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Glossary
Bowling Equipment terms, explained
Short, plain definitions of the words you'll see on product pages and spec sheets. Each one links to a guide when there's more to know.
B
- Braking heel
- A rubber heel on the slide shoe that controls how you stop. Read the guide →
C
- Coverstock
- The outer shell of a bowling ball, which sets how much friction it creates with the lane. Read the guide →
D
- Deadwood
- Fallen pins left on the lane, which stay in play in candlepin. Read the guide →
- Differential
- The gap between a ball's highest and lowest RG, which sets its flare and hook potential. Read the guide →
G
- Grit
- The abrasive level of a ball's surface finish; lower grit is duller and reads the lane earlier. Read the guide →
M
- Mass bias
- The intermediate differential of an asymmetric core. Read the guide →
O
- Oil extraction
- Drawing absorbed lane oil out of a reactive coverstock. Read the guide →
R
- Reactive resin
- A coverstock that absorbs some oil and grips the lane, creating the most hook. Read the guide →
- RG
- Radius of gyration: how far the core's mass sits from the center, which affects how soon a ball revs up. Read the guide →
S
- Slide sole
- The smooth sole on the slide shoe that lets you glide at the foul line. Read the guide →
- Span
- The distance between the thumb hole and the finger holes, measured by the pro shop. Read the guide →
- Spare ball
- A plastic ball thrown straight at single pins and spares. Read the guide →
T
- Track flare
- The rings of oil left on a ball as its axis migrates while it rolls. Read the guide →
U
- Urethane
- A coverstock with a smooth, controllable arc, popular on short and flat patterns. Read the guide →