How Many Games Can You Bowl In One Hour? (Find Out Now)
Bowling is a great way to have a good time with your friends and family. It allows you to be active and, of course, be competitive.
Many people choose to rent a lane for an hour when they go bowling. At most bowling alleys, this is the minimum time that you can rent a lane. But how many games can you actually bowl in one hour?
Is there still an opportunity for a comeback against your friends and family within that amount of time? Read on to find out!
How Many Games Can You Bowl in One Hour?
On average, five to six people play on one bowling lane. It takes one person about 10 minutes to bowl a complete round. This means that you will spend 50 minutes with a group of five people and 60 minutes with a group of six.
So, on average, you can play one round of bowling in one hour.
However, several factors come into play here. For instance, one round will pass faster if more strikes are scored.
Curious how this might change if you rent a lane for more than an hour or if you are with more or fewer people? Then read on!
You will also find a helpful overview further on in this blog.
If you would like to be able to play as many rounds as possible within an hour, I recommend that you read on as I explain what you can do to make the game run faster.
How Many Games Can You Play in Two Hours?
Once again, I took an average of five to six players. The calculation is simple, namely, double the amount you would have if you rented the lane for one hour.
You then end up with two complete rounds of bowling in two hours.
How Many Games Can You Play With Four People in One Hour?
Another calculation: one person takes an average of 10 minutes to bowl a whole round. Multiplying that by four people results in 40 minutes.
So, in one hour, you could play 1.5 games of bowling with four people.
Tip:
Are you playing with four people, and would you like to play at least two complete rounds? Then try to rent a lane for at least 1.5 hours.
How Many Games Can You Play With Eight People in One Hour?
The maximum number of players you can rent a lane for is eight. Since each person takes about 10 minutes to play one round, an hour of bowling with a group of eight would not be enough time to complete one round.
It is a shame if you cannot finish the first round you play. Therefore, I recommend that you rent the lane for at least 1.5 hours when you go bowling with eight people.
In fact, it might be even more fun to rent two lanes (one hour would be enough) and hold a competition between two groups of four people.
As mentioned earlier, you will find a helpful overview below where you can quickly see how many rounds you can bowl in one, one and a half, two and three hours with up to eight players.
| 1 hour | 1.5 hours | 2 hours | 2.5 hours | 3 hours | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 player: | 6 (6) | 9 (9) | 12 (12) | 15 (15) | 18 (18) |
| 2 players: | 3 (3) | 4.5 (4) | 6 (6) | 7.5 (7) | 9 (9) |
| 3 players: | 2 (2) | 3 (3) | 4 (4) | 5 (5) | 6 (6) |
| 4 players: | 1.5 (1) | 2.25 (2) | 3 (3) | 3.75 (3) | 4.5 (4) |
| 5 players: | 1.2 (1) | 1.8 (1) | 2.4 (2) | 3 (3) | 3.6 (3) |
| 6 players: | 1 (1) | 1.5 (1) | 2 (2) | 2.5 (2) | 3 (3) |
| 7 players: | 0.85 (0) | 1.28 (1) | 1.71 (1) | 2.14 (2) | 2.57 (2) |
| 8 players: | 0.75 (0) | 1.12 (1) | 1.5 (1) | 1.87 (1) | 2.25 (2) |
What if You Can't Finish a Round
Rent the lane a little longer:
You can book the lane for longer at many bowling alleys if you wish to do so. Usually, you can rent the lane for half an hour to an hour extra.
However, this is not possible if the bowling alley is already fully booked or just before the bowling center closes.
Decide in advance on (your own rules):
If you have played a whole round and you know you can’t finish the next game, you could decide to make up your own rules.
For example, you could agree with the group that the player who has the most points when the lane has expired wins the game.
The Main Variables That Affect The Speed of a Bowling Round
The number of players:
More players mean it takes longer for an entire round to be played. The maximum number of people for one bowling lane is eight.
The number of strikes scored:
The more strikes scored, the faster the round will go. When a player has to throw twice, each player will have less time.
The discipline of the players:
If a player takes too long to throw, valuable time is lost. You can already pick a ball and wait at an appropriate distance until the other player has completed their turn.
7 Helpful Tips For Playing More Bowling Rounds:
1. Make sure to score more strikes
It may sound obvious, but the more strikes you throw, the faster a round will go. This is because you only have to throw once for a strike.
If you have to throw a second time, you have to wait for the machine to remove the bowling pins that have fallen over.
You also have to wait for the remaining pins to be put back into place by the machine.
2. Only put down bowling balls that you know you are going to play with
Before starting, think about which bowling balls you want to use, so you no longer have to think about this while playing.
If there are many different types of balls, people will start to doubt which ball to use. This will only be to the detriment of your precious playing time.
3. Make sure there are enough bowling balls
It always takes a while before the bowling balls are ready to be used again.
If you play with a specific weight that no one else plays with, you must ensure that you have at least two of these ready.
If you only have one, you will always have to wait for the machine to return the ball.
4. Pick your ball while the other player is throwing
While your opponent is throwing, you can already get ready and take the ball you want to use.
Please do this at an appropriate distance so that your opponent can perform their throws properly.
5. Try to give the ball momentum
If the bowling ball gains momentum, it will take less time to reach the pins. If all players do this, it will eventually save you some time.
However, this does not mean that you should just throw the ball as hard as possible in order to score a strike!
Do you want to know the best way to score a strike? Then read our blog “How to Throw a Strike in Every Turn in Bowling?”.
6. Don’t eat or drink too much
Sure, enjoying a snack and a drink while playing is lovely. However, if you want to play more rounds, you will have to pay attention to this.
If many players need to visit the bathroom, you have to wait extra long until you can throw again.
7. If you play in groups, divide them smartly
When you are with a larger group, you can choose to rent two lanes. Split the group and divide the people carefully.
There is a good chance that one group wants to take it easy while the other wants to play fanatically.
Conclusion
Now you know how many rounds you can bowl within one hour. Of course, the most important thing is that you enjoy it and have a good time with your friends and family.
But even so, there are plenty of people who like it when they can play as many rounds as possible.
You know which variables affect this, and you can apply the above tips to play more rounds.
