You throw a big, hooking ball, and your bowling ball hits with maximum force. However, you’re one of those right-handed bowlers at the bowling center who struggles to get strikes on the opposite side of your dominant hand.
That’s frustrating, but how do you talk about it? What is the common bowling slang used to express frustration and joy, or simply to talk about the goings-on at the alley?
If you want to get in the know and learn all there is to learn about bowling slang, we’re here to help. Whether you throw a house ball or have your own high-performance option for league play, this glossary of bowling terms has been designed to help you get your bowling lingo on point!
Action
Using your fingers in such a way to alter a bowling ball’s path following its release. Action is also used to refer to the violence and trajectory of pins after impact.
Alley
Bowlers refer to bowling lanes as an alley, even though it’s usually part of a larger alley setup.
Anchorman
The last player on a bowling league team to play.
Angle
The path the ball takes towards the 1-3 pin pocket for right-handers or the 1-2 pocket for left-handers.
Approach
The movement towards your bowling shot and release, or the area behind the foul line that such movement takes place.
Arrows
Arrows are used on a lane to help you aim for the proper part of the pin deck area without looking at the pins.
Baby Split
A 2-7 or 3-10 split. Compared to most splits, these are a cinch to convert.
Baby Split With Company
A three-pin split with either the 3-9-10 or 2-7-8 left.
Babying The Ball
Throwing a slow ball towards the bowling pins with a lack of form, effort, and confidence.
Backup Ball
A ball that curves left to right when thrown by a right-handed bowler, or from right to left for righties.
Bagger
Used for a string of more than three strikes in a row. Four strikes in a row is a four-bagger. Six strikes in a row is a six-bagger. And, so on.
Bad Rack
A poorly-placed set of ten pins. Usually, a bad rack has less than ten pins standing and is offset compared to its usual formation.
Baker Game
Throwing one single game with five different bowlers. Each bowler rolls just two of the game’s frames.
Ball Return
The mechanism to the side of the lane that your ball comes back to after a shot.
Ball Track
When a ball leaves most bowlers’ hands, it usually finds the ball track — the well-worn part of the lane where most balls tend to groove into.
Barmaid
A pin that hides behind another pin.
Bed Posts
The much-hated 7-10 split.
Beer Frame
Traditionally, the beer frame is the fifth frame. Those bowlers who don’t throw a strike in this frame are supposed to buy the other bowlers beer.
Belly the Ball
Throwing a ball from the inside to the outside, looking to curl it back into the proper pin pocket.
Big Four
The 4-6-7-10 split.
Blowout
Posting a nine on the first throw of a frame.
Break Point
The point on a bowling lane where the ball begins its entry angle towards the pin pocket.
Brooklyn Strike
Any strike knocking all ten pins down from the opposite pin pocket. This means using the 1-2 pocket as a righty or the 1-3 pocket as a lefty.
Bucket
Four pins left up that form a diamond, or bucket shape.
Cheesecakes
Easy-to-play lanes where your actual score is boosted by unchallenging lane conditions.
Chop
Taking out the front pin on your second ball and leaving the other pin(s) up.
Clean Game
Finishing all frames of a game with either a strike or a spare. No open frames.
Clothesline
Leaving either the 1-3-6-10 or 1-2-4-7 after your first ball.
Count
The bonus points carried over from a subsequent frame for a previous strike or spare.
Coverstock
The materials that make up the outer shell of a bowling ball.
Cranker
A bowler who maximizes the power of their arm swing during a shot.
Deadwood
Pins left on the lane from a previous shot.
Deuce
Any bowling game where a player scores 200 or more.
Double
Two strikes thrown in a row.
Double Pinochle
Another name for the 4-6-7-10 split.
Double Wood
Any two pins left where one stands directly behind another one.
Drop-Off Area
Another name for the gutters on a bowling lane.
Dump
Accidentally dropping a bowling ball on your approach at the foul line.
Dutch 200
Alternating throwing strikes and spares in each frame of a bowling game to finish with 200 points.
Fence Posts
Another name for the 7-10 split.
Field Goal
Throwing your second ball in between two pins left standing.
Fill
All pins dropped on a spare shot.
Flare
The measurement of a bowling ball’s movement from its beginning axis to its final axis.
Flat Ball
A ball thrown with a low number of revolutions that causes a good pocket hit to turn into a split. An apparent perfect hit becomes a light pocket hit in these circumstances.
Flush
Nailing the pin pocket perfectly.
Foul
Worth zero points, a foul occurs when any part of a bowler crosses the foul line or touches another part of the surrounding alley during a shot.
Foul Line
The line that divides the approach area from the actual bowling lane.
Frame
Like periods in hockey or innings in baseball, a frame is used to divide a game of bowling into parts. There are ten frames in a game of bowling.
Frozen Rope
Nailing the pin pocket at an extremely-high speed.
Full Hit
Hitting any pin standing directly.
Full Roller
Any ball that rolls over its entire circumference after a throw.
Golden Gate
Yet another name for the 4-6-7-10 split.
Graveyards
Challenging bowling lanes that make it hard to score.
Groove
Another name for the ball track on a bowling lane.
Gutter
The two channels on each side of a bowling lane.
