The Game » Glossary

Here you can find a glossary of bowlingterms sorted by alphabet. You can choose a letter of the alphabet by clicking on one of the letters in the menu below. He and his should be read as 'he and his or she and her' throughout this glossary.

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• Finger weight
  Imbalance which effectively makes the side of the ball, divided by the midline, containing the finger holes, heavier than the side containing the thumb hole.

• Flare
  Refers to the bowling ball changing it’s axis of rotation while seeking it’s preferred spin axis during it’s path down the lane. The result is several distinct oil rings being visible around the ball.

• Flat ball
  See dead ball.

• Forward pitch
  The drilled hole, either finger or thumb, is angled towards the midline of the grip.

• Foul
  The act of crossing or contacting the foulline with any part of the body during delivery.

• Foulline
  The line separating the approach from the lane, usually a black line. This line must not be crossed or contacted during delivery, else resulting in a foul.

• Four bagger
  Four strikes in a row.

• Frame
  The ten divisions within a game. The first nine allow two deliveries unless a strike is rolled, while the tenth frame allows a maximum of three deliveries regardless of what is thrown. Also known as box or canto.

• Friction
  The resistance to motion of two moving objects or surfaces that touch.

• Front of hole
  Portion of the hole facing toward the center of grip.