Bowling is considered a non-contact sport. However, wielding a ball as heavy as the bowling ball could cause injuries if handled the wrong way. Also, the bowling alley, where you throw the ball at the pins, is well polished. This could make you fall if you don’t follow the necessary precautions.

Apart from these factors, some conditions increase bowlers’ chances of injury occurrences. Some of them include:

Poor biomechanics: Because bowling requires some technique with throwing the ball to generate more speed, unnatural movements of the fingers, wrist, and elbows could cause injuries while playing.

Poor physical condition: Some players have weak muscles and joints or a general lack of flexibility. These factors could predispose a bowler to injuries.

Bad ball fitting: Bowling balls have different hole sizes. So, different people buy balls for their respective fingers to avoid injuries caused by the undersized holes.

The various safety rules in bowling include:

1. Use appropriate bowling boots while playing

Bowling alleys, as stated above, are well polished. The well-polished nature could cause injuries to the players if they don’t wear the appropriate footwear.

Bowling boots are non-slip in nature. They prevent the bowlers from slipping and protect the alley from wearing off. Bowling boots can be gotten at sports accessories shops or rented at the bowling centers.

2. Don’t step into the lane

The bowling lane is well oiled to facilitate unrestricted movement of the ball. There is a line to indicate where the lane starts. You could slip and fall if you step over this line.

If there are any balls left in the bowling lane, you can tell the staff available to help you remove them.

3. Lift the balls properly

Lifting the bowling balls properly is key to avoiding injuries to your fingers, hands, and wrist. If you lift the ball with one hand or with your fingers alone, you increase the tension built up in that arm. This tension build-up can lead to several injuries, from the fingers to the elbows.

To lift the bowling ball properly, you use both your hands. Also, you don’t hook your fingers in the holes until you have carried up the ball.

4. Wait patiently after each bowl

In every bowling center, mechanized equipment serves to return the balls to the racks after each bowl. It is important to wait after each bowl to ensure that the ball enters the rack. Also, while waiting, your hand must not be in the rack before the ball enters. Otherwise, you might not know when a ball enters and hits your hand, leading to injuries.

5. Maintain good etiquette

To prevent your game from affecting others, you must maintain proper game etiquette. Such practices include:

• Looking around before swinging your ball to avoid swinging it at someone else.
• Don’t roll the ball towards the pins if someone is working with the pinsetter.
• Follow the rules as laid down by the bowling center.

Bowling is a relatively safe sport. As stated above, most of the injuries can be avoided if you follow the safety tips mentioned here.