Bowling Terminology
ABC
The American Bowling Congress was founded in 1895 and dissolved in 2004. It was replaced on January 1, 2005, by the United States Bowling Congress to combine the efforts of the ABC, WIBC, YABA, and USA Bowling.
PBA
Professional Bowlers Association (PBA): Determines requirements for membership, entry fees for local and national PBA tournaments, and monitors player conduct.
PWBA
The Professional Women’s Bowling Association is a group of the best female bowlers in the world. The members of this group will receive several benefits this year. These benefits are listed on their website. If you would like to be a member, go there to check if registration is open.
USBC
The United States Bowling Congress is the national governing body for ten-pin bowling in America. It was formed on January 1, 2005, from the merger of the American Bowling Congress, Women’s International Bowling Congress, Young American Bowling Alliance, and USA Bowling.
WOMEN’S INTERNATIONAL BOWLING CONGRESS
The women’s international bowling congress was founded in 1916 and is now a division of the United States Bowling Congress. It is open to women of all ages and abilities who want to participate in organized bowling competitions.
YABA
The Young American Bowling Alliance is a division of the United States Bowling Congress. It was formed on January 1, 2005, from the merger of the American Bowling Congress, Women’s International Bowling Congress, and USA Bowling. The YABA is open to all youth bowlers who want to participate in organized competitions.
Action
- Action is the pins’ movement caused by the ball’s hook.
- A clean ball helps keep the action where it should be.
- It is also when the pins fly into one another making for a good leave.
- The motion of the pins caused by the bowler’s technique is called pin action. This is generally a result of accuracy, rotation (see definition), and other factors.
- The pins moving horizontally instead of vertically means they cover more of the lane.
Address
The bowler’s stance before starting at the approach.
Adjustment
The changing of part of your game to be more competitive on the particular lane and/or lane condition you are bowling. This can mean an alignment change, equipment change, or even changes in your physical or mental game; some are subtle, others more pronounced.
Alley
- A series of lanes where people can bowl;
- A place where people can bowl;
- The surface on which bowling is played, is usually made of maple and pine boards; urethane lanes may soon outnumber wood lanes.
All the way
Finishing a game from any point by only throwing strikes. He went all the way after the 4th frame.
Anchor
The last bowler to bowl in team competition is usually the best. This is because they are most likely to get a strike in the “foundation frame” (the ninth frame) and most likely to “strike out.”
Angle
The path the ball takes when it enters the 1-3 pocket (1-2 for left-handed bowlers). Recent research has shown that an angle of 4-6 degrees is optimum; a lesser or greater degree leaves pins exposed as the pocket width decreases.
Apple
- The Bowling Ball
- A person who fails to perform well in a critical situation.
Approach
- The way in which the bowler gets up to the foul line.
- Also known as the area behind the foul line from which the bowler makes his delivery.
- The part of the lane from the back of the ball return area to the foul line is called the approach.
- The bowler’s motion starts here and ends at the start of the delivery when the ball starts its final swing forward.
Area
A player has a good “area” if their ball spans across a large number of boards during its hook.
Armswing
When you push away from the ball, you want your arm to move in a straight line. The arc of your bowling arm and hand from the first move toward the line until you deliver the ball over the line should be consistent.
ARROWS
- The triangles on the lane help you aim your throw.
- Aiming points embedded in the lane.
- These arrows (usually red or black, but maybe other colors) are used to aim.
Automatic Foul Detector
A light beam at the foul line sounds an alarm if the bowler’s foot crosses it. The penalty for doing so is loss of pins for that ball; the bowler shoots at a new rack of ten pins (which counts as a spare if all are knocked down).
Axis
The point on the ball where the bowler’s release creates the initial axis of rotation is called the positive axis point.
Axis Tilt
The axis tilt is the angle your axis makes with the ground when you release the ball. This ranges from 0 to 90 degrees, depending on whether or not your axis is facing in the same direction as the gutters when you let go of the ball. The closer your axis is to being perpendicular to the gutters, the quicker your ball will start rolling. Axis tilt affects skid.
Automatic Pinsetter
The first bowling pinsetter was invented in the 1940s. It worked by detecting the pins left standing, sweeping up the fallen pins, and then resetting the pins for the next player. This invention helped to create the “bowling boom” of the 1950s, and the inventor received $1 million from AMF. Any pins standing at the end of the frame were swept away.
