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You can find people enjoying themselves at bowling alleys nationwide. If you’re thinking about getting into bowling as a sport or hobby, it can feel like entering a new world. A vital cornerstone of the bowling realm is knowing its jargon.
Every round of bowling requires a bowling ball and pins to knock down. Beyond that, bowlers use certain lingo that someone without basic bowling knowledge may not understand. There’s no need to scour the internet for many bowling-related terms. Instead, check out the list below of all the essential bowling jargon to get you started.
Various sports measure play periods in different ways. Baseball uses innings. Football utilizes quarters. Bowling’s rounds are called frames. Each bowling game consists of ten rounds.
A strike is a term that means to knock down all pins on the first throw of a bowling frame. After making a strike, you’ve completed your frame.
A spare means knocking all ten pins down within two throws in a single frame.
This term applies to a bowling ball. The hook of this ball is its ability to curve after a throw. It’s also helpful to learn about hook ratings. For example, many Elite bowling balls feature a 0 hook rating. Such a low hook rating is ideal for bowlers who want a ball that travels straight down lanes.
Every bowler knows the peril of a gutter ball. This term describes a bowling ball that veers too far left or right, rolling off a lane and into the gutter. Rolling a gutter bowl adds no points to your score, as you knock no pins down.
Another major aspect of succeeding at bowling is knowing what not to do. One mistake to avoid is committing a foul. In this instance, a bowling foul means stepping over a lane’s designated line behind a lane.
According to bowling rules, crossing the foul line during a serve will nullify any pins knocked down at this time.
A pinsetter is a machine that places bowling pins before a bowler takes their shot.
Most of the time, a pinsetter places pins perfectly. When it doesn’t, the resulting situation can be a bad rack. A bad rack means one or more bowling pins aren’t positioned properly. While out-of-place pins can be hard to notice, they can drastically affect how well someone bowls.
The breakpoint is an area on a bowling lane where a ball starts hooking backward. Fortunately, breakpoints are adjustable. You can alter this area by changing balls or adjusting your serve speed.
Knowing about popular bowling terminology can help you fit in with other bowlers. However, learning this sport’s jargon is just the beginning. You’re now ready to grab a ball and start experiencing all the fun bowling offers.
