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action

Spin on the ball and the movement of the pins caused by that spin. A relatively slow ball with a lot of action can be much more effective than a very fast ball with little action.

address

The bowler's stance before beginning the approach.

all Events

A score based on a bowler's combined total from singles, doubles, and team events in a tournament.

alley

Strictly, a group of lanes or the bowling establishment that houses them. Often used, though, to mean a single lane.

anchor; anchor man

Last bowler to roll for a team; usually the team's best bowler. It originally comes from tug-of-war, where the strongest, heaviest man on the team is stationed at the end as an anchor.

angle

The direction at which the ball is traveling when it enters the pocket.

approach

1) The movement of the bowler from address to delivery. 2) The area of the lane behind the foul line, which must be at least 15 feet long.

arrows

Seven aiming points marked in the lane to allow the bowler to determine the correct release point.

automatic foul detector

An electric eye device that sets off an alarm if the bowler's foot crosses the foul line.

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baby the ball

To release the ball too carefully, at the expense of the follow-through.

baby split

The 2-7 or 3-10 split.

baby split with company

The 2-7-8 or 3-9-10 split.

backup

A ball that breaks in the wrong direction, e.g. to the right for a right-handed bowler.

balk

An approach that doesn't end with a delivery.

ball track

Area on lane where most balls are rolled.

balsa

A hit on the head pin with little power behind it.

barmaid

A pin that's hidden behind another pin.

bed

The area surrounding the lane, including the approach, the pit, and the gutters.

bedposts

The 7-10 split.

beer frame

A frame after which one bowler has to buy beer for all the others. This is often a pre-determined frame, with the low scorer in that frame getting stuck with the tab. Sometimes, if all bowlers but one roll strikes in a frame, that becomes the beer frame and the bowler who didn't strike has to buy.

bench jockeying

As in baseball, conversation or gibes meant to distract an opponent.

bender

A curve or hook that nearly falls into the gutter before beginning to break.

bicycle

Same as barmaid.

big ball

A hook with a lot of action, often allowing a bowler to get strikes even on hits that aren't perfect.

big ears

The 4-6-7-10 split.

big fill

Getting nine or ten pins following a spare, or a double following a strike.

big five

A leave with three pins on one side and two on the other.

big four

Same as big ears.

blind

A score marked for a team's absent player. In many leagues, the bowler's average or the average minus ten pins is used. In others, it's a set score, such as 140 for men and 120 for women.

blow

To miss converting a spare.

blowout

Knocking down all but one pin.

body English

Movements and contortions of the body intended to steer the ball as it travels down the lane. Usually ineffective.

bonus

Pins awarded for winning a game in certain kinds of match play.

box

A frame.

break

A frame in which a series of strikes ends.

Brooklyn hit

A hit on the wrong side of the headpin; i.e, the left side for a right-handed bowler, the right side for a lefty.

Brooklyn strike

A strike that results from a Brooklyn hit.

broom ball

A ball with so much action that it seems to sweep the pins away.

bucket

A diamond-shaped, four-pin cluster, e.g., the 2-4-5-8 or 1-2-3-5.

burner

A pin that remains standing after an apparently perfect hit.

buzzard

Three consecutive open frames. Compare turkey.

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CC

A 200 game.

channel

The formal name for a gutter.

cheesy cakes

Lanes that are dressed so that it's easy to get strikes.

cherry

Same as chop.

chicken wing

A type of arm swing in which the elbow moves out, away from the body.

choke

To perform poorly in an important situation because of nerves.

chop

To knock down one pin of a spare leave, while the pin next to or behind it remains standing.

christmas tree

The 3-7-10 or 2-7-10 split; so-called because of the triangular arrangement.

Cincinnati

The 8-10 split.

clean game

A game with no open frames.

clothesline

The 1-2-4-7 or 1-3-6-10 leave.

convert

To make a spare after a split leave; loosely, to make any spare.

count

The number of pins knocked down with the first ball in a frame.

cranker

A bowler who lifts and turns the ball at the top of the backswing to generate a great deal of hooking action.

crawler

A strike on which the ball misses the head pin. So called because the 4, 2, and 1 pins usually fall slowly, like dominos, after the rest of the pins are down.

creeper

A slow ball.

cross-over

A ball that results in a Brooklyn hit.

curtain

A blow in the last frame by the anchor man, when a spare would have won for his team.

curve

A ball that has a big, slow break. Compare to hook.

cushion

The padding at the back of the pit.

cutter

A very sharp-breaking hook.