Baby Ball, Baby the Ball
The ball was released too carefully and didn’t have enough authority. This made it difficult to deliver the ball successfully.
Baby Split
The 2-7 or 3-10 split. Called a baby split because it is not as difficult to pick up as a regular split.
Baby Split with Company
The 2-7-8 or 3-9-10.
Back Ends
The last 5-6 feet of the lane, near the pin deck, is where balls hook more. This is because the lane is getting drier near the end. If the back part of the lane is very dry, then the ball will keep hooking strongly for most players. If the back part of the lane is tight, then most players will see more deflection and less strikes.
Backup Ball
A ball that curves in the opposite direction for right-handed bowlers or left-handed bowlers. Rare to see pros using a backup ball.
Backup Alley
A lane helps keep the ball from rolling to the right or left.
Bad Rack
A full set of pins that appears to be crooked or not in the right position. This is generally not desirable.
Balk
- When a bowler does not deliver the ball properly.
- To prevent another bowler from bowling or to disrupt their approach.
Ball Rack:
- Where the ball rests before it is rolled and after it returns from the pit.
- The structure is used to store the house balls.
Ball Return
The track between the lanes the ball travels on when being returned to the bowler.
Ball Track
The area on the lane where most balls are rolled. The ball track is usually referred to as the lane.
Balsa
A very light, powerless hit on the head pin.
BAGGER (Consecutive Strikes in a row)
A string of strikes. Throwing four strikes in a row, among other things, is called a 4 bagger.
1. Home Opener
A strike is when you knock down all 10 pins in one roll. If your first strike is on your very first ball (first frame) sometimes people will call it a home opener or an original strike.
2. A Double
A double is when you knock down all 10 pins on your first two rolls or when you roll any two strikes in a row. A “double” or a “Barney Rubble” is made up of two strikes in a row.
3. A Turkey
Getting three strikes in a row is called a turkey. If rolled on the first three frames, sometimes it’s dubbed a sizzling turkey. In the early days of bowling, a common prize was an actual turkey for anybody who could perform such a remarkable feat.
4. A Hambone (also when it becomes a bagger)
When you roll consecutive strikes higher than three strikes in a row your streak becomes a “bagger” with the number affixed before the word bagger.
So if you bowl four strikes in a row, it is called a four-bagger. The term four-bagger may come from when bowling was first starting and people would get food for winning competitions.
5. Olympic Rings, A Brat, Yahtzee
- The term for rolling five strikes in a row is often called rolling a “Brat” because there are five bratwursts in a package.
- It has also been called Olympic rings, or Yahtzee due to the 5 dice that are involved.
- And finally, it’s also called a five-bagger.
6. Six Pack, Wild Turkey, or a Double Turkey
- Getting six consecutive strikes in a row is called a six-bagger of course, but it also has various other names.
- Six Pack
- Rolling six strikes in a row doubles the turkey, so you will often hear it called a double turkey or a wild turkey.
7. Turkey Hambone or a Ham-Turkey Dinner
A Turkey Ham Bone a logical hybrid of two achievements: a hambone (four strikes) and a turkey (three strikes), which make seven; this is also known as a seven-bagger or a Ham Turkey Dinner.
8. Octopus
When you talk about 8 tentacles or you throw your eighth strike in a row, you call it an “octopus.”
Bowling eight strikes in a row is also called an eight-bagger. This is obviously a harder and longer string of strikes to get.
9. Golden Turkey
This is when you get a turkey for the third time in a row! Nine consecutive strikes in bowling is impressive and at this point in the game your points determined will be from your last frame.
If your ball gets nine consecutive stikes it’s also termed a nine-bagger.
10. Front Ten
A strike in the tenth and final frame rewards the bowler with two extra balls to allow for the scoring of bonus points.
A Ten bagger allows you to throw 2 more times. Use your extra ball wisely.
11. Front Eleven
Ok at this point we have sort of run out of names. Basically this is an eleven bagger or a front eleven.
12. Perfect Game
A perfect game is when a bowler strikes 12 times in a row, while a 900 series is when a bowler gets a strike 36 consecutive times.
Front and Back Strings
If you bowl consecutive strikes in the first six frames, you will have a front string. This is like having a string of strikes in the first six frames. If you bowl consecutive strikes in the seventh, eighth, and ninth frames, you will have a back string. This is like having a string of strikes in the last three frames.
