What Comes After a Turkey in Bowling? A Complete Guide to Bowling Lingo and Maximizing Your Score
Bowling a turkey – three strikes in a row – is one of the best feelings for any bowler. The cheers of your teammates ring out as you pump your fist after that third glorious strike. But the real challenge comes next – what do you do after bowling a turkey? How do you capitalize and maximize your scoring?
In this complete guide, we’ll break down all the key bowling terms, scoring concepts, and pro tips you need to know to make the most of your turkey and thrive through the rest of the game.
The Origins of “Turkey” in Bowling
First, a quick history lesson So why is a string of three strikes even called a “turkey” in bowling? Back in the early days of bowling, it was common for tournament organizers to give out food prizes for different bowling accomplishments Turkeys were a popular prize given to any bowler able to throw three consecutive strikes.
Considering strikes were much harder to come by on uneven wooden lanes with imperfect equipment, stringing three strikes together was quite an impressive feat. The name stuck, and now bowling three strikes in a row is synonymous with “bowling a turkey.”
Scoring After You Pick Up The Turkey
After you gobble up that turkey, the complexities of bowling scoring mean your momentum is just building. Here’s a breakdown of how strikes are scored and the key scenarios after bowling a turkey:
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A strike knocks down all 10 pins on the first ball. Rather than just 10 points, you earn the 10 pins, plus the total pins knocked down in the next two rolls.
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Making a turkey means you’ll earn at least 30 points, probably 40-50.
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Four strikes in a row after a turkey is called a “four-bagger” or “hambone”, earning around 60-70 points.
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Five strikes in succession is known as the “golden turkey”, guaranteeing at least 90-100 points.
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A “six-pack” refers to six consecutive strikes. Now you’ll have at least 120-130 points just from strikes.
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Any streak of seven or more strikes is dubbed “wild turkeys”, with massive scoring potential.
The key is maximizing strikes while you’re hot to build up the highest score possible.
Analyzing Whether to Keep Bowling for Strikes
You just made the turkey – awesome job! Now comes the key strategic decision – do you keep aggressively trying for more strikes? Or play it safer going for spares? There are several factors to analyze:
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Your current score – If you already have a solid lead, switching to spares to protect it could be smart.
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Frames remaining – With enough frames left, spare leaves can catch up, so risk may pay off.
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Split susceptibility – If you often leave splits, forcing strikes could backfire.
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Confidence and focus – Feeling locked in? Stay aggressive while you have peak focus.
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Opponent skill level – Against weaker foes, run up the score with continued strikes.
Consider your individual bowling style, equipment consistency, and the game scenario to balance risk versus reward.
Other Essential Bowling Vocabulary
Beyond labeling various strike streak achievements, here are other key bowling terms to know:
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Spare – Knocking down all pins left on the second throw in a frame. A spare earns 10 points plus the next ball roll.
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Split – When the first ball only hits the headpin, leaving two or more separated pins. Splits crush scoring.
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Open frame – A frame without a strike or spare. You just get points for pins knocked down.
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Foul – Stepping over the foul line. A foul gives you zero points for that throw.
Mastering bowling lingo and scoring concepts allows you to fully capitalize on every frame, especially after stringing strikes together.
Pro Tips to Maximize Your Turkey
You picked up the turkey – now here are some vital tips to build on the momentum:
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Stay focused after the turkey and make adjustments to ideally set up your next strike shot.
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Maintain consistent ball speed – avoid major speed changes that can disrupt accuracy.
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Adjust your strike target to keep striking different pin pockets.
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Visualize smoothly throwing more strikes to boost confidence.
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Take deep breaths and quick pauses when feeling anxious or distracted.
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Celebrate spares too – they still earn valuable points.
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Have fun and feed off the thrill of chasing more strikes!
With the proper mindset, adjustments, and demeanor, you can thrive after turkey time. Turn the pressure into further success.
Improving Your Overall Bowling Scores
While chasing the turkey gives a rush, truly excelling at bowling requires honing fundamental skills like:
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Perfecting proper form through repetition.
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Identifying your ideal strike pocket.
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Investing in a custom bowling ball fitted for your game.
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Learning hook techniques to expand strike targeting.
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Drilling corner pin spares to increase spares converted.
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Analyzing stats to spot weaknesses.
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Applying pro tips from videos and instruction.
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Competing often to stay sharp.
Persistently refining all aspects of your bowling leads to big turkeys and scores down the road.
Enjoy the Thrill of Maximizing Your Turkey
The joy of converting a turkey as your team erupts in cheers is electric. With adrenaline surging, the temptation to go for more strikes can be hard to resist. But don’t let the pressure overwhelm your talents. Stay cool, focus on each frame, and keep your form.