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darts

See arrows.

dead ball

A ball that hits the pins slowly and with little action.

dead wood

Pins that remain on the lane or in the gutter after being knocked down. They are removed in ten-pin, but left in place in both candlepin and duckpin bowling.

delivery

A bowler's entire movement, from approach to follow-through.

deuce

A 200 game.

dime store

The 5-10 split.

dinner bucket

Same as bucket.

dive

A sharp, last-instant break by the ball; it is said to "dive into the pocket."

D.O.A.

Short for "dead on arrival"; applied to a dead ball.

dots

Markers on the runway that guide the bowler's approach.

double

Two consecutive strikes.

double pinochle

Same as big ears.

double wood

Same as barmaid.

dummy

Same as blind.

dump

To release the ball without bending the knee, which usually makes it travel through the air before plopping down on the lane.

dutch 200

A game in which a bowler alternates strikes and spares for a 200 score.

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early foundation

A strike in the eighth frame. See also foundation.

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Faith, Hope, and Charity

Same as Christmas Tree.

fence posts

Same as bed posts.

field goal

A ball that travels between two pins without knocking down either of them.

fill

The pins knocked down after a spare or two strikes.

fill ball; fill frame

A final, third ball in the 10th frame, after a spare or the second of two strikes, required to determine the bowler's final score.

finger grips

Inserts that are placed in the finger and/or thumb holes to allow a better grip and generation of more spin.

fingertip

A type of grip in which the fingers are inserted only as far as the first joint, allowing much more spin.

fit split

A two-pin split in which the pins are close enough together that the ball can hit them both.

five-bagger

Five straight strikes.

flat ball

A ball with little or no spin, resulting in little or no action.

floater

A ball that has little or no lift or turn, which therefore follows the path of least resistance down the lane.

flying elbow

Same as chicken wing.

follow-through

The motion that takes place after release of the ball.

foul

Crossing or touching the foul line at delivery. It's penalized by a count of zero pins. If the foul occurs on the first ball of a frame, the bowler gets a second shot at a new rack.

foul line

A line, usually red, between the approach (1) and the beginning of the lane, 60 feet from the head pin.

foundation

A strike in the ninth frame; so he called because it lays a foundation for a strong finish, with the possibility of three more strikes in the tenth.

four-bagger

Four consecutive strikes.

frame

One of ten "innings" in a bowling game; originally it referred to the box on the scoresheet where the score for a single frame is recorded.

frozen rope

A very fast, straight ball.

full hit

A ball that hits the head pin at or near the center; often results in a split.

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garbage hit/strike

Any hit that produces a strike when it shouldn't, as when it misses the pocket.

goal posts

Same as bedposts.

golden gate

Same as big ears.

grandma's teeth

Any non-standard leave.

Greek church

Any split on which there are three pins on one side of the lane and two on the other.

gutter

A depressed area, about 9 1/2 inches wide, on either side of the lane, which guides the ball to the pit after it leaves the lane.

gutter ball

A ball that leaves the lane and travels down the gutter.

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handicap

Pins added to a bowler's score to help equalize competition. The handicap is based on the bowler's average as compared to some arbitrary number set by the league. If that number is, for example, 180, and the bowler's average is 145, the handicap would be 35 pins.

hard way

Converting the 2-7 or 3-10 split by knocking the front pin into the back pin. (The standard way of converting is to hit both pins with the ball.)

head pin

The 1-pin.

high hit

A hit on or near the center of the head pin.

higher

Farther to the left for right-handers, to the right for left-handed bowlers.

hole

Same as pocket.

hook

A ball that breaks rather sharply toward the pocket, as opposed to a curve.

house ball

A ball provided by the bowling center, as opposed to the bowler's own ball.

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Jack Manders

Same as field goal. (Jack Manders was a field goal kicker for the Chicago Bears back in the 1930s, so this term is pretty much dated.)

Jersey side

Same as Brooklyn side.

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kegler

Another name for a bowler, from the German.

kickbacks

The dividers between lanes; so called because pins often kick back off a divider to knock other pins downs.

kill the ball

To take the spin off the ball, resulting in a straight shot. Often used to maximimize accuracy on easy spare leaves.

kingpin

Strictly speaking, the 5-pin, because its action is usually the key to knocking down more pins; occasionally used to refer to the 1-pin.

kresge

The 5-7 split; a takeoff on dime store.