Ultimate String
If you roll 36 strikes in a row, you will have completed three Perfect Games. This means that you will have earned 900 points in total.
BAKER GAME/SYSTEM
In Baker play, five players bowl together in one game. The first player bowls frames 1 and 6, the second player bowls frames 2 and 7, and so on. Most Baker matches are two games long and the total pins scored in both games are used to determine the winner of the match play.
BALANCE (Bowling Ball)
The weight of a bowling ball is not always evenly distributed. This is because the USBC rules allow a ball to vary 3 ounces from the drilled top half to bottom half of a ball and one ounce from the left to right side.
Resin balls are now used to change the roll pattern of a ball. A ball with negative balance tends to be influenced to turn away from the pins; a ball with positive balance will be influenced to turn into the pins.
BALANCE (Player)
A player is in balance if they can complete their follow-through without falling off to one side. This means that the release and slide are simultaneous.
BALANCE HOLE
Generally speaking, if you cut a bowling ball in half, each half would have the same amount of weight.
However, if you drill the ball off-center, more of the weight block will be on one side of the ball. This might make that half of the ball too heavy compared to the other half. In addition, modern high-tech balls and their asymmetrical cores can be drilled in a way that goes against the maximum tolerances allowed by the USBC for side to side weight (which is a one-ounce differential).
If a ball is too heavy, an extra hole can be drilled to take some weight off. This is called the balance hole. The balance hole can also be used to make a ball go faster or slower or to make a very small change in how it reacts.
BALL SPINNER
A machine that is used to spin a ball in a container so that the user can apply ball polish or sand the ball down more quickly.
BALL TRACK
- The area of the lane where most balls are thrown;
- the area on a ball where the ball rolls; most balls will show scratches and wear in this area after several games.
Barmaid
When a pin is hidden behind another pin; 1-5, 2-8, 3-9.
Beak
The nose; is the center of the head pin.
Bed
The entire area of a lane is set into, from the approach to the pit, including the channels.
Bedposts
The 7-10 split.
BELLY THE BALL
Describes the type of shot where a player stands inside and tosses it to the outside in the hopes it returns to the pocket for a strike.
Beer Frame
A refreshment break and “beer run”. The person initiated is usually the lowest-scoring player. Often happens during the 7th frame.
Belly The Ball
If you want to increase the width (number of boards a hook must travel from its maximum outside position), you will need to start from the inside angle.
Benchwork
Talking or acting in a way that makes your opponent angry. (trash talking)
Bender
Hooking or curving shot that comes close to the gutter before breaking into the pocket.
Bevel
After drilling the thumb and finger holes, it’s the act of smoothing the edges.
Bicycle
A Pin that is hidden behind another pin.
Big Ball
A good hook that helps bowlers get strikes even when their ball hits the pocket imperfectly.
Big Ears
The 4-6-7-10 split. (big four, double pinochle, golden gate)
Big Fill
Getting nine or ten pins on a spare, or a double on a strike.
Big Five
Leaving a spare with 3 on one side and 2 on the other.
BIG FOUR
The 4-6-7-10 split.
Blended Condition
The “thick oil” theory is that the holes are most likely caused by lanes with a little dip in the middle. Proprietors compensate for this by “accidentally” over-oiling, resulting in a “regular blended block.” A “Berlin Wall” occurs when the contrast between the oily center and dry sides is very great. A “tunnel block” occurs around one arrow (usually the second arrow).
It’s a “funnel block” when the block narrows toward the pins. The edge of a block moves toward the middle as oil evaporates, and you can discover it by looking for the edge. A “reverse block” has more oil on the flanks and less in the middle; therefore, as oil evaporates (and may be followed outward).
BLIND SCORE
If a bowler is “blind” and can’t find their way to the league that evening, their average is simply used (as if they just bowled that score) when figuring the team’s total for each game.
BLOW
When you miss or foul and you don’t get the spare… other than when it’s a split.
BOWL OUT
Allowing a bowler to take consecutive turns in order to finish the game quickly. This is normally a courtesy to a player that has other time commitments.
BOARD
There are 39 pieces of wood in a lane. Players usually number them and use them when trying to position their approach.
