Cannon Bowling

Cannon Bowling utilizes standard bowling rules with the addition of a mechanically powered cannon. The cannon has a series of rotating rollers inside the barrel that add forward thrust and spin to the ball. These settings are controled by unmarked tension-based dials. You have to develop a feel for it.

The cannon is a J shaped with the longer part against the ground resting on free-wheeling castors. It is sloped slightly forward so that the end of the barrel rests only an inch off the ground. The ball is fed manually into the the loopy part of the J curve (the top) and held by a there by a trigger-linked catch stop. When you are ready, instead of using your arm to bowl the ball, you simply aim using the anti-aircraft sites, dial in the desired speed and rotation, and pull the bazooka-style trigger. Choom!

After the ball is shot, the tension dials reset. The rules state that you return the cannon to aim safely at the gutter between every ball thrown to force an aiming/ dialing effort anew.

Perhaps some handicapped people could also benefit from this. There is an optional vaccu-suck attachment to feed the ball from the return into the top of the cannon.