Bowling Glossary

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Baby Split
A small split that the ball can make by fitting between the pins. The 3-10, 2-7, 4-5, 5-6 are easier than the 4-5-7, 5-6-10, 2-7-8, 3-9-10.

Baby the Ball
Results from trying to control the shot too much or from being to tentative. This happens sometimes when bowlers get nervous from pressure and also when they are confused about which line to play.

Back Door
When a pin hits another pin from behind causing it to fall.

Back Ends
The last 30 feet of the lane is the "back end" of the lane and where the ball makes it's move towards the pocket. Oil is usually applied to a length of 35 to 50 feet down the lane. The shorter the oil pattern the more the length of dry lane left for the ball to hook. When enough shots are thrown the oil carries down the lane due to the bowling balls picking up oil and "carrying" the oil down the lane. If there is too much carry down the ball will not hook enough and will deflect more than usual causing poor pin action and fewer strikes.

Back Row
The pins in the back row which are the 7-8-9-10. When better bowlers are hitting the pocket hard and not getting a high percentage of strikes it's because they are leaving a random pin in the back row. Sometimes very difficult to adjust to and very frustrating.

Backswing
Most good backswings are around shoulder height but can be much higher in some power players. Similar to the backswing in a golf swing the transition from backswing to the forward swing motion should be smooth and gradual without pulling or jerking from the top.

Backup Ball
A ball that hooks in the opposite direction of normal. It's caused by rotating the hand in the opposite direction of normal. Few bowlers have the ability to use a backup ball effectively in competition. The reason for trying this would be if one side of the lane was playing easier than the other. It would allow a right handed bowler to play the oil pattern the same way left handed bowlers play it and the other way around. Rare.

Bad Rack
This is when one or more pins in a full rack is set down off of the spot for the pin. Often results in a rerack of the pins because of the thought that the pins will not all fall with a good shot.

Baker Game
Team of five players that bowl together to make the total for only one game. Each player alternates bowling a frame with the rest of the team and bowls a total of in only two frames for the game.

Baking A Ball
Modern high performance balls made with resin soak up a lot of lane oil and eventually this will reduce the balls hooking power. Heating the ball can sweat some of the oil out of the ball and rejuvenate it. Heat can also crack a ball's cover in half, so baking a ball is not recommended unless you know what you are doing.

Balance
A bowlers balance depends on good timing and in many cases not overthrowing or throwing too hard which can cause falling off the shot at the end of the delivery.

Balance Hole
Also known as an extra hole. This is required for keeping the ball within legal specs when using some ball layouts. Ball roll can also be affected by using a certain size and depth of hole.

Ball Return
The cool thing about bowling is not having to search for your ball. This piece of equipment sends your ball back to you after every shot.

Ball Spinner
A small machine with a large ball cup like holder used to spin a ball in order to alter the surface of the bowling ball. It can be used to polish or sand the ball to make it hook more or less. It is also used to resurface balls with scratches and dings.

Ball Track
The part of the ball the comes in contact with the lane when it rolls. It can be seen after the ball is thrown for several games. Tracks vary due to the variety of releases different bowlers have and the variety dynamics in different bowling balls.

Ball Weights
Refers to static weights. Rules state that the ball must have under 1 ounce finger or thumb weight, under 1 ounce positive and negative weight, and under 3 ounces of top or bottom weight. Most people feel that these weights have a minor influence in today's game.

BB
A ball thrown hard and straight. Usually used on very dry lanes on an outside line near the gutter.

Beak
The heart of the head pin. A ball hitting here usually ends up leaving some kind of split but not always.

Beer Frame
In team play in a given frame, if all bowlers strike but one, the non striker will buy drinks for his team mates.

Behind The Ball
This usually means keeping the wrist up the back of the ball to make it go straighter. It creates more forward vs side rotation.

Belly The Ball
Bowlers that hook the ball are normally forced to belly the ball. The ball starts from a certain board at release which is on the inside part of the lane to one at the breakpoint which is more towards the gutter and then back to the pocket.

Bent Elbow
The type of armswing which has the bowling arm bent. Not a typical swing or easy swing to master, but used by some of the greatest bowlers ever. Earl Anthony and Don Carter to name two. This probably isn't the style to imitate in today's power game which typically uses a much higher backswing.

Big Five
A split with two pins on one side and three on the other, for a right handed bowler it is the 4,6,7,9,10 and for the lefty it is the 4,6,7,8,10.

Big Four
This is the 4-6-7-10 split left by having the ball hit right in the middle of the head pin with no pin action.

Blind
An absent player's score for the team. The average minus ten pins is used in most cases. In others, it's a predetermined score especially in scratch leagues.

Block
A certain number of games bowled at one time in a tournament. The games you bowl are called your block. You may have to bowl multiple blocks in a tournament. Usually a block will consist of at least 3 games and up to 10 games on the high side. Although some tournaments will push limits and bowl more than that in a single block such as a 20 gamer.

Blocked Lane
A lane condition with heavy oil in the middle part of the lane and dryer areas towards the gutters. This helps the bowler with hook by funneling the ball to the pocket. Typical of leagues to keep the scores up and the patrons happy. Controversy surrounds the use of blocked lanes which "help" the bowler.

Blow The Rack
A light half pocket hit with a lot of pin action resulting in a strike. Normally refers to the shot of a power player with a lot of ball angle into the pocket and little ball deflection.

Blowout
A shot that hits the pocket and leaves something unusual like a 7-10 or 5-7-10.

Board
A lane is made of 39 of them complete with arrow targets imbedded every fifth one. Lanes today are synthetic but have lines placed in them representing the boards of old wood lanes that are fading out of the game.

Bonus Pins
In some tournaments you get additional pins for a match win which are added to your total.

Boomer
A power player with a lot of hooking action on their ball. Tommy Jones and Robert Smith are considered boomers.

Bottom Weight
Static weight of the bottom half of the ball which is opposite to the grip holes. Legal specifications are under 3 ounces for this static weight. It is determined by weighing the top half against the bottom half of the ball on a special ball scale.

Break Point
The portion on the lane where the thrown ball begins to hook back to the pocket. Finding the proper breakpoint (called "breakpoint management") is critical to the modern game. A ball that hooks too early or one that hooks too late will make it very difficult for a player to be consistent. Breakpoints can be adjusted by making changes in alignment, target, ball, ball surface and ball speed.

Bridge
The part of the ball that is between the finger holes. Usually it is a measure of between 1/8 to 1/2 inches. If the bridge is too small or thin it has a tendency to crack or break out.

Break Down
The oil on the lane is absorbed by the many shots being throw on it and results in a gradual change of the original oil pattern. Players often have to move deeper towards the middle of the lane into an area with more oil or change to bowling balls that hook less in order to adjust to lanes breaking down.

Brooklyn
A ball that crosses over to the opposite side of the head pin than a normal pocket hit. The ball hits the head pin as it is hooking away from it instead of into it. Often results in a lucky strike because of the lack of intention to hit the pins in that spot.

Bucket
The bucket for right handed bowlers is the 2-4-5-8 and 3-5-6-9 for a lefty. A common leave when the ball hits too light in the pocket and one of the most difficult combination spares to convert because of the double wood.

Bumper Bowling
A means of keeping the bowling ball out of the gutter as it travels down the lane. Normally for the extreme beginning bowler such as small children in order to increase the enjoyment factor of knocking down pins.

Buried
A ball that is flush in the pocket regardless of the result. It usually refers to an extremely well thrown strike shot.