BODY ENGLISH
The extra oomph you get when your body helps to steer the ball as it travels down the lane.
BOOMER
- A ball that is thrown with lots of hook.
- A person who throws a lot of hook in their ball.
BOTTOM WEIGHT
The weight of a bowling ball is not always evenly distributed. This is allowed by the USBC rules, which say that a ball can vary 3 ounces from the drilled top half to the bottom half of a ball and one ounce from the left to the right side.
A ball that has more top weight will go further before it hooks. A ball with more bottom weight will roll earlier. This is less important now that we have modern balls.
BREAK POINT
Knowing where to aim your ball in order to make it curve back towards the pocket is important if you want to play well. This is called “break point management.”
If a ball hooks too early or too late, it will be difficult for a player to be consistent. This can be fixed by adjusting the breakpoints, which can be done by changing the alignment, target, ball, ball surface, and ball speed.
BROOKLYN
Refers to a ball that goes across the other side of the head pin, opposite to where it was thrown (i.e., a Brooklyn strike hits the 1-2 pocket for a right-handed bowler).
BUCKET
A diamond-shaped, four-pin cluster, e.g., the 2-4-5-8 or 1-2-3-5. This could be different for a righty or a lefty.
BURNER
A ball that is thrown with lots of power and speed.
CARRYDOWN
The oil conditioner on the lane does not soak into the boards, it sits on top. As balls are thrown, the oil is subtly moved. It may be pushed left and right, or, it may be moved farther down the lane (carried down). Usually, but not always, a house with a lot of carrydown will not allow a ball to hook as much on the back ends and scores will be lower.
In some houses and oil patterns, the initial pattern is too strong. This means that the ball will travel further than it should. As the lane starts dry, this effect becomes stronger. A top professional can see this change happening and make adjustments accordingly.
CENTER OF GRAVITY (CG)
The heaviest part of a bowling ball is called the “CG.” The “CG” is marked on the ball by the manufacturer to designate the center of the weight mass relative to the top of the ball.
CHANNEL (Gutter)
The sides of a bowling lane have semicircular grooves or drop-off areas.
CHOP
This means knocking down one of the pins in a spare while the other pin next to or behind it remains standing.
CLEAN GAME
When a bowler finishes a game without any open frames.
CLOSED POCKET
A complete rack of pins is set up for your strike ball in such a way that the head pin is just a little off target to your hand, typically to the right for a right-handed player; closed pockets are prone to produce unpredictable results, frequently negative.
CONDITIONER
Another name for lane oil is conditioner. This is a substance that is used to prevent burn marks on the heads of lanes.
CONVENTIONAL GRIP
The fingers are placed up to the second joint in a kind of ball drilling. It is not utilized by many higher-level players since it is considerably more difficult to get a hook on this form of drill, although it may help accuracy in some people.
COUNT
Usually, the number of pins knocked down in the next frame applies to a spare or strike.
COVERSTOCK
The material that makes up the outer shell of the ball; is the hardness, texture, and shine of a bowling ball.
Curve Ball
A curve ball is a ball thrown with a large hook.
DEUCE
A game of 200 or more.
DOTS
- There are a series of seven spots on the lanes that you should aim for. These spots will help you to target and align yourself properly. You should also use these same spots on the approach to help you line up your feet when you take your initial stance.
- Markers on the runway can help guide the bowler’s approach.
DOUBLE WOOD
Any two pins such that one is directly behind the other; i.e., the 2-8; 3-9; 1-5.
DOWN AND IN
Refers to a line that is more direct and parallel to the boards; instead of hooking the ball.
DRESSING
The lane conditioner; the act of applying lane conditioner.
DRIFT
The number of boards you vary from straight in your approach to the foul line. For example, if you place the inside edge of your slide foot on board 15 on the approach, but your inside edge slides on the 12 board at the foul line, you have a three-board inward drift.
DUTCH 200
A game in which you get a strike or spare on every other turn.
EARLY TIMING
Releasing the ball before your foot finishes sliding can make your ball go less far. This happens because you don’t have the right balance and power to hit the ball well.
ENTRY ANGLE
The angle of how the ball enters the pocket affects how often it will hit the pocket. The more angled it is, the more likely it is to hit the pocket. This is why people prefer a ball that hooks a lot or has clean back ends.
