Spelling out the basics of the game - Bowling Clinic

Bowling Digest, Dec, 2003 by Bill Spigner

THERE ARE SO MANY TERMS in bowling, from official titles to alley lingo. In fact, it's taken two issues to cover them all. In the last issue, we reviewed the terms and definitions for bowling balls, lanes, and lane play. In this issue, we'll take a look at the terminology for the bowling industry, in the pro shop, as well as strikes and spares and types of bowlers.

SPARE PLAY

BED POST: The 7-10 split, also known as the GOAL POST.

BIG FOUR: The 4-6-7-10 split, also known as the DOUBLE PINOCHLE.

BLOW: To miss a spare.

BUCKET: The bucket is the 2-4-5-8 for righthanders and the 3-5-6-9 for lefties.

CHOP or CHOPPING: To hit the front pin and leave a pin standing on either side of where the pin hit.

DESIGNER WASHOUT: This stylish leave is a 1-2-4-6-10 for righties and the 1-3-4-6-7 for lefthanders.

FIELD GOAL: A shot that misses the 7-10 split by rolling between them.

GET THE WOOD: This happens when a split is left and you go after the easiest pins to knock down. This allows you to knock down the most pins possible out of the flame--you don't risk going after the entire split at the expense of missing all the pins. Depending on the game situation, getting some pins out of a tough split is better than none at all.

GRANDMA'S TEETH: This sprit consists of the 4-7-9-10 pins for righties and the 6-7-8-10 combination for lefthanders.

GREEK CHURCH: A Greek church is when the 4-6-7-9-10 pins on the right side, or the 4-6-7-8-10 on the left, are still standing.

LEAVE: The pins left standing after the first ball.

LILLY: The lilly, also called a SOUR APPLE, is a leave made up of the 5-7-10 pins.

THE PBA WASHOUT: Leaving the 2-8-10 for righthanders and the 3-7-9 for lefties.

PICKET FENCE: For righthanders, a picket fence is the 1-2-4-7 combination; for lefties, it's the 1-3-6-10.

RAIL: Another term for a split.

SLEEPER: A sleeper is a pin hidden from view by another pin. Common sleepers are the 8-pin in a 2-8 leave and the 9-pin in the 3-9.

SPARE: A made spare involves knocking all 10 pins down with two rolls of the ball.

SPLIT: Two or more pins left standing that have a separation between them without the headpin standing. A BABY SPLIT can be converted if the ball takes out both pins, as in the 3-10, 2-7, 4-5, 5-6, 7-8, or 9-10.

THE STRIKE BALL

BEAK: When the ball hits the headpin straight on.

BLOWOUT 7-10: This strike is a light pocket hit where the 5-pin fails in front of the 7-pin, and the 6-pin doesn't take out the 10. It's the opposite for lefthanders.

BROOKLYN: A strike when your ball crosses over to the "wrong" (opposite) pocket. In New York, it's referred to as a JERSEY strike.

CAN OPENER: A hall-pocket strike that splits the pins apart, sending the 5-pin to the side wall. A can opener used to be the sign of a well-thrown ball, back when it meant something to knock the 5-pin out on a light pocket hit. (I'm really dating myself now.)

JERSEY SQUASHER: When the ball hits the headpin straight on and strikes.

LOVE TAP: A half-pocket hit where the 6-pin goes into the gutter and topples the 10-pin after it looks like it's going to be left standing. For lefthanders, it's the opposite scenario, with the 7-pin making the love tap.

MESSENGER: A light pocket hit where the headpin ricochets off the kickback, flies across the pin deck, and takes out the 10-pin for a strike. (It works oppositely for lefthanders.) Also referred as the SCOUT and, by ESPN color analyst Randy Pedersen, the BIRD DOG. (A GIRL SCOUT is a messenger that comes across the pin deck but the corner pin.)

PING: A ping happens after the ball deflects a lot when it hits the pocket, usually resulting in leaving corner pins or pocket splits.

POCKET: The position at the pins you want your ball to hit to have the best chance of striking. For righthanders, the pocket is between the 1- and 3-pin, and for lefthanders it's between the 1- and 2-pin. The HALF POCKET is a light pocket hit that usually results in leaving a 10-pin for righties and 7-pin for lefties.

POP THE CAP: Popping the cap happens when a bowler is playing an extreme inside line and actually throws the ball over the gutter cap back onto the lane. Robert Smith made this type of shot famous when he did it on ESPN, where he was able to loft the ball more than 15 feet to get the ball back onto the lane.

This is also referred to as PLAYING THE CAP. Cap shots are not recommended for the average bowler because attempting them could result in severe injury and damage to equipment.

PUSH: When the ball looks like it's going to hook high, the bowler yells "Push!" in hopes that the ball will slide a little longer so it holds the pocket. If the ball doesn't hold ... other terms are used.

RINGING 10: A solid pocket hit that seems perfect, but leaves the corner pin. Ringing shots usually are a result of the ball entering the pocket too straight and deflecting too much. A ringing 10 is a hard hit to swallow. For lefties, the shot is a RINGING 7.

ROLL THE DEUCE: When a player gets a light pocket hit and the 2-pin is left--but a pin comes late to knock down the 2 for a strike. (For lefties, it's the 3-pin).