The Bowling Glossary

A

Anchor

In team play, the last bowler in the lineup — usually the most reliable, brought in to close out close frames under pressure.

Approach

The roughly 15-foot area behind the foul line where a bowler takes their steps before releasing the ball. See lane anatomy.

Arrows

The seven targeting marks set into the lane about 15 feet past the foul line. Most bowlers aim at an arrow rather than the distant pins.

Axis rotation

How much a thrown ball spins side-to-side versus end-over-end. More rotation generally means a sharper, later hook. See the hook.

Axis tilt

The degree to which a ball spins like a tilted top, spreading its contact with the lane and changing how it reads.

B

Backend

The last portion of the lane (nearest the pins) where the ball, meeting friction, makes its strongest move toward the pocket.

Backswing

The rearward portion of the pendulum swing, where the ball travels up behind the bowler before coming forward.

Bagger

A string of consecutive strikes. A 'four-bagger' is four strikes in a row; longer strings extend the term.

Benchmark ball

A versatile, predictable reactive ball used to read a lane and base ball changes around. See bowling balls.

Bias

In lawn bowls, the built-in weighting that makes a bowl curve as it slows. See lawn bowls.

Bocce

An ancient Italian target-rolling game played toward a small ball called the pallino. See bocce.

Boards

The 39 narrow wooden (or synthetic) strips running the length of the lane, used to precisely locate targets and stance.

Box

Slang for a frame on the scoresheet.

Break point

The spot down the lane where the ball stops skidding and begins to hook toward the pocket.

Brooklyn

A strike (or hit) that crosses over to the opposite side of the head pin from the bowler's hand — left side for a righty.

Boules

The family of target-rolling games using balls thrown toward a small jack, including pétanque and bocce. See pétanque.

C

Candlepin

A New England bowling variant using slim cylindrical pins and a small handheld ball, with three balls per frame. See candlepin.

Carry

How well a ball knocks down all the pins on pocket hits. Good carry comes from the right mix of speed, revs, and entry angle.

Cherry

Chopping off the front pin of a spare while leaving one behind it standing.

Clean game

A game with no open frames — every frame is a strike or a spare.

Conventional grip

A grip with the fingers inserted to the second knuckle; secure and common for beginners and house balls. See the grip.

Coverstock

The outer shell of a bowling ball and the biggest factor in its reaction. Types include plastic, urethane, and reactive resin. See bowling balls.

Crossover

See Brooklyn.

Carreau

In pétanque, a prized shot that knocks an opponent's ball away while your own stops dead in its place. See pétanque.

Cochonnet

The small target ball in pétanque (also called the jack or 'piglet'). See pétanque.

Coverstock grit

The surface roughness of a ball's coverstock, measured in grit; lower grit grips earlier, higher grit/polish skids longer. See surface prep.

D

Differential

A core spec describing the difference between a ball's high and low RG values; it governs flare and hook potential.

Double

Two strikes in a row.

Duckpin

A bowling variant with short squat pins and a small handheld ball, with three balls per frame. See duckpin.

Dutch 200

A game of exactly 200 bowled by alternating strikes and spares for all ten frames.

Dead wood

In candlepin, fallen pins that have come to rest in the gutter or off the playable surface and are removed from play.

E

Entry angle

The angle at which the ball enters the pocket. A good entry angle improves carry and strike percentage.

F

Fingertip grip

A grip with the fingers inserted only to the first knuckle, increasing leverage and hook potential. See the grip.

Five-pin

A Canadian bowling game using five pins of differing point values and a small ball. See five-pin.

Flare

The migrating oil rings a ball leaves as it revs, reflecting how the core and layout move the ball's axis. More flare means more hook potential.

Foul

Crossing or touching the lane beyond the foul line during delivery; that ball scores zero. See rules.

Foul line

The line separating the approach from the lane; the start of the 60-foot lane.

Frame

One of the ten divisions of a game. Frames 1–9 allow two rolls; the tenth allows up to three. See scoring.

G

Gutter

The channels on either side of the lane. A ball that falls in scores no pins for that roll.

H

Handicap

A per-game pin bonus that lets bowlers of different averages compete fairly. Calculate yours with the handicap calculator.

Head pin

The front pin (the 1 pin) at the point of the triangle.

Hook

The curving path of a ball as friction lets its rotation grip the lane. See the hook.