FALL BACK SHOT
A type of shot that starts on one side of the pocket and then curves back into the pocket; this type of shot is often used in very oily lane conditions.
FAST EIGHT
- Describes an apparent good pocket hit that gets just eight (8) pins.
- Typically the right-handed players will leave the 4-7 spare and the left-handed players the 6-10.
- Usually, the ball is a tad high when this happens.
FIFTH ARROW
The 25th board from the right is the right-hand player’s board. The fifth arrow is played by bowlers who have an “Out of Bounds” condition.
FILL BALL
The ball is thrown after a spare in the 10th frame.
Finger Grip Inserts
Inserts that help you grip the club better, which gives you more spin, a later release, and more lift.
FINGER WEIGHT
When a ball is drilled so that the finger holes are closer to the ball’s label than the thumbhole, this is called positive weight.
FINGERTIP
A type of grip in which the fingers are inserted only as far as the first joint, allowing much more spin.
FIRST ARROW
The farthest to the right (for a right-handed player); is located on the 5th board.
FLARE (TRACK FLARE)
The ball’s movement from the point where you release it to when it hits the pins.
FLAT
- A ball that deflects too much
- Ineffective ball
- Few revolutions
- If a ball comes into the pocket on what looks like a good hit, but then leaves on a weak hit such as the 5-7 or 8-10 split, it is said to have hit “flat.”
FLAT GUTTER
The normal gutter is shaped like an oval so that the ball can roll smoothly and cleanly to the pit area if it goes into the gutter early. However, at the end of the lanes by the pins, the gutters are flat.
To prevent this, the pin deck should be lowered so that it is at least slightly lower than the bottom of the flat gutters. If the flat gutters are too tall, they will allow for considerably more pinfall because pins deflect off of sideboards and rebound back onto the lane far easier, resulting in increased pin action.
FLUSH
Being solid in the pocket.
FOLLOW-THROUGH
What you do with your arm after you throw the ball is important. You should follow through towards your target and move your arm upwards. This will help you throw the ball more accurately.
FOUL
When you deliver the ball, if you cross or touch the foul line, this is called a ‘foul’. If it happens on the first ball of a frame, the bowler gets another chance to throw the ball.
FOUL LINE
- The line that separates the approach area from the beginning of the playing surface.
- A line, usually red, between the approach and the beginning of the lane, 60 feet from the head pin.
FOUNDATION FRAME
The 9th frame.
FRAME
In a game of bowling, there are 10 frames. In each frame, you have 2 chances to knock down all the pins. The only exception is in the 10th frame where you have 3 chances.
Front Pin
The front pin is the first pin from the left in the rack. It is also called the head pin.
FULL ROLLER
The ball rolls around its entire circumference. The track of the ball goes between the thumb and finger holes.
Although once popular, using a flatter ball is now less common because it doesn’t travel as far as a semi-rolled ball. This is because it generally can’t create the increased entry angles that help your shots carry, particularly off-hits.
GAMBLER’S Split
The 6-8 split; this is a difficult split to make because both pins are quite close together.
Grip
How you hold the ball is very important. You should grip the ball with your fingers and thumb. Your fingers should be around the ball, not on top of it.
GREEK CHURCH
- A five-pin split leave that is similar to the 4-6-7-9-10 so-called because it reminds people of an old cathedral type church with spires, etc.
- Any split on which there are three pins on one side of the lane and two on the other.
Groove
A ball track is the groove in the lane where your bowling ball rolls. When someone bowls well and has a very consistent approach and armswing, they are said to have a “good groove.”
Gutter
Depression is approximately 9.5 inches wide to the right and the left of the lane to guide the ball to the pit should it leave the playing surface.
Gutter Ball
A gutter ball is when a ball goes into the gutter during the first ball or the second ball.
Gutter Shot
Some people roll their ball from the extreme edge of the lane in order to get it to go a long way. Only a foul if the ball crosses into the gutter and comes back out.
HALF TEN
A description of a 10-pin left by a ball in the pocket, and the 6-pin laying down in front of it.
HANDICAP
Scores are adjusted to make sure that everyone has a fair chance to win. This is done by adding pins to the game at a predetermined rate.
HEADS
That part of the lane which is usually hard maple (wood lanes) to absorb the impact of the thrown balls, generally the first 20 feet of the wood lane.
HEAD PIN
The 1 pin.
