It’s amazing how language shapes both our experiences and how we use our experiences to make language fit our lives and our realities better.
The same can be true for slang, even in the same language! If you are new to bowling and just getting immersed in the culture of the hobby, sport, and excellent social pastime, you’ve likely started hearing bowling lingo and wondered what it meant, hoped you were using it correctly, or found yourself wondering if there’s a specific name for the kind of spin you’re trying out, or the kind of gear you’re using. Read on, eager bowler, for some of our favorite bowling terms and definitions to help you strike out with confidence!
First, it’s important to understand the terms and definitions of the bowling gear itself.
These are bowling balls provided by the bowling alley. It can be hard to find your “perfect match,” so once you know more about your style and preferred bowling ball weight, it’s best to amass your own arsenal of quality bowling balls. Sometimes, the bowling alley itself is called the “house.”
This is what bowlers call bowling pins that fell but are still in the lane or gutter after being knocked down.
Drilling helps you customize your bowling ball and how your fingers grip the ball more suitably to you.
The gutter refers to the recessed sides along the lane. A gutterball means that, unfortunately, that ball went out of the lane and into the gutter, making it impossible to knock down any pins.
There is also a lot of bowling lingo specific to the lanes, too! The lane is the actual long corridor where the ball goes down – it is sometimes used interchangeably with “alley,” although bowling lingo can get tricky here, as “alley” can also refer to the “house,” or the whole bowling establishment entirely!
The terms and definitions surrounding bowling lanes can be daunting for a new player. For now, just know that oil refers to how a lane is maintained, and it is also based on the materials used in the lane itself. Lanes are “oiled” for protection and durability, and for players, it means that these conditions impact the friction and how each ball rolls. More advanced bowlers have different techniques and bowling balls to match the lane’s conditions.
Dry refers to a bowling lane with little oil and more friction. This is also why maintaining your bowling balls and shoes with the right cleaner and polish can make all the difference in keeping your bowling ball in peak condition, no matter the lane’s condition.
This is both a noun and a verb, even in bowling terms and definitions! An approach is the space where a bowler can create their runway before throwing their ball.
Just like in other sports, this is what you avoid! The foul line is what demarcates the approach and what is for the ball’s solo journey.
A sleeper refers to bowling pins that are out of sight (but not out of mind!)
Even for the most casual player, it’s fun to win or at least score as many points as possible! Here are some of the most important bowling terms and definitions to know what to aim for - literally!
This one goes first because it’s what every bowler hopes to get every time they release the ball! A strike is when every pin gets knocked down all at once in the frame. When you strike, “X” marks the spot for your perfect score!
A frame is a turn in bowling. You get two attempts per frame and ten total for a standard game.
When you are able to clear all the pins during your frame – and there is a lot of bowling lingo that’s specific to the types of combos you get to knock down all ten pins, and that’s worth its own separate entry! When you do hit a spare, your score is marked with a “/.”
It’s not just a way to describe an honest game: a “clean game” refers to a game with no open frames, which means you scored a spare or strike for each of your ten frames - a big goal for any bowler to aspire to!
An open frame is when not all the pins get knocked down in a frame.
This is when you get three strikes in a row! (But note that a “spare turkey” is when you hit three spare pins).
There’s a lot more to it than this small selection of bowling terms and definitions of the top must-know terms and definitions for bowling techniques. Certainly, as you keep playing, the more you will learn and want to learn!
A Brooklyn is when you throw in the opposite direction from your dominant hand.
For players of varying experience levels who want to come together for the fun of the game rather than hard-core competition, a handicap can be used in different ways to adjust the game, such as through score averages or giving a boost to the newbie.
Just like it sounds, a straight shot is when a bowling ball goes directly in a straight line, from hand to pins.
In contrast, this is the bowling lingo for the art of mastering a curve on the lane to angle that throw, so no matter your dominant hand or lane condition, you can even knock down those sleepers.
This refers to more than the ball’s actual rotation or spin; it is about how a bowler leverages the ball before releasing it.
A messenger is when the pins get knocked so hard that they fly into the next lane!
It can be a learning curve to pick up any new lingo, and the bowling world is far from an exception (especially since a curve in bowling means you did your spin and your hook right!). Don’t be afraid to take risks and try things out to learn how to get better each time. Find your people to practice it with! With time, a lot of fun opportunities to challenge your limits, and a bit of camaraderie and immersion, you’ll be coming out swinging in no time! And, as always, keep checking out our blog for more tips and tricks to get proficient in all things bowling. Let’s get rolling!
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