The pins and the lane
- Pocket — the ideal strike target, the gap between the 1 and 3 pins (1 and 2 for lefties).
- Head pin — the front pin (the 1 pin).
- Approach — the area behind the foul line where you take your steps.
- Foul line — cross it and your shot scores zero.
- Arrows — the targeting marks on the lane; aim here, not at the pins.
- Gutter — the channels on either side; a ball in there scores nothing.
Scoring terms
- Strike — all ten down on the first ball.
- Spare — all ten down across both balls of a frame.
- Open frame — a frame where you didn't clear all ten; no bonus.
- Frame — one of the ten segments of a game.
- Turkey — three strikes in a row.
- Split — a leave with the head pin down and a gap between standing pins, like the 7-10.
Ball and gear terms
- Hook — the curving path of a thrown ball.
- Coverstock — the outer shell of the ball; the biggest factor in how it reacts.
- Reactive — a coverstock that grips the lane and hooks (vs straight-rolling plastic).
- Spare ball — a straight-rolling plastic ball kept for shooting spares.
- Rev rate — how fast the ball spins; more revs, more hook potential.
Play and league terms
- House shot — the forgiving everyday oil pattern at your center.
- Handicap — a per-game bonus that lets bowlers of different averages compete fairly.
- Average — your typical score over many games; the basis for handicap and divisions.
Where to go deeper
That's the starter pack. When you hear a term that's not here — washout, brooklyn, carry, benchmark ball — our full bowling glossary has 85+ terms, all cross-linked to the guides that explain them in depth.
Keep learning
New to the game? Our fundamentals section walks you through how to bowl, scoring, rules, and etiquette from scratch.