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

Fade
The ball moves slightly in the opposite direction of normal. sometimes used intentionally to pickup spares.

Fall Back Shot
A strike line that starts deep and is thrown very straight at the pocket so that it looks like it is falling back away from the pocket when it hits. Usually there is plenty of oil on the lane to keep the ball from hooking too much.

Fall Off
A player falls off the shot when he loses his balance and can't follow through properly. Usually caused by trying to throw to hard.

Fast Eight
A leave of two pins on a pocket hit. Sometimes the ball doesn't drive hard enough and other times it drives too hard causing an unexpected eight count.

Fast Lanes
Usually means lanes with a lot of oil on them making the ball skid quickly down the lane.

Feel Bowling
A bowler that doesn't think about technique and doesn't use specific alignments when bowling.

Fifth Arrow
Counting from the arrow nearest the gutter on either side it would be the fifth arrow. A very difficult line to carry from unless you are a power player. A right handed bowler counts from the right and a lefty from the left. Also the twenty-fifth board.

Fill Ball
The ball thrown after a spare in the tenth frame or the ball thrown after strikes in the tenth and eleventh frame s..

Finger Grips
Inserts for the fingers that are softer than the ball's coverstock. They are more comfortable and are supposedly a way to generate more lift on the ball which creates a higher rev rate.

Finger Weight
A static weight. From the center of the grip it is the finger's half of the ball that weighs more than the thumb side when weighed against each other. Legal limit for the weight is one ounce This weight makes the ball go a tiny bit longer.

Fingertip Grip
A grip where the fingers go into the holes up to the first joint. This type of grip naturally puts more revolutions on the ball and makes it easier to hook it.

First Arrow
The arrow closest to the gutter on either side of the lane. A right handed bowler counts from the right and a lefty from the left. Also the fifth board.

Flare
A ball track that changes as the ball rotates down the lane. This flaring makes a fresh part of the ball come in contact with the lane oil pattern with each revolution causing greater friction and more hook.

Flat
A ball that does not drive into the pocket hard enough to carry.

Flat Condition
A lane oil pattern with equal amounts of oil across and down the lane. Used in the U.S. Open for the most challenging of scoring conditions, because there is no place on the oil pattern to find help to create area.

Flat Gutter
The gutter area next to the pins. The height for these is regulated by the rules, because if the bottom of the gutters are too high then pin action is increased significantly.

Flip
The balls hooking action on the back end of the lane.

Fluff Shot
A kind of delivery that has little power. Sometimes advantageous but not usually.

Flush
Perfect pocket hit.

Flying Elbow
When the elbow does not stay close to the body through the release area and rotates out away from it.

Follow Through
Extension towards the target after the ball is released. A critical part of form is the correct follow through.

Forward Pitch
If you set the ball in front of you with the center line of the grip running lengthwise and the thumb hole closest, then looking from above the forward pitch of the all the holes slopes forward away from you. Be careful with too much forward pitch in the thumb or you will hang up in the ball.

Forward Roll
The kind of ball rotation the runs down the lane with the boards end over end. It will not hook on the back end of the lane as much as side roll, though both are techniques that have advantages. Few bowlers have the versatility to create both kinds of roll well.

Foul
Touching the ground on the other side of the line at the end of the approach. The score is zero for the shot, if it happens on the first ball a full rack is set up.

Foul Light
A sensor that indicates by a light when a bowlers foot crosses the foul.

Foul Line
The line at the end of the approach that means a foul if crossed.

Foundation Frame
The 9th frame. A strike here sets up a bigger scoring opportunity for the final tenth frame.

Four Bagger
Four strikes in a row.

Fourth Arrow
Counting from the arrow nearest the gutter on either side it would be the fourth arrow. A deep line to play for beginners. A right handed bowler counts from the right and a lefty from the left. Also the twenty board.

Frame
One of ten in a game. Spare or strike in the tenth frame and an eleven is given. Strike in the tenth and eleven and a twelfth is given.

Free Hook
A good hooking ball reaction where the bowler sees a lot of area in the lane oil pattern.

Fried
Lanes that have been bowled on so much the most of the oil is gone. They hook too much and too early. Also what every bowler's brain becomes at one time or another if they stay in the game long enough.

Frozen Rope
Hard and straight ball at the pocket. This is most often seen from the corner of the lane.

Full Roller
A type of release that causes the ball to roll over it's full circumference. The ball rolls between the thumb and finger holes. Rare.