uStrike bowling information
Glossary
Frame:
A single turn for a bowler, constituting one or two rolls, depending on pinfall.
Strike:
All ten pins down on the first roll of a frame.
Double:
Two strikes in a row during a single bowling game.
Turkey:
Three strikes in a row during a single bowling game.
Strike out:
To roll three strikes in the 10th frame of a game (the maximum possible).
Spare:
All ten pins down on two ball rolls of a frame.
Conversion:
Another word for a spare, often preceded by the number(s) of the pins left before shooting the spare. (Example: "3-6-10
conversion.")
Mark:
A spare or a strike.
Open Frame:
Any frame where fewer than ten pins are knocked down in two ball rolls.
Split:
A spare leave where the head pin is knocked down and at least two non-adjacent pins are standing. (Example: the 8 and
10 pins left by themselves would be considered non-adjacent. The 6 and 10 pins are adjacent, and thus not considered a
split.) Common jargon for certain splits include: "baby split" (most commonly 2-7 or 3-10), "big four" (4-6-7-10),
"Greek church" (4-6-7-8-10 or 4-6-7-9-10) and "fit-in split" (most commonly 4-5 or 5-6).
Washout:
A spare left where at least two non-adjacent pins are still standing, but the head pin is also standing.
Chop:
An open frame where the front pin of a combination consisting of two or more adjacent pins is struck in the middle and
neither the ball nor front pin takes out any other pins of the spare. (Example: The ball striking the middle of the 2-pin
in a 2-4-7 combination, and leaving the 4-7 pins, is considered a chop.)
Hook:
Rolling the ball with enough side-spin to make the ball curve as it rolls toward the pins.
Cranker:
A bowler known for rolling the ball with extreme revolutions, making it hook more.
Stroker:
A bowler known for smooth timing and delivery with relatively low amount of hook on the ball.
Power stroker:
A bowler who combines the high hooking power of a cranker with the smooth delivery and timing of a stroker. Power
Stroking is a form of "tweening," meaning the form lies somewhere in between cranking and stroking.
Pocket:
The ideal place for the ball to hit the pins in order to maximize strike potential. The pocket for a right-hander is
between the 1 and 3 pins (1 and 2 pins for a left-hander).
Brooklyn:
A throw that results from the ball hitting the wrong "pocket" based on the bowler's handedness. For example, a
right-handed bowler rolls the ball but it hits the 1 and 2 pins first. This may also be referred to as "Jersey".
Carry:
A condition where a good shot (or even a less-than-perfect shot) rolled into the pocket results in a strike.
Tap:
A condition where a good shot that appears to hit the pocket properly results in less than ten pins being knocked down.
The most common "tap" situations for a right-hander include leaving the 8 or 10 pin by itself (7 or 9 pin for a
left-hander).
Oil:
The conditioner used in the front two-thirds of the lane, which allows the ball with side-spin to roll the necessary
distance down the lane before it starts to generate friction and hook.
Back end:
The last 15-20 feet of the lane, where the ball is supposed to develop the most friction (due to lack of oil) and hook
into the pocket.
Carry-down:
A condition where oil from the front of the lane is transferred farther down the lane than desired, usually due to
excessive ball traffic in the same area of the lane. This condition can cause the ball to "slide" in the area of the
lane the bowler would desire it to hook.
Light shot:
A shot that rolls into the pocket, but is closer to the 3-pin (or 2-pin for a left-hander) than the head pin.
Heavy or High shot:
A shot that hits more of the head pin than desired, often resulting in a split.
Foul:
A shot where the bowler's foot crosses the "foul line" at the end of the approach (and start of the lane), which often
results in a light and/or buzzer being triggered. A foul also occurs when any part of the bowler's body touches the lane
beyond the foul line, whether or not the foul light or buzzer is triggered. A foul counts zero for the ball roll in which
it occurs, regardless of how many pins are knocked down.
Series:
A set of full bowling games, typically three games in league play.
[source: Wikipedia]