HIGH
A ball that hits closer to the center of the head pin, often leaving a split.
HIGH HIT
- A solid hit on a pin due to contact near its front center.
- Hitting too much head pin on a strike attempt.
Hole
- The 1-3 pocket, 1-2 for lefties;
- Another name for “split”.
Home alley
Favorite lane or pair of lanes for individuals or league play. The home alley will have specific lanes available for league play.
Honey
A good ball.
Hook
A ball that breaks in one direction for right-handed people and the other direction for left-handed people.
Hook alley
A lane on which the ball will hook easily.
Hot
When a bowler or team starts getting strings of strikes.
House
Your bowling center.
House ball
The bowling balls that are available to use at your house bowling alley.
Inside
A starting point near the center of the lane usually refers to the point when you release the ball.
In There
A good pocket hit.
Jack Manders
Rolling through the middle of a 7-10 or any wide split. Not a good thing.
Jam
When you force the ball high into the pocket.
JERSEY SIDE/HIT
A ball that hits on the opposite side of the player’s normal pocket; i.e, a Jersey for a right-handed bowler would hit on the 1-2 pocket; usually refers to getting a strike in the “wrong” pocket. Called a “Brooklyn” in most locations of the country.
KEGLER
“Bowler” when spoken in German.
KICKBACKS
The side boards around the pins that divide lanes help to keep the pins in place and also rebound or “kick” back onto the lane which can help with pin action.
KING PIN
The 5-pin is a key pin that helps produce a strike. When you hit the ball lightly or it deflects off another object, this pin will remain standing.
Kitty
Team members pay money to cover the costs of tournaments and other team events. The money can also be divided up evenly at the end of the season.
LEAGUE
Organized competition on a weekly schedule for team play.
LEAVE
Pins are left standing after the first ball has been rolled.
LIGHT HIT
A ball that doesn’t hit the pins hard enough causing them to deflect sideways.
LILY
- The 5-7-10 split.
- Also known as the “sour apple”.
Line
The path a bowling ball takes when a bowler releases the ball.
LOFT
The distance the ball travels between the time of release before it hits the wood and continues down the lane.
LONG OIL
Condition in which the lane conditioner is applied from the foul line farther than normal. There is no magic standard, but 35-40 feet or more of application was considered long oil.
In today’s market, long oil is anything that is over 40 feet long. 35 feet is now considered short oil.
Looper
An extra-wide hook ball, usually slow with lots of revs.
MAPLE
The hardwood is used for the head portion of the lanes (foul line to arrows).
MASS BIAS
Bias in a bowling ball occurs when the weight block or part of the weight block is more visible to one direction within the ball.
MATCH PLAY
Bowlers compete against each other in a match. The winner of a tournament-style match often moves on to compete in the next round.
MESSENGER
When a pin slides across the pindeck and hits another pin it is called the messenger.
MINUS
In competitive play, the total number of pins (including bonus, if any) under 200.
NEGATIVE WEIGHT
Negative weights are used to slow down a ball that tends to hold back the hook and/or get the ball into a roll sooner. Negative bottom-weight, negative side weight, and thumb weight are all considered bad weights.
NO-TAP
A game that requires the player to hit certain spots on a ball in order to score a strike; in some cases, there are no-tap events with nine (9) pins on the first ball scored as a strike; eight or more pins on the first ball is considered a strike.
Nose hit
When the first ball hits the pins dead on the center of the 1st pin.
OPEN FRAME
A frame is when you leave pins standing. You neither get a strike nor a spare.
OPEN BOWLING
Bowling for fun, instead of competing in a league or tournament.
OUT OF BOUNDS
An area from which the ball cannot reach the pocket with its usual break. For example, if a right-handed bowler delivers the ball from too far to the right, it is said to be out of bounds.
OVER
The number of pins scored over 200. Scoring a 215 would be “15 over”.
PAP (POSITIVE AXIS POINT)
The point on the ball that is equidistant from all points of the release ball track.
PAR
To a professional bowler, a 200 game.
PERFECT GAME
- A game of all strikes
- Twelve strikes in a row
- A score of 300
PICKET FENCE
The 1-2-4-7 or 1-3-6-10 spares.
PIN DECK Area
The area on which the pins are set. The pin deck area is 60′ from the foul line where pins stand.