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lane

The actual playing area, which is 42 inches wide and 62 feet, 10 3/4 inches long. The gutters and the approach are not part of the lane.

late 10

Said of the 10-pin when it is the last to fall on a strike, usually after a moment's hesitation.

leadoff man

The first bowler for a team.

leave

The pins that remain after the first ball has been rolled.

lift

Upward motion imparted to the ball by the fingers at release.

light hit

A hit that doesn't strike the headpin solidly.

light seven

A light hit that results in the 2-4-5 or 3-5-6 split.

lily

The 5-7-10 split.

line

Dated synonym for a game of bowling.

little rail

The rail or picket fence leave minus the 1-, 7-, or 10-pin.

loafing

Delivering the ball without sufficient lift, which usually results in its rolling off to the right (for a right-handed bowler).

loft

The distance the ball travels between time of release and the time it hits the lane. A bowler often needs to adjust the loft somewhat to increase or decrease rotation.

lofting

The act of throwing the ball onto the lane instead of rolling it.

logs

Heavy pins that are often used for practice, since they generally require more precise hits to achieve good scores.

looper

A very slow, wide hook.

loose hit

A hit low in the pocket, more on the 3-pin for a righthander and the 2-pin for a leftie, than on the head pin. Also known as a low hit.

love tap

A very light on one pin from another that just barely knocks it down.

low

Descriptive of a loose hit.

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makeable split

A split that isn't terribly difficult to convert, though it may not exactly be easy.

maples

Pins, because that's the wood they used to be made from.

mark

A spare or strike, so called because of the identifying mark put on the score sheet.

match play

A kind of competition in which two bowlers compete against one another, rather than against the field as a whole. Typically, the winner of a match advances to the next round for another match.

medal play

A kind of competition in which only the total pin scores count toward the championship.

messenger

A pin that rolls across the lane late, after all of the other action has taken place.

miss

Same as open.

Mr. (or Mrs.) Average

Facetious name for a bowler who doesn't show up, since his or her average is often used to compute team scoring. See also blind.

mixer

A ball with a lot of action.

moat

The gutter.

mother-in-law

Usually the 7-pin, because it's often the pin that remains standing to spoil what looked like a good strike hit; sometimes synonymous with barmaid.

mule ears

Same as bedposts.

Murphy

Same as baby split.

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nose hit

A hit directly on the head pin; very often results in a split.

nothing ball

A ball that accomplishes little because of a poor hit, no action, or both.

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one in the dark

Same as barmaid.

on the nose

Descriptive of a nose hit.

open frame

A frame in which the bowler doesn't get a strike or a spare.

open bowling

Bowling for the fun of it, as opposed to competing in league or tournament play.

out and in

A hook that's initially thrown toward the gutterand then breaks back across the lane toward the pocket.

out of bounds

An area from which the ball can't get to the pocket with its usual break. If, for example, a right-handed bowler delivers the ball from too far to the right, it is said to be out of bounds.

over

To a professional bowler, the number of pins above 200. Thus a score of 224 is "24 over." See also par; under.

over-turn

To put too much spin on the ball, usually resulting in too much of a hook, which is likely to cause a nose hit or a Brooklyn hit.

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par

To a professional bowler, a 200 game. See also over; under.

part of the building/house

Said of the 7 or 10 pin when it remains solidly standing after an apparently perfect hit. Used in a phrase such as, "That pin must be part of the building."

perfect game

A score of 300, resulting from 12 consecutive strikes.

pick

Same as chop.

picket fence

The 1-2-4-7 or 1-3-6-10 spares.

pie alley

A lane that produces high scores; from "easy as pie."

pinching the ball

Taking too tight a grip on the ball.

pin deck

The area of the lane on which the pins stand.

pindicator

A display board that shows the bowler which pins remain standing after the first ball.

pit

The area at the end of the lane.

platform

Same as approach (1).

pocket

The space between the head pin and the 3-pin for right-handed bowlers, the 2-pin for left-handed bowlers. This is the target for the first ball in a frame.

poison ivy

The 3-6-10 split.

poodle

To throw a gutter ball; probably a facetious corruption of puddle.

pot game

A type of gambling competition in which two or more bowlers put money in the pot and the high scorer wins it all.

powder puff, puff ball

Same as nothing ball.

powerhouse

A ball thrown very fast and with a lot of action, resulting in an unmistakable strike.

puddle

A gutter ball.

pull the rug

A hit on which a number of pins wobble for a time before falling down simultaneously, as if a rug had been pulled out from under them.

pumpkin

A softly thrown ball with little or no spin.

punch out

To finish with consecutive strikes, from any frame on.

pushaway

The beginning of the approach, when the bowler takes the first step and pushes the ball away from the body.

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quick eight

An apparently good pocket hit that knocks down only eight pins, usually leaving the 4-7 or 6-10.

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rail

Same as picket fence.

railroad

A wide split on which both pins are on the same line; e.g., the 7-10, 8-10, 7-9, or 4-6.

range finders

Markers in the lane that help the bowler determine the target line. There are two sets of such markers: ten dots located seven feet past the foul line and seven arrows arranged in a triangle beginning 16 feet beyond the foul line.

rap

Same as burner.

reading the lane

Experimentation, usually during practice, to determine the characteristics of a lane. Some lanes are faster than others, some will allow a bigger hook while others will hold the ball back, etc.

release

The point at which the ball is put onto the lane; also, the hand action that takes place at that point.

rerack or reset

A call by a bowler asking that the pins be lifted from the alley and put back properly, because they're off spot.

return

The track that brings balls back from the pit.

reverse

A severe backup.

ringing ten-burner

An apparently good hit on the pocket that fails to knock the 10-pin down.

rotation

The spin given to the ball that creates both the break and action.

runway

Same as approach.

