How many frames does bowling consist of?
10 frames, each frame can be up to 30 points
How many points is a perfect game?
300 points
Strike (X)
10 points by itself, but can be worth up to 30. For a strike, you add 10 pins plus the number of pins that fall on your next 2 balls
Spare (/)
10 points by itself, but can be worth up to 20. For a spare, you add 10 pins plus the number of pins that fall on your very next ball
Miss (-)
If you fail to knock down every pin with one or two balls, place hyphen in the small box. This miss is also called an "open frame" or error
Split (O)
You have 2 or more pins that are separated by one or more lines
The Sour Apple
5-7-10 split, and one of the hardest to pick up
Washout
Any leave with a gap which includes the head pin (1-10 is not a split, but a washout)
1, 2 or 3 throws?
For frames 1-9, you get 1 or 2 throws. In the 10th frame, you get 2 or 3, depending on if you get a mark (X or /)
Bumpers
Plastic tubes or fold up bars which block the gutters
Turkey
3 strikes in a row, also called a triple
Headpin
The #1 pin, the pin closest to you
Dutch 200
X/X/X/X/X/X = 200 or /X/X/X/X/X/ = 200 (alternating strikes and spares)
Brooklyn
A ball that hits the headpin on the left side (right-handers). A Brooklyn strike is a strike that hits the left side
Backup ball
A ball that curves to the right (for right-handers)
Dinner bucket
2-4-5-8; 1-2-3-5; 3-5-6-9 (diamond shape leave)
Dry lane
A lane with little oil, hooks will curve more
Dead wood
Pins that are knocked in front of the pinsetters/sweeps and usually slip into the gutters
Boards
There are 39 boards on the lane (the middle board is the "20" board). Most good bowlers aim at boards or arrows, versus looking at the pins
Suitcase position
The correct release position is to release the ball out in front of you in a "shake hands" or "suitcase" position. If you keep the suitcase position throughout your swing you will have a consistent throw with a moderate amount of hook. If you want more ho
Triplicate
3 games with the same score in a series (181, 181, 181)
Gutters/channels
The U-shaped, lower areas at the edges of the lanes. Once the ball enters the gutter there can be no count of additional pins--hence the ball bounces out of the gutter and knocks over 3 pins, then you need to take 3 pins off your score
Pocket hit
A ball that hits on the right side of the headpin when a right-handed bowler is bowling with a standard hook (for left-handers, a ball that hits on the left side of the headpin)
On the nose
A ball that hits straight on the headpin, very often giving the bowler a split and occasionally a lucky strike
Pick up/conversion
Another name for a "spare
Hook
A ball that spins from left to right for right-handers. Hooks give a better angle for strikes and create more pin action
Approach
The 15 foot area that you use for your footwork. It ends at the foul line. The lane is over 62' long to the pit
Foul line
The line between the approach and the lane. It is there to protect you from slipping on the oil, but also penalizes you. If you step on or past the foul line, you lose all points on that throw
1-lane courtesy
This is an etiquette term in bowling. You should not step on the wooden approach when a bowler is already on the approach to your left and/or right. If you arrive at the same time, the person shooting the spare should be allowed to go first
Food etiquette
Do not bring food or a drink to the settee area. Spills can cause sticking or slipping, which can cause bowlers to fall
4-bagger, 5-bagger, 6-bagger, etc.
4 strikes in a row, 5 strikes, 6 strikes (6 pack), etc.
500 series
A series usually consists of 3 games. You would have to average 166 2/3 to make a 500 series exactly. 166+166+167= 499 which is not a 500 series but a 400 series
Scratch
Playing without a handicap. Reflects actual pin count
Handicap
It allows bowlers to play and compete together with different abilities so that a match is more even. Many leagues are 80% of 200, others are 90% of 200. Ours is 95% of 200. This means that if your average is 200 or more, you get 0 extra pins. If you aver
Average
It is the total number of pins per game divided by the number of games played. You always round down