as the pin tilts at least 9° then you're in great shape. All pins that tilt at least 9°  will fall. That is the point of no return for the bowling pin, it will always fall.

There are many perfect 300 games that have been recorded throughout bowling history, but Hannah Diem is currently the youngest bowler to have bowled a 300 at 9 years, 6 months, and 19 days. The first person to bowl a perfect game was a young girl. Well done Miss Diem! Now bowling’s first governing body, the American Bowling Congress, was just for men. It wasn’t until 1917 that women got their own governing body, the Women’s National Bowling Association. Since then it wasn't until 2010 that Kelly Kulick was the first woman to win a title on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour. In 1958 the PBA was founded. In 1983 Bill Allen was the first player to be inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame. To this day Earl Anthony is still named the best bowler in the PBA for the last 50 years. There are 13 countries with membership in the PBA.  These include the United States, Australia, Bermuda, Canada, China, England, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, Sweden, and Venezuela. Seattle, Washington is the headquarters of the PBA. Although we have our headquarters, Japan is home to the worlds largest bowling alley in the world! Inazawa Grand Bowling Centre has 116 lanes! Las Vegas, Nevada is home to the second largest bowling alley in the world, and right next to them in Reno, there lies an actual bowling stadium! Not just a bowling center, a stadium! Well that does it this time for random facts about your loved game of bowling.