Gutter Ball
Scoring a zero by rolling a throw into one of the lane’s two gutters.
Handicap
A boost to a player’s score during league or tournament play based on their previous scoring average. This is done to promote equal competition among bowlers at differing skill levels.
Hard Way
Another name for the Dutch 200. Alternating strikes and spare in each frame to throw a 200 game.
Heads
The first 20 feet or so of a bowling lane past the foul line.
Head Pin
The 1 pin.
High Hit
Catching more head pin on a first ball than advisable for throwing strikes.
Holding Alley
A bowling lane that makes things hard on a hook-dominant bowler.
Hook
Balls that move towards the left for a right-handed bowler, or towards the right for a lefty.
House
Any bowling alley that you bowl at.
Jam
Slotting a ball very high into a pin pocket.
Kickbacks
Dividing partitions used to separate lanes in the pit area.
King Pin
Another name for the 5 pin. It’s the crux pin for most strikes.
Kitty
A pot of money that players add to following missed shots during certain bowling tournaments.
Late 10
A 10 pin that has a delayed reaction before falling on a strike.
Leave
All pins left standing after your first ball.
Lift
Pushing your fingers upward during a ball’s release.
Light Hit
Hitting a pin and knocking it down with the lightest of impacts.
Lily
The 5-7-10 split.
Loft
The time a bowling ball takes to land on the lane after its release.
Low
Hitting the head pin lightly on a first ball.
Mark
Any frame that ends with a strike or spare.
Match Play
A bowling tournament that pits players against each other in one-on-one competition.
Minus
The number of pins a bowler needs to make up to have a 200 scoring average in competitive play.
Mixer
An active ball that causes massive pin action after impact.
Mother-in-Law
A nickname for the 7-pin.
Mule Ears
Another bit of bowling lingo for the 7-10 split.
Nose Hit
Hitting the 1 pin directly on your first ball.
One In The Dark
Any of the trailing pins left standing on a 3-9, 2-8, or 1-5 split.
Open Frames
When you fail to convert a strike or spare in a frame, it’s considered open.
Open Bowling
Bowling for the fun of it outside of league or tournament structures.
Over
The number of pins that a bowler is ahead when attempting to post a 200 average in competition.
Over-Turn
Putting way too much spin and not enough lift on a throw.
Par
Another name for a 200 game.
Perfect Game
Bowling twelve strikes in a row and leaving zero pins standing for a 300 game. The rarest feat in bowling.
Picket Fence
Leaving either a 1-2-4-7 or 1-3-6-10 formation after your first ball.
Pie Alley
A bowling lane that makes it easy as pie to get strikes and spares.
Pin Deck
Where the pins are set at the end of a bowling lane.
Pit
The area that pins are knocked down into and gathered for resetting after a shot.
Pitch
The measurement for the angles of holes drilled into a ball.
The sweet spot for strikes on a first ball. The 1-3 pin pocket is considered to be perfect placement for a right-handed bowler, and the 1-2 pocket is the ticket for a lefty.
Poison Ivy
Another name for a 3-6-10 split.
Pot Game
A money game between two or more bowlers. Each bowler pays to play and the winner takes the pot.
Pumpkin
A weak throw that hits the pins with very limited violence.
Railroad
Revolutions
The count of the number of times a ball rolls over its full circumference from release to pin impact. The more revs a ball has, the more pin action it is likely to create.
Running Lane
A hook-friendly bowling lane.
Runway
Another name for the approach area before the foul line.
Sandbagger
A player who plays badly when calculating scoring averages for a leg up in league or tournament competition.
Schleifer
Any strike where pins seem to drop one at a time.
Scratch
An actual bowling score or average in competition without handicaps factored in.
Short Pin
A pin that comes up just short of knocking down another pin left standing.
Sleeper
A hidden pin on a spare attempt.
Slot Alley
A strike-friendly bowling lane.
Snake Eyes
Another term for the vaunted 7-10 split.
Sour Apple
Another name for the Lily, or 5-7-10 split.
Span
The measurement of the space between the thumb holes and finger holes of bowling balls.
Spare
Knocking down all ten pins with two shots in a frame. A spare conversion is recorded when picking up the remaining pins on a second ball.
Split
A spare leave with at least a pin’s worth of space between two or more pins.
Spot Bowling
Using arrows or dots on a bowling lane for aiming rather than looking at the pins.
Steal
Any strike recorded that shouldn’t have happened under normal circumstances.
Strike
Knocking down all ten pins on your first ball of a frame.
String
A sequence of consecutive strikes thrown.
Tap
Throwing a ball directly into the pin pocket, yet leaving one pin standing anyways.
Thin Hit
Hitting the pin pocket with only a slight touch of the head pin.
Tripped 4
When the 2 pin spins and deflects, knocking down the 4 pin.
Turkey
Three strikes in a row.
Under
The number of pins a bowler is behind when attempting to post a 200 scoring average.
Venting Hole
An extra hole on a bowling ball used to limit suction inside the thumb hole.
Wall Shot
Any strike where pins bounce off the kickback to knock other ones down.
Washout
Splits where the head pin is left standing.
Wire It
Finished out the tenth frame with three consecutive strikes.
