Professional bowling terms used by coaches and league scorers: frame, split, leave, lane adjustment, rollout, low track and the equipment words around them.
These are the terms a coach or league scorer uses when explaining a shot, as distinct from the basic vocabulary a visitor needs to start a game. Shot and scoring terms Lane: the playing surface, built from an oiled wood or synthetic deck. Hook: the sideways curve of the ball during its travel. Grip: the hand position and pressure used to hold the ball. Ball speed: the speed of the ball at release. Revolution: how many times the ball rotates on its axis as it travels. Bounce: how high the ball rebounds after contacting the pins. First ball: the opening shot of a frame. Strike: all ten pins on the first ball. Spare: the remaining pins cleared with the second ball. Score: the points earned in a frame or game, based on pins knocked down. Frame: one turn in the ten that make a game. Split: pins left standing with a gap between them. Leave: the pins still standing after a shot. Reading the lane Lane adjustment: changing position or angle in response to the oil on the lane. Oil pattern: the oiled area of the lane, which affects how the ball slides and curves. Rollout: the point where the ball stops sliding, loses rotation and starts rolling straight. Low track: a lower position track the ball leaves as it rolls. Equipment terms Bowling shoes: shoes with a slide sole and a brake sole, so the player can slide and stop at the foul line. Scoreboard: the electronic or manual board that records the game. The wider list is in bowling terminology; consecutive strike names are in bowling strike terminology. For lanes and pinsetters see bowling facilities and equipment.