Tired of Being Single? Join a Bowling League (Even If You’re Terrible at Bowling)

Whether you're an introvert or extrovert, bowling is a social activity that will force you to talk to others. So if your problem is that you never know how to meet people, fear not. You’ll be on a team with a number of people you don’t already know. And each week you’ll likely be on a lane next to two other teams, also full of people you don’t already know. That means each week you could potentially strike up a conversation with over a dozen people you haven’t met! 

2. You Inherently Have Something To Talk About. 

If, like me, you often struggle when making small talk, bowling solves that problem. That’s because you can always talk about bowling. How did that handsome stranger get involved with the league? Has he ever bowled before? Does he come from a long line of bowlers? And even easier, you can talk about what is happening in real time. Talk about the scores. Talk about your teammate who is clearly three sheets to the wind. Talk about that gutter ball (or strike!) you just threw. And then…

3. You Always Have A Way Out Of The Conversation. 

Yup. Every five minutes, guess what? It’s your turn to bowl! That means you’ll never be stuck in an awkward conversation for more than a few minutes at a time. And if the conversation is going well, you get to leave your potential new honey wanting more as you go up to bowl with a “Be right back.”

One of the worst parts of dating is securing a second date. After the first one, do you call? Text? Do you wait for them to reach out? With a bowling league, you know you’ll have the opportunity to see them again next week, so you don’t have to stress. If things are going well at bowling, you can look forward to chatting that person up again in a week. And if you’ve both decided to go on a date after meeting at bowling, you know you’ll run into each other in just a few short days, so you can pick up where you left off. 

5. They Know They’ll See You Again.

And since this concept works both ways, anyone you meet knows they can’t act like a giant flake. A person can’t ghost you if they know they’re going to see you at bowling. But what happens if you’re not a match? If one or both of you isn’t interested, the fact that you’ll run into each other very soon provides the excuse you need to say, “This was fun, but I very much look forward to just being bowling buddies. See you at the lanes!”

6. Everything Is Extremely Casual. 

Bowling is chill, people. That doesn’t mean you want to show up looking like a mess. But bowling doesn’t require the same attention to hair, makeup or clothing as your average dinner date. Farewell to the days of spending two hours getting ready for drinks with a person you barely know! And on top of that, the activity itself is very casual, with people nursing beers and hanging around their lanes. This low-pressure situation and the courage from a few Bud Lights might be just what you need to strike (no pun intended) up a conversation with someone new.

7. It’s An Untapped Market.

OK, here I am blabbing about this brilliant way to meet people, but unlike me, you should definitely keep it a secret—until you’ve secured someone for yourself. Nobody thinks of bowling as a dating opportunity, so you’ll inevitably have less competition than you would at something like speed dating. You’ll have your pick of the litter. And hey, maybe soon enough you’ll have your own great “How did you two meet?” story!