The sport dates back some 7,000 years, to a time when Egyptians buried some remnants of the earliest known form of bowling in their tombs. Polynesians have enjoyed their version for several centuries.

The term 'kegler' may derive from the 3^rd century AD, when German peasants carried a club known as the 'kegel', not unlike the Irish shillelagh, for protection.  Over time, wooden balls replaced stones and the kegel was substituted with pins.

By 1650 bowling encompassed nine pins set in a diamond pattern toward the end of a 90-foot lane.  Tenpin bowling, which features a 60-foot lane and pins set in a triangle pattern, is believed to have derived from a Dutch version of the game.

Scoring for strikes and spares came about when heavier bottle-shaped pins replaced the earlier tall and slender version.

Bowling is another true precision sport according to a comprehensive study completed by Dr. Ben Johnson, former Director of the Center for Sports Medicine, Science and Technology at Georgia State University. The study concludes that bowling is much like archery, shooting, baseball/softball pitching or other sports based on accuracy, and physically demanding like tennis, table tennis, basketball for the top athletes, and to all who participate for social, recreation or health/fitness reasons.

For the purpose of his study, Dr. Johnson analyzed the technique, the flexibility and the strength of  bowlers of varying abilities with a multi-camera biomechanical motion analysis system that measured ball velocity, body center of mass velocity, shoulder angles and rotational speeds, as well as trunk angle and knee angles of the lead leg.

During an elite tournament, a bowler must possess physical and mental attributes to consistently deliver a seven kilogram ball approximately 900 times over the three days. A successful delivery requires the ball to be released within one centimeter of a chosen mark and to strike a four centimeter target 18.3 meters away. Championship performances require medal winners to do this well over 90% of the time.

 Bowling at The World Games 2005

Bowling events on the Official Sports Program of The World Games 2009 Kaohsiung: