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Fun Bowling Facts and Tips
Facts and information about Bowling that you probably didn't know!
Do you know your pins by number?
Bowling lanes are 43 inches wide and were traditionally made of hard rock maple (the first 15 feet) followed by pine, with maple again in the pin area. Many Centers today use synthetic lanes instead of wood.
Which is more?
ABC. American Bowling Congress. Official rule making body of ten-pin bowling. Alley (also lane bed). Surface on which the ball is rolled. Approach (also runway). The space extending back from the foul line used to make the steps and delivery.
Arrows. The triangles embedded on the lane used in aiming the throw. Bed posts. The 7-10 split. Big four (also double pinochle). The 4-6-7-10 split. Blind score. When a league bowler is "blind" and can't find his/her way to the league that evening, the bowler's average is simply used (as if he/she just bowled that score) when figuring the team's total for each game. Blocking. Creating an illegal track to the strike pocket by the way the lane is dressed (oiled). Blow. A miss or an error failing to covert a spare other than a split. Brooklyn (also crossover). Refers to a ball that crosses over to the other side of the headpin opposite the side it was thrown (i.e. a Brooklyn strike hit the 1-2 pocket for a right-hander).
Bucket. The 2-4-5-8 or 3-5-6-9 leave after the first throw. Channel (also gutter). Semicircular grooves or drop-off area on each side of the bowling surface. Cherry. To pick off the front pin or pins but leaving the back pin on a spare attempt. Christmas tree. The 3-7-10 split for a rt. hander; 2-7-10 split for a left hander Clothesline (also picket fence). The 1-2-4-7 or 1-3-6-10 pins still standing after the first ball. Count. Usually the number of pins knocked down in the next frame that apply to a spare or strike. Creeper (also known as a puff ball). A slow ball. Curve ball. A ball thrown with spin that follows a wide arc toward the pins. Dead ball. A weak ball that has lost its drive, rotation, or forward thrust. Deadwood. Pins that have been knocked down. Delivery. The rolling of the ball. Double. Two consecutive strikes. Dutch 200. A game of exactly 200 by alternately rolling spares and strikes. Field goal. A missed throw between widely separated pins hitting nothing but air. Foul. Touching the foul line or beyond in any way when delivering the ball. Foul line. The restraining line between the lane and the approach. Four bagger. Throwing four strikes in a row. Frame. One of ten units that comprise a game (represented by a large square and smaller squares within on the score sheet). Game. A line on the score sheet consisting of 10 frames. (Same as Line.) Goal posts. The 7-10 split. (Same as Bed posts.) Graveyard(s). An extremely difficult lane in the house. Gutter (also channel). Semicircular grooves on each side of the surface on which the ball rolls. Gutter ball (also channel ball). An errant ball that enters the gutter before reaching the pins. Handicap. An adjustment in scores in order to equalize competition by adding pins on a predetermined basis. Head pin. The number one pin. High hit. A solid hit on a pin due to contact near its front center; hitting too much head pin on a strike attempt. Holding lane. A lane where the ball does not curve or hook much. Hook. A ball that initially moves straight down the alley and curves towards the pin (from right to left for a right-hander or left to right for a left-hander) on the latter part of the lane. House. The bowling establishment or building. Kegler. A bowler (German word). Kickbacks. The side boards around the pins that divide lanes where pins frequently rebound or "kick" back onto the lane aiding in pin action. King pin. The number 5 pin. It is a key pin to produce a strike: a light pocket hit or deflected leaves this pin still standing. Lane bed. The surface on which the ball is rolled. League. Organized competition on a weekly basis for team play. Leave. Pins left standing after the first ball has been rolled. Lift. Upward motion on the ball at the point of release. (As the ball rolls from the fingers of the up swinging hand, spin is imparted to help drive the ball.) Light hit. A ball hitting mostly the side of the pin deflecting it sideways. Line. A game--10 frames. Also refers to the path of the ball from release to the pins. Line bowling. A method of aiming by visualizing the imaginary line the ball will take to the pins. Lofting. Throwing the ball too high above the lane bed. LPBT. Ladies' Professional Bowling Tour. Mark. Making either a spare or strike in a frame. Miss. An error in a spare attempt other than a split. (Same as a Blow.) Mixer. A ball that creates a lot of pin action. Move in. Adjusting of stance position nearer the center of the approach. Move out. Adjusting of stance position nearer the outside of the approach. Nose. The front of the pin. Oil. Dressing or conditioner used to coat the lanes. Open frame. A frame having neither a spare or strike. PBA. Professional Bowlers Association. Perfect game. A game of all strikes--twelve strikes in a row--resulting in bowling's maximum score of 300. Pin bowling. Looking at the pins to aim and throw the ball (better bowlers tend to spot or line bowl). Pin deck. Area on which the pins are set. Planet Bowling. When we turn out all the florescent lights and turn on black light, disco style strobe lights, fog machines and play your favorite music. It's basically a nightclub atmosphere in a bowling center. Pocket. A