House ball

A communal ball provided by the center, drilled with generic spans and made of hard plastic that barely hooks.

House shot

A common, forgiving oil pattern used for recreational and most league play, designed to funnel shots toward the pocket.

Hybrid

A reactive coverstock blending solid and pearl characteristics for a balanced, versatile motion.

J

Jack

The small target ball in lawn bowls (called the pallino in bocce). See lawn bowls.

K

Kegler

A bowler. From the German kegeln; a nod to the game's origins.

L

Lane

The 60-foot playing surface (foul line to head pin), about 41.5 inches wide, made of 39 boards. See lane anatomy.

Lane play

The skill of reading the oil pattern and adjusting line, ball, and speed to keep finding the pocket. See lane play.

Lawn bowls

A green-and-target game using biased bowls that curve toward a jack. See lawn bowls.

Leave

The pins left standing after the first ball of a frame.

Loft

How far the ball travels through the air past the foul line before contacting the lane.

M

Mark

A strike or a spare; 'making your mark' means filling the frame.

N

Nine-pin

An older European pin game arranged in a diamond, the ancestor of tenpin. See nine-pin.

O

Open frame

A frame in which not all ten pins are knocked down across both rolls — no bonus. See scoring.

Oil pattern

The layer of lane conditioner applied in deliberate shapes; it controls where the ball skids and hooks. See lane anatomy.

P

PAP

Positive Axis Point — the spot on the ball around which it spins for a given bowler, used to position drilling layouts. See drilling layouts.

Pearl

A reactive coverstock with mica added for extra length and a sharper backend reaction.

Pin deck

The flat surface at the end of the lane where the pins stand.

Pitch

The angle at which finger and thumb holes are drilled relative to the ball's center, affecting fit and release. See the grip.

Pocket

The ideal strike target: the 1–3 gap for a right-hander, 1–2 for a lefty. See lane anatomy.

Pétanque

A French boules game thrown with feet together from a stationary circle, using hollow metal balls. See pétanque.

Pointing

In boules games, a careful placing throw to rest your ball near the target — as opposed to shooting. See bocce.

Pin action

How lively and scattering the pins are when struck — good pin action helps marginal hits still carry.

R

Reactive resin

A porous, tacky coverstock that grips the lane strongly for big hook — the modern strike-ball default. See bowling balls.

Rev rate

The revolutions per minute a ball makes, shaping hook potential. See rev rate.

RG

Radius of gyration — a core spec describing mass distribution and how early a ball revs up.

Rolling

The final phase of ball motion, where the ball stops sliding and rolls end-over-end into the pins. See ball motion physics.

S

Sandbagging

Deliberately keeping one's average artificially high (bowling below ability) to gain a larger handicap — frowned upon.

Scratch

A score or game without handicap added; 'scratch bowling' is competition without handicaps.

Skid

The first phase of ball motion, sliding through the oily front of the lane. See ball motion physics.

Span

The distance between the thumb and finger holes, central to a proper fit. See the grip.

Spare

Knocking down all ten pins across both rolls of a frame; scored 10 plus the next single roll. See scoring.

Split

A leave with a gap between standing pins where pins have been cleared, e.g. the 7–10. See spare systems.

Sport pattern

A flat, demanding oil pattern (versus a forgiving house shot) used in higher-level competition. See lane play.

Strike

Knocking down all ten pins on the first roll of a frame; scored 10 plus the next two rolls. See scoring.

Surface

A ball's finish (polished or sanded by grit), a powerful and adjustable tuning dial for reaction. See surface prep.

T

Tap

When a pin stands on an otherwise perfect pocket hit — an unlucky leave.

Tenpin

The standard modern bowling game with ten pins in a triangle. The rest of the family is covered under the family.

Turkey

Three strikes in a row.

Two-handed

A modern delivery style using both hands for support and power, producing very high rev rates. See two-handed.

Ten in the pit

Slang for a clean strike where all ten pins are swept into the pit behind the deck.

U

Urethane

A coverstock softer than plastic with a smooth, controllable hook; popular for control and enjoying a modern revival.

W

Washout

A leave like the 1–2–10 (or 1–2–4–10) that resembles a split but includes the head pin, so it isn't technically a split.

Wood

In candlepin, the fallen pins left on the lane that stay in play and can be caromed into standing pins. See candlepin.