Knowing the terminology of bowling is crucial.
From strikes and spares to hooks and splits, the lingo of the lanes influences your approach to the game and your communication with fellow bowlers.
Now, let us take a look at some of the most important ones.
Basic Bowling Terms
- Approach: This refers to the steps you take towards the foul line before you swing and release the ball. The approach is important as it helps you set up for a successful throw.
- Foul Line: This line separates the approach area from the lane. If you step over this line during your delivery, it’s considered a foul, your throw doesn’t count, and the pins are reset.
- Gutters: Located on both sides of the lane, if your ball falls into the gutters, it’s out of play, and you won’t score any points for that throw.
- Lane: This is where the action happens. It’s a 60-foot long and 41.5-inch wide path that your ball travels down to hit the pins. Knowing the lane’s surface and oil pattern can help improve your game.
- Pins: These are your targets; ten pins set up at the far end of the lane. Your goal is to knock them down to score points.
- Strike: Achieving a strike means knocking down all ten pins with your first throw in a frame, which is marked as an “X” on the scorecard. Strikes earn you bonus points from your next two throws.
- Spare: If you don’t knock all the pins down on your first try but manage to clear them with your second throw in the same frame, that’s a spare, marked as “/” on the scorecard.
Intermediate Terms
- Anchor: In team play, the anchor is the rock, the final player who bowls last, often the team’s strongest player, relied upon to close out the game strongly.
- Clean Game: A badge of consistency. Bowling a clean game means you’ve managed to avoid any open frames, securing a strike or spare in every frame. It’s a sign of skill and precision.
- Double: When the strikes start flowing, two in a row is called a double. It’s the beginning of a streak that can lead to high scores and, more importantly, bragging rights.
- Frame: The basic unit of a bowling game, of which there are ten in total. Each frame offers the bowler two chances to knock down the pins, except for the tenth frame, which can offer a third chance if you score a strike or spare.
- Open Frame: A moment of missed opportunity. An open frame occurs when you fail to knock down all ten pins across both throws in a frame, leaving some standing.
- Split: A challenging setup left after the first ball, where two or more pins remain standing with a gap between them, making it difficult to knock all down with the second ball. Splits require strategy and skill to convert.
- Turkey: Three strikes in a row, a turkey, is a significant achievement that significantly boosts your score due to the cumulative nature of scoring in bowling.
Advanced Terms
- Brooklyn: A Brooklyn strike is when the ball hits the pins on the opposite side of the bowler’s usual pocket. For right-handers, this means the ball strikes the left side of the headpin, and for left-handers, the right side. It’s often a surprise but a pleasant one.
- Hook: The hook is a critical skill in bowling, involving the ball curving as it rolls towards the pins. Mastering the hook can significantly increase your chances of a strike by hitting the pins at an optimal angle.
- Loft: Lofting the ball involves releasing it so that it travels through the air briefly before touching the lane. This reduces its contact with the oil on the lane, which can affect its path. It’s a technique used based on the bowler’s strategy and lane conditions.
- Pocket: The pocket is the ideal spot to aim for to maximize pin knock-down. For right-handed bowlers, it’s the area between the 1 and 3 pins; for left-handers, it’s between the 1 and 2 pins. Consistently hitting the pocket is key to achieving strikes.
More
- Dead Wood: This term refers to pins that have been knocked down but still remain on the lane or in the gutter. They need to be cleared away before the next throw to maintain fair play conditions.
- Dutch 200: This is when a bowler alternates between striking and sparing in each frame, achieving a total score of exactly 200. It’s a rare feat that demonstrates both consistency and skill.
- Messenger: A pin that gets knocked into the air and crosses the lane to hit another pin, often converting what looked like a spare into a strike, is called a messenger. This exciting play is a favorite among crowds and highlights the dynamic nature of the sport.
- Sandbagging: This is the unethical practice where a bowler deliberately performs below their capability to lower their average score, manipulating their handicap to gain an unfair advantage in competitions. It’s generally looked down upon in the bowling community.
Specialty Terms and Slang
- Cherry: This term is used when a bowler only hits the front pin(s) during a spare attempt, leaving other pins standing. It typically occurs due to a misjudgment or a poorly executed throw, leading to frustration.
- Hambone: Not as well-known as “turkey,” a hambone refers to four consecutive strikes. It marks significant progress toward a high-scoring game.
- Kickbacks: These are the side panels at the end of a bowling lane. Strong throws can cause pins to bounce off these panels and potentially knock down additional pins.
- Washout: This is a difficult spare configuration that includes the headpin and requires a very accurate shot to successfully convert. It’s considered a true test of a bowler’s precision and skill.
