The History of Candlepin Bowling

Developing the game of Candlepin Bowling has been as challenging as the game itself and a look back at the history of this variation of 10-pin bowling will show that this popular game has taken the long road to become what we know it to be today.

It is generally accepted, although some would disagree, that the game of candlepin bowling was first introduced sometime between 1885 and 1890. The exact date is unknown but several references indicate that candlepin bowling has existed for more than 100 years and the candlepin bowling industry agrees that it was born in Worcester, Massachusetts.

There are three men credited with the creation of candlepin bowling; Justin P White, Jack Monsey and Jack Sheafe. Sources say that the original pins were 10 high and 1 in diameter, and the pins were set 11 apart. The pins were arranged in a triangular design 50 feet away from the player, and gave the appearance of candles, creating the name candlepin bowling.

It was soon discovered that pins with those specific dimensions were very difficult to knock over and a bowling ball that measured only three inches in diameter and weighed only two pounds was a frustrating combination for the players. Also the original pins and balls were made of hardwood, which made it impossible to create any kind of uniformity amongst them.

The first rules of the game also included the removal of the felled pins from the playing area, which was one of the rules taken from ten-pin bowling at the time. Although after many changes to the game by its creators it was decided that the felled pins which lie fairly in the playing area should remain there, thus giving the bowler an added advantage. It has since been proven that the felled pins do not always favor the player. The new pin size, which is still in effect today, was 15 inches in length, 1- inches at each end and 2 15/16 inches at the center. The creators were hoping that the problems that they recognized would be solved and that a new attitude amongst candlepin players would develop with these new standards.

The size of the ball was also adjusted to be increased from 3 inches to a maximum of 4 inches in diameter and its weight to a maximum of 2 pounds 7 ounces. These changes did greatly improve the scores of participants and made candlepin bowling more fun.

In those days any bowler who could maintain an average of 105-110 was an outstanding player, these days professionals at the sport carry averages close to 140.

There are many reasons for this drastic improvement in the players score. There are no longer pin boys now that his job has been replaced by machine. The machine can spot pins exactly each and every time. Since the arrangement of the pins is scientifically designed, the exact placement of each pin in crucial. Any pin that is slightly off the spot would have an enormous effect on the way the pins react upon contact with the ball.

Another drastic improvement in the sport is the development of the plastic pin, which improved scores notably. It is durable and maintains its original shape for far longer than the wooden pins, and is much more predictable when contacted by the ball.

Also, the bowling ball has gone through significant improvement now that it is made of a plastic synthetic composition. It is much truer in shape and weight than the earlier balls and is manufactured to be perfectly shaped.

The history of this fun and engaging sport has given us a game truly transformed throughout the years to become the game we know and love today.

The Brief Account about the Background of Bowling

The game of bowling can be traced back to the 3rd century. The game of bowling was said to have originated in the German church. It was common for parishioners to set up a Kegel (club) representing a sinner, and then roll a stone in an attempt to knock it over. If the parishioner knocks the Kegel over, then the sinner is free of sin. The game eventually moved from the church and into a popular sport among the common people. A wooden ball replaced the stone, and pins were used in place of the Kegel. In the Middle Ages, the sport of bowling was seen throughout Germany, and many events included the sport. Eventually the sport spread from Germany and onto Austria, Spain, Switzerland, and the Low Countries. The game, which was previously played outdoors, was also moved indoors, into covered sheds with lanes made of wood or sunbaked clay.

Dutch colonists brought the game of bowling to America in the 17th century. The colonists game consisted of nine pins set in a triangle. The game was most common in an area of New York that is now known as Bowling Green. The sport of bowling was primarily associated with inns and taverns. The game of ninepins was banned in Connecticut in 1841 because of widespread gambling, and later banned in many other states. Some believe that the modern tenpins game was developed to circumvent the laws against ninepins. Indoor bowling became popular in the mid-nineteenth century after the introduction of indoor lanes in New York.

In 1875, eleven New York clubs met to create rules of bowling and standardization of equipment. Although basic rules could be agreed upon, there was no agreement on the width of the lane or the size of the pin. The American Bowling Congress (ABC) was organized at Beethoven Hall in 1895. The score was established at 300, and the distance between pins was set at 12 inches. Originally only New York City, Brooklyn, N.Y., and Buffalo, N.Y. were represented, but the following year Cincinnati, Boston, and Lowell, Mass. were represented. Ernest Fosberg of Rockford, Ill. was the first man to get a score of 300 in five-man league play. The following year E.D. Peifer inaugurated a handicap method for bowling; originally the competition was on an actual score basis.

The first hard rubber ball was developed in 1906, and the maximum ball weight was set to 16 pounds. Up to this point, all balls had been made of hardwood. The sport of bowling gained more popularity in 1920 as the prohibition law led to increases in the game. In 1939, it was established that all lanes should undergo annual inspection and certification before players are allowed to play on them. The National Negro Bowling Association was also founded in the year of 1939. From 1941-1945 the game of bowling grew even more as World War II greatly impacted the sport. Forty-five hundred alley beds were built by the military as a source of recreation.

In the year of 1948, Brunswick introduced dots and arrow markers to their lanes, which drastically improved accuracy for many bowlers. The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) was founded by Eddie Elias in 1958. The PBA originally had 33 charter members. The PBA featured three or four tournaments on the PBA tour, but the number of tournaments grew rapidly in the 1960s, which could be attributed to the influence of television. The stepladder format was formed in order to fit tournaments into TV time slots. The competitors in the tournaments begin by rolling a series of qualifying games with the top five finishers advancing into the stepladder round. Fourth and fifth place qualifiers must bowl a match, with the winner advancing to bowl against the third-place qualifier. This process continues up the stepladder, until the survivor meets the first-place qualifier in the final match.