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Sanctioned |
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Competition in accordance with American Bowling Congress or Women¹s International Bowling Congress rules.
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Sandbagger |
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Bowler who keeps his average down purposely in order to receive a higher handicap than he deserves.
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Sandwich game |
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A 200 game scored by alternating strikes and spares. (Dutch 200)
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Scenic route |
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Path taken by a big curve ball.
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Schleifer |
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Thin-hit strike where pins seem to fall one by one.
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Scratch |
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Without benefit of handicap; actual score.
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Semi-fingertip |
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A ball drilling that allows the ball to rest on the pads between the second and third joints of the third and fourth fingers. More powerful than a conventional grip, less powerful than a full fingertip grip, it is generally not recommended.
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Semi-roller |
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A ball that rolls on a track just outside the thumb-hole. Also called a semi-spinner. This type of ball is considered the most powerful and has displaced the full-roller in professional bowling.
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Separation |
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The distance you allow between your standing position and where you want the ball placed on the lane to hit the target.
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Set |
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Ball holding in the pocket.
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Shadow ball |
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A ball rolled in practice without the pins being set, usually for five minutes or just one or two balls before competition play.
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Short pin |
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A pin rolling on the alley bed which just fails to reach and hit a standing pin.
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Shotgun shot |
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Rolling the ball from the hip.
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Sidearming; sidewheeling |
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Allowing the arm to draw away from its proper position during back and forward swing.
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Sideboards |
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Vertical division between lanes at the pit end. (kickbacks)
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Sixpack |
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Six strikes in a row.
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Sleeper |
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A pin directly behind another pin; respectively: 8-4, 5-1, 9-3. (barmaid, bicycle, double wood, motherinlaw, oneinthedark, tandem)
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Slick |
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Land condition highly polished; tends to hold back hook. Not the same as oily.
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Slide |
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The last step of the delivery.
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Slot, slot alley |
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Lane on which strikes come easy caused by a track worn into the lane.
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Slot grip |
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A grip on the bowling ball where the area between the third and fourth fingers is drilled away, resulting in one large finger hole.
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Small ball |
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Type of ball that doesn¹t mix the pins; must hit pocket perfectly for strikes.
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Snake eyes |
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The 7-10 split. (bedposts, fence posts, goal posts, mule ears)
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Snow plow |
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A ball that clears all the pins for a strike.
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Soft alley; soft lane |
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A lane on which strikes come easy.
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Sour apple |
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1) Weak ball which leaves the 5-7, 5-10 or 5-7-10 split; 2) specifically, the 5-7-10 split.
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Span |
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Distance between thumb and finger holes.
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Spare |
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All pins down with two balls.
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Spare leave |
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Refers to pins standing after first ball is rolled.
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Spiller |
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A light-hit strike in which the pins seem to melt away, taking a longer time than other strike hits.
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Splasher |
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A strike where the pins are downed quickly.
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Splice |
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Area of lane where maple and pine boards join. (break of the boards, dovetails, piano keys)
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Split |
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A spare leave in which the headpin is down and the remaining combination of pins have an intermediate pin down immediately ahead of or between them. (hole, railroad)
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Spot bowling |
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Target on lane at which the bowler aims; could be a dot, a board, or an arrow.
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Squeeze |
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The action of the second and third fingers against the thumb, much like snapping the fingers, as they deliver the ball.
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Steal |
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To get more pins than you deserve on a strike hit.
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Stiff, stiff alley |
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A lane with a tendency to hold a hook ball back.
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Strap the ball |
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Get maximum lift.
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Strike |
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All ten pins down on the first ball. See also double, turkey, four- and five-bagger, and sixpack. Seven, eight, nine, ten and eleven strikes in a row are called seven-in-a-row, eight-in-a-row, etc.
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Strike out |
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To get all three available strike in the tenth frame or, similarly, finish the game from any point with strikes.
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Strike split |
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The 8-10 for right-handers and the 7-9 for lefties; ball looks good but splits.
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String |
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Three or more consecutive strikes. Also, in some areas, one game of bowling.
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Stroke |
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The arm and hand motion during the act of delivery over the foul line.
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Sweeper |
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1) A wide-breaking hook which carries a strike as though the pins were pushed with a broom; 2) a night of league bowling, previously designated, where bowling fees go toward high-scoring individuals or teams for that night.
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Sweepstakes |
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Bowling tournament
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Swing shot |
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Marshall Holman¹s favorite. Starts at third arrow, goes to second and back to pocket; for bowlers with lots of hook. See 'line ball' and 'point shot.'
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Swiss cheese ball |
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A ball used in pro shops to determine a bowler's finger size and span for drilling.
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