10 Bowling Terms Explained: From Strikes to Gutter Balls
It's time to come together around the bright digital scoreboard for a fun journey through the unique and sometimes funny language of bowling. Full of different phrases as varied as the shiny balls lined up on the rack, the lingo of this loved game is packed with cleverness, insight, and the odd 'wild turkey'. So join us as we explore the cool world of bowling words, from strikes to gutter balls and everything else in between.
Strike
First up is the best part of bowling - the amazing strike. This magic moment, when all ten pins fall because of your strong bowling ball in one great throw, is something to see. The word ‘strike’ might make you think of workers taking action or scary thunderstorms, but in bowling, it means a perfect mix of speed, spin, and just the right aim. Getting a strike or throwing ‘a perfect ball’ as it's often called, can make you feel like time has stopped, a quick second when everything becomes about that great shot. Or in some cases maybe it’s a fluke at the highest level.
Double
We all love it when we get a strike but what’s better than one strike? If you get two strikes in a row, you’ve just made yourself a double. Or if you’re into rhyming slang, a ‘Barny Rubble’! Now that’s what you call a result, I’d be delighted! So, get ready to celebrate, before you go again.
Turkey
Before you get confused, we promise we're not talking about Christmas Dinners. A turkey, in the funny lingo of bowling, means the great feat of bowling three strikes in a row. The start of this odd term is a bit of a mystery, but one lovely guess is an old habit of giving a winning bowler a real turkey when they hit this three-in-a-row. Picture it - a bowler coming out of the alley, a clucking turkey under their arm, making everyone watching take notice.
Badger
You won’t find one of these, in the bowling sense of the word, roaming around the garden and they’re hard to come by for many on the lanes. Once you’ve made a turkey, next up is a badger. A ‘four-badger’ is four strikes in a row, a ‘five-badger’ is five in a row, a ‘six-badger’ is six in a row – and there it carries on.
Spare
Moving on from the excitement of the strike, we meet its modest cousin - the spare. This happens when your first throw doesn't knock down all the pins, but your next try thankfully does the job. Think of it as the second part in bowling's thrilling show, a sign of the game's basic rule of second chances. It's like messing up your lines in a play but bouncing back with a smart, off-the-cuff comeback.
Sparrow
And no, in this case we’re not talking about a cute little bird. Instead, we’re talking bowling and the not-so-modest sparrow, which is 3 spares in a row! Your first throw doesn't knock down all the pins, but your second go does the job. And you do this not once, twice but over three frames. This is not to be sniffed at, it’s the king of the comeback.
Split
Now this one is a little frustrating for those who like to get competitive. It’s where a bowler knocks down the pins on their first throw in a way that leaves the pins in an unfavourable fashion to say the least! Think of a haphazard combination of remaining pins spaced out in a manner that makes it nigh-on-impossible to take them all out on a second throw. It’s far from ideal but there’s always your next turn to turn up the heat.
Clean Game
This phrase, while potentially provoking thoughts of cleaning protocols in the bowling alley, refers to the impressive accomplishment of consistently scoring either a strike or a spare in every frame. Picture it as the bowling equivalent of an accomplished pianist flawlessly performing every note. It reflects a perfect blend of technique, focus, and a smidgen of good luck.
Perfect Game
Now this is the stuff of dreams. This is when a player hits a strike on their every turn, and you can’t do any better than that, hence it’s the perfect game. This results in the highest possible score in tenpin bowling, which is 300. There is nothing flukey about that – it’s pure talent at its best.
Gutter Ball
We now move to the rough part of bowling - the famous gutter ball. This happens when your bowling ball, lost like a clueless adventurer, slides into the gutter on the side of the lane, leaving the pins untouched. It may feel like a big letdown but, in the big story of bowling, gutter balls are just small hurdles, made to give our wins a bit of modesty.
That's our roundup of bowling lingo!
So, there you go, a complete, clear, and hopefully fun, trip through the interesting world of bowling words. This guide not only shines a light on the cool lingo of the sport but also cheers the exciting ups, humbling downs, and the sure bounce-back that shows what bowling is all about. The real fun of the game is not just in getting strikes or missing gutters; it's about loving the journey, valuing every roll, and remembering that life, a lot like bowling, is best enjoyed one frame at a time. So, go to your local Tenpin, enjoy your wins, shake off the gutter balls, and most of all - keep the ball rolling!