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sandbagger

A bowler who deliberately keeps his average low during the first part of the season, to take advantage of an artificially high handicap later on.

sandwich game

Same as Dutch 200.

scenic route

The path taken by a long, slow curve ball.

schleifer

A strike, usually from a loose hit, on which the pins slowly fall, one after the other. From the German for "grinder."

scratch

Actual score, without a handicap added.

shadow ball

A practice ball rolled on an empty lane, without pins.

short pin

A rolling pin that doesn't quite knock down a pin that's standing.

sidearming or sidewheeling

Pulling the arm away from the body during delivery.

sideboards

Same as kickbacks.

sixpack

Six consecutive strikes.

sleeper

Same as barmaid.

slide; slide step

The final step of the delivery, on which the bowler's foot slides.

slot alley

A lane with a worn track that guides the ball into the pocket, making strikes easy.

snake eyes

Same as bedposts.

snow plow

A strike ball.

sour apple

A weak hit that leaves leaves the 5-7, 5-10 or 5-7-10 split; also, the 5-7-10 split itself.

spare

Knocking all the pins with two balls. The score for that frame is 10 plus the number of pins knocked down with the first ball of the next frame.

spare leave

Generally, the pins standing after first ball is rolled; often used to mean a leave on which it's relatively easy to get a spare, as opposed to a split leave.

spiller

A strike on a light hit that causes the pins to fall slowly.

split, split leave

A leave on which some of the remaining pins are rather widely separated, making a spare relatively difficult. The 7-10 is the most difficult to convert.

spot bowling

Using a particular target on the lane, rather than the pins themselves, as an aiming point. Many bowlers use the range finders, for example.

steal a strike

To get a strike on a less-than-perfect hit.

strike

The feat of knocking down all ten pins with the first ball. The score for the frame is 10 plus the total number of pins knocked down by the next two balls.

strike out

Usually, getting all three strikes in the tenth frame; also sometimes the same as punch out.

strike split

A split that results from what was apparently a strike hit. Usually the 8-10 split for a right-handed bowler and the 7-9 for a lefty.

string

One game of bowling, made up of 10 frames.

sweeper

Same as broom ball.

swiss cheese ball

A ball with many holes in it, used to determine the proper fit for a bowler so a custom ball can be drilled.

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tandem

Same as barmaid.

tap

Same as burner.

team captain

The player responsible for getting bowlers to the lane on time, setting the lineup, and handling any other necessary chores.

thin hit

Same as loose hit.

300 game

A perfect game.

300 game jinx

Similar to the baseball's "no-hit jinx"; when a player opens with several consecutive strikes strikes, it's considered bad luck to mention the possibility of a 300 game.

three quarter bucket

Three of the four pins of the bucket split.

throwing rocks

Said of a bowler who scores well by rolling a very fast ball.

tickler

The 6-pin, when it very gently knocks over the 10-pin, resulting in a strike.

topping the ball

Keeping the thumb in the ball too long at release, resulting in little action because the fingers go over the top of the ball instead of behind it or to one side.

touch

Same as burner.

track

A worn area on a lane that tends to guide the ball toward the pocket.

triple

Three consecutive strikes.

tripped 4

Said of the 4-pin when it's knocked down by the 2-pin on a bounce off the kickback.

tumbler

Same as spiller.

turkey

Three straight strikes.

turn

The motion of the hand and wrist that imparts rotation to the ball at release.

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umbrella ball

A high hit that nevertheless results in a strike; so called because the pins fan out as they fall into something like an umbrella pattern, rather than being scattered around.

under

In professional bowling, a score under 200. See also par; over.

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washout

The 1-2-4-10 or 1-2-10 split for right-handed bowlers, the 1-3-6-7 or 1-3-7 for left-handers.

winding them in

Said of a bowler who gets a big hook consistently into the pocket.

wood

1)A pin or pins; 2)the number of pins knocked down; 3)the number of pins given to a bowler as a handicap.

woolworth

Same as dime store.

working ball

A ball with a lot of action.

wrap around

A shot on which the 6-pin almost hits the 10-pin but spins right around it, leaving it standing.

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yank the shot

To hold onto the ball too long, thus pulling it across the body before release.

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zero in

To find the path to the pocket, usually after some poor hits and/or experimentation.

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