Bowling Glossary A–Z: Bowling Terms Explained

Bowling has its own language. Whether you are hearing words like "Brooklyn" or "turkey" for the first time or brushing up on terms as a league bowler, this bowling glossary explains the most important bowling terms from A to Z – short, clear and in alphabetical order.

If you are new to the sport, our beginner's guide gives you the full introduction.

A

Approach – The area behind the foul line where you take your steps and deliver the ball; the term also describes the steps themselves. The approach is at least 15 feet (about 4.6 m) long and usually has guide dots to help you find your starting position.

B

Backup ball – A ball that hooks the "wrong" way: from left to right for a right-handed bowler, from right to left for a left-handed bowler.

Brooklyn – A shot that crosses over and hits the pins on the side opposite the pocket: the 1-2 side for right-handers, the 1-3 side for left-handers. In the New York area it is also called a "Jersey". If all pins fall, it still counts as a strike.

C

Channel – The trough on each side of the lane that catches balls that go off the lane; also called the gutter. Many centers offer bumpers for children that block the channels.

D

Double – Two strikes in a row in one game. How the bonus points add up is explained in how bowling scoring works.

E

Entry angle – The angle at which the ball enters the pins, measured against the boards of the lane. A larger entry angle generally makes strikes more likely; it depends on release, speed, ball and lane conditions.

F

Foul line – The line that separates the approach from the lane. If you touch or cross it during delivery, it is a foul: the pins knocked down on that ball do not count. In league and tournament play, fouls are usually detected electronically. More in bowling rules explained simply.

G

Gutter ball – A ball that drops into the channel before it reaches the pins. It scores zero.

H

Headpin – The 1 pin, standing at the front of the pin triangle.

Hook – The curve of the ball towards the pocket, created by rotation at the release. In ball motion, the hook phase comes between the skid phase and the roll phase.

House shoes – The rental shoes a bowling center lends out. They usually have a slide sole under both shoes, so every guest can wear them, whether left- or right-handed.

J

Jersey – Another word for a Brooklyn.

K

Kingpin – The 5 pin, which stands in the center of the pin triangle.

L

Lane – The playing surface on which the ball is rolled towards the pins: 60 feet (18.29 m) from the foul line to the center of the headpin and about 41.5 inches (105 cm) wide. Lanes are made of wood or synthetic material and are conditioned with oil.

M

Mark – A strike or a spare, as opposed to an open frame. "Mark" can also mean the target on the lane that a bowler aims at.

N

No-tap – A scoring variant in which a frame counts as a strike if a set number of pins (fewer than ten, often nine) fall on the first ball. It is popular in fun tournaments.

O

Oil pattern – The way oil is distributed on the lane. It has a major effect on how the ball moves. House patterns in recreational play are usually more forgiving than the sport patterns used in tournaments. More in our beginner's guide to oil patterns.

Open frame – A frame in which pins are still standing after both balls: neither strike nor spare.

P

Perfect game – A score of 300: twelve strikes in a row in one game.

Pin deck – The area at the end of the lane on which the pins stand, directly in front of the pit.

Pit – The area behind the pin deck that catches the knocked-down pins.

Pocket – The ideal point of impact for a strike: between the 1 and 3 pins for right-handers, between the 1 and 2 pins for left-handers.

R

Release – The moment the ball leaves your hand. The release determines speed, direction and rotation of the ball.

S

Slide sole – The smooth sole that lets your sliding foot glide into the release. On performance shoes it is usually found under one shoe only – under the left for right-handers – while the other shoe has a rubber sole for traction. More in our slide sole guide.

Spare – All remaining pins knocked down with the second ball. It is marked "/" and earns 10 points plus the pins of the next ball.

Split – A leave after the first ball in which the headpin has fallen and the remaining pins stand with a gap between them. The best known is the 7-10 split, the two back corner pins.

Strike – All ten pins knocked down with the first ball of a frame. It is marked "X" and earns 10 points plus the pins of the next two balls.

T

Turkey – Three strikes in a row. Four in a row are called a "four-bagger", five a "five-bagger", and so on.

W

Washout – A leave that looks like a split, but with the headpin still standing – for example 1-2-10 or 1-2-4-10 for a right-hander.

X

X – The symbol for a strike on the scoresheet.

Your own shoes

If you bowl regularly, sooner or later you will want your own shoes instead of house shoes. BOWLIO bowling shoes are made of genuine leather, top and bottom: a full-length leather sole with a slide sole under both shoes makes them suitable for left- and right-handed bowlers, from beginners to professionals.

Further reading: Bowling rules explained simply · How bowling scoring works · Why your own bowling shoes make a difference