space between the 1-3 pins for the right-handed bowler; between the 1-2 pins for the left-handed bowler. Pushaway. The pushing out (forward) of the ball to begin the swing (coincide with first step of four-step approach.) Railroad. (also sweep bar). The part of the pin-setting machine that drops and sweeps the fallen pins into the back of the lane. Rake. (also sweep bar). The part of the pin-setting machine that drops and sweeps the fallen pins into the back of the lane. Running lane (opposite of holding lane). A lane where the ball curves a lot relative to a normal delivery. Sandbagging. Deliberating keeping an average low so that person can receive a bigger handicap. Scratch. The actual score the bowler makes; it is without any handicap adjustment (to equalize competition). Six pack. Six strikes in a row!! Sleeper. A rear pin that is not easily seen because of a pin directly in front of it (Ex.: 2-8, 3-9, 1-5). Span. On a bowling ball, the distance between the thumb and finger holes Spare. To knock down with the second throw the pins standing left after the first throw. Split. Various combination of pins standing after a first throw where one or more pins has been knocked down creating a space between standing pins and thus a harder spare. Examples: 4-5, 5-6, 4-7, 6-10, 7-10, 4-6-7-10. Spot. A target on the alley bed (usually the arrows or the dots) where the bowler aims. Spot bowling. A method of aiming the ball in which spots (arrows and dots) on the lane are used as targets rather than looking at the pins during the throw. Stiff lane. A non-hooking lane. Straight ball. Ball thrown that takes a direct path to the pins without curving. Strike. Knocking down all ten pins with the first effort. Strike out. Making three strikes in the tenth frame. Tap. An apparent perfect hit for a strike but one pin is left standing. Throwing rocks. Piling up strikes with a speed ball. Triple (also turkey). Three consecutive strikes. Turkey. Three consecutive strikes. Vacancy. A "dummy" score used when a team does not have the same number on the team roster as do other teams. The vacancy score is set by the league and carries a handicap the same as if some bowler was carrying that average. An apparent perfect hit for a strike but one pin is left standing. Washout. The 1-2-10 or 1-2-4-10 leave for right-handers; 1-3-7 or 1-3-6-7 for left handers. Distinguished from a split due to the head pin (1 pin) still standing. WIBC. Women's International Bowling Congress. Working ball. A ball with great spin that produces a lot of action among the pins. The same ball will break up splits when hit on the nose. Note: Official game (or line) is bowled on a PAIR of lanes. Use of the lanes are alternated frame by frame i.e. odd frames (1,3,5,7,9) are bowled on one lane and even frames (2,4,6,8,10) on the other.
BOWLING FUNDAMENTALS - ARMSWING ALIGNMENT - make sure your armswing and elbow are close to the side of your body during the armswing(esp. the forward swing) to have accuracy and leverage at release. To do this visualize (picture) your elbow being as close as possible to the side of your body during the entire armswing. - HAND POSITION - I think the natural hook handshake position is the best way to go since it allows you the freest and loosest armswing. In the stance hold the ball in a 45 degree hand position (hand partially under ball and partially to the side of ball, the tips of the pinkys from both hands should be touching). - BALANCE - use your lower body to give you a solid finish in your last step of the approach. On the last step you need to slide into a deep knee bend and then extend your right leg out to the left side of your body. This will give you both balance at the line and added power in your release as you come through the ball during your follow-through. - FOLLOW-THROUGH - with only your fingers still in the ball reach out with your armswing and bring your wrist inwards and your hand to your ear. Your arm should unhinge at the elbow as if you are saluting someone. - SPARE MAKING - face spares with your feet and shoulders when you line up to shoot at them. Also keep your hand in the natural hook position (10-11 o'clock) and keep your wrist straight and loose. Don't use wrist snap release on spares. Go straight at them. - ANALYZE YOUR GAME - Teach yourself how to bowl using an analytical mind. You have to analyze your game in order to improve your technique. - VISUALIZATION - Use visualization on and off the lanes. especially off the lanes when you're not bowling. Visualize yourself making perfect shots the way you would like to. - FEEL YOUR GOOD SHOTS - Bowling is a game of repetition. You need to repeat your good shots. You do this by feeling your good shots when you make them, memorizing that feeling and trying to repeat it again. - LANE CONDITIONS - If the lanes get drier move to the left on the approach and try to play the same target. If the lanes are oilier move to the right on the approach and try to play the same target. - BOWLING BALLS - this really depends on your style but in my case I've found that I do better with a reactive-resin ball that is sanded with 600 grit wet paper on most lane conditions. If lanes are bone dry then I'll use a polished plastic ball.
- BOWLING EXERCISES - yoga stretching exercises are very beneficial to bowlers. Also a squeeze ball and hand grip are good for fingers and wrist. A 10lb dumbbell is good for arm curls. Some deep knee bends are good for legs. Push-ups are good for the shoulders. |
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