PIN PLACEMENT
- Out or In. A drilling term that is relative to a bowler’s track designed purposely for creating more ball dynamics.
- A Pin-in ball (when the pin is located within two inches of the Center of Gravity) is an excellent choice for control and less hook;
- a Pin-out ball usually can be made to hook more and flip more dramatically than pin-in balls; they often give the driller more options.
PIT
The area behind the pin deck is a good place to aim for. The end of the lane is also a good place to aim for.
PITCH
The angle at which the holes in a ball are drilled.
PLUS
When playing against others, the amount of pins you score above a 200 average is your “plus” score. So if you score 1,752 for eight games, then your “plus” score is 152.
The best place for the ball to hit the pins in order to get a strike is generally between the 1-3 pins (right-hand player) or the 1-2 pins (left-hand player). This is the target for the first ball in a frame.
POSITIVE WEIGHT
Positive weights are those that help the ball fly over or into a roll at the end of a lane. Top weight, positive side weight, and finger weight are all considered good weights. These are categorized as static weights that may be drilled into a ball.
PUNCH OUT
To finish with consecutive strikes, from any frame on.
PUSHAWAY
The ball is pushed out (forward) to start the swing (simultaneously with the first step of the four-step approach.)
RADIUS OF GYRATION (RG)
This tells how quickly a ball starts rotating after it is released by the bowler.
RANGE FINDERS
Markers in the lane that help the bowler determine the target line are located ten feet past the foul line and seven feet apart. There are also range finders at thirty-five and forty feet down the lane per USBC rules.
RE-RACK
Resetting the pins to a new full rack due to a perceived misplacement of one or more pins.
REVS/REVOLUTIONS
The number of times the ball rotates around its own axis starting from when it is released until it contacts the pins. High revs are better.
ROLL OUT
A thrown ball that loses its side rotation before hitting the pins. Essentially, the hook action stops at that point and the ball straightens out.
SANDBAGGING
Keeping a low average is done intentionally so that the player can get a larger handicap.
SCRATCH
The score the bowler makes without any handicap adjustment.
SIX PACK
Six strikes in a row.
SKID
What the ball does when it hits the lane surface; all balls need to slide before hooking.
SLEEPER
A rear pin that is not easily seen because of a pin directly in front of it.
SOUR APPLE
A weak hit that leaves the 5-7, 5-10 or 5-7-10 split. This is also called the “lily”.
SPAN
The distance between the thumb and finger holes on a bowling ball is called the span.
SPARE
When you knock the rest of the pins down on your second ball.
SPLIT
Various combinations of pins remain standing after a first throw where a space has been created between standing pins making it harder to get a spare.
SPOT BOWLING
A method of aiming the ball in which spots (arrows and dots) on the lane are used as targets rather than looking at the pins during the throw.
STRIKE
Knocking down all 10 pins with the first throw of a frame.
TAP
Although it appeared to be a perfect hit, one pin was left standing.
TURKEY
Three consecutive strikes.
THREE HUNDRED (300) GAME
A perfect game of getting 12 strikes in a row.
TOP WEIGHT
Drilling a ball so that there is more weight above the label than there is below. The ball is said to have positive weight.
VACANCY
A dummy score is a score used when a team does not have the same number of players as other teams. This score is set by the league and carries a handicap the same as if some bowler was carrying that average.
VENT HOLE
An extra hole is drilled into the ball to relieve suction in the thumb hole. Not used for a grip hole.
WASHOUT
A “split” with the head pin standing; represented by “W”; not making a spare is considered a blow or an error rather than a split.
WEIGHT BLOCK
A weight block is an interior portion of a ball that adds extra weight to it in order to bring the total gross weight up. The position of the weight block is utilized to create balls with varying weighted distributions, as well as those with specific positive and negative weights.
Final Comments
We hope you have liked our bowling lingo post. For more bowling terms and more bowling lingo check out our friends at tripod.
Getting a strike in bowling is something that all bowlers strive for. When you get a strike, it means that all of the pins are knocked down in one go. There are a few different techniques that you can use to try and get a strike.
One technique is to aim for the pocket. The pocket is the area at the end of the lane where most of the pins are usually knocked down. If you can aim your ball for the pocket, you’re likely to get a strike or at least a spare.
Again if you think our bowling terms list is missing any bowling terms, please comment them down below.