With this complete guide to strikes, spares, lingo, scoring, and tips, you’ll be ready to thrive after turkey time. After bagging that bird, take a deep breath, visualize more strikes falling, and watch your score climb. A turkey means your skills are reaching the next level. Now build on that momentum and become the top turkey hunter in your league!
BALANCE (AS APPLIED TO A PLAYER)
A player is in balance if, at the point of release, they are able to complete their follow through without falling off to one side; generally means that the release and slide are simultaneous.
As a general rule, if you take a bowling ball and place the label in front of you and then exactly dissect the ball into two equal halves, a right and left side, the gross weight of each half would be the same. However, if you dissect the ball off center, a greater portion of the weight block will be on one side of the ball, possibly making that half of the ball too heavy vis-a-vis the other half; also, modern high tech balls and their asymmetrical cores can be drilled in such a manner as to be in violation of the maximum tolerances allowed by the USBC for side to side weight (which is a one ounce differential); to get the ball back to legal compliance an extra, non-gripping hole may be drilled to remove the excess weight. This extra hole is the balance hole. The balance hole can also be used to increase or decrease a balls reaction and/or to fine tune a more subtle change in ball reaction.
The physical part of the equipment upon which the ball sits after being sent back to you after a delivery.
A machine that is used to spin a ball in a container so that the user can apply ball polish or sand the ball down more quickly.
- The area of the lane where most balls are thrown;
- the area on a ball where the ball rolls; most balls will show scratches and wear in this area after several games.
The nose; the center of the head pin.
Describes the type of shot where a player stands inside and tosses it to the outside in the hopes it returns to the pocket for a strike.
When a league bowler is “blind” and cant find his/her way to the league that evening, the bowlers average is simply used (as if he/she just bowled that score) when figuring the teams total for each game.
A miss or an error failing to convert a spare other than a split.
The practice of allowing a team player to complete their game by bowling more than their scheduled turn at one time; allowed as a courtesy to a player that has other time commitments; league and tournament rules can prohibit the practice.
A lane consists of 39 strips of wood, each called boards; they are usually numbered by the player and used as targeting terms; i.e., I was throwing the 5th board; in synthetic lanes there are no boards as such, but usually the synthetic overlay has a pattern that resembles natural wood lanes.
Movements and contortions of the body intended to steer the ball as it travels down the lane.
A big hooking ball; a person that throws a big hooking ball.
The weight of a bowling ball is not always evenly distributed in the sphere. USBC rules allow a ball to vary 3 ounces from the drilled top half to bottom half of a ball, and one ounce from the left to right side. Before resin balls, these weights were used to subtly change the roll pattern of a ball. A ball that had higher top weight would tend to go longer before hooking; a ball with bottom weight would tend to roll earlier. Although still used in ball drilling layouts, it is less important with the modern ball.
The portion on the lane where the thrown ball begins to hook back to the pocket. Finding the proper breakpoint (called “breakpoint management”) is critical to the modern game. A ball that hooks too early or one that hooks too late will make it very difficult for a player to be consistent. Breakpoints can be adjusted by making changes in alignment, target, ball, ball surface and ball speed.
Refers to a ball that crosses over to the other side of the head pin opposite the side it was thrown (i.e. a Brooklyn strike hit the 1-2 pocket for a right-hander).
A diamond-shaped, four-pin cluster, e.g., the 2-4-5-8 or 1-2-3-5. Some claim it to be the 2-4-5-8 for right handers, the 3-5-6-9 for a lefty.
The oil conditioner on the lane does not soak into the boards, it sits on top. As balls are thrown, the oil is subtly moved…it may be pushed left and right, or, it may be moved farther down the lane (carried down). Usually, but not always, a house with a lot of carrydown will not allow a ball to hook as much on the back ends and scores will be lower. In some houses and oil patterns, the initial pattern is too much over/under and carry increases as the carrydown effect takes place. Carrydown is invisible to bowlers and cannot be seen. A top professional can anticipate carrydown and make adjustments accordingly.
BALANCE (AS APPLIED TO A BALL)
The weight of a bowling ball is not always evenly distributed in the sphere. USBC rules allow a ball to vary 3 ounces from the drilled top half to bottom half of a ball, and one ounce from the left to right side. Before resin balls, these weights were used to subtly change the roll pattern of a ball. A ball that has negative balances tends to be influenced to turn away from the pins; a ball with positive balance will be influenced to turn into the pins.
Why is Three Strikes in a Row in Bowling Called a Turkey?
FAQ
Is there anything after turkey in bowling?
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.
What are 5 strikes in a row called?
- A “badger” is a string of strikes in a row. For example, four strikes in a row is called a “four-badger”.
- A “turkey” is three strikes in a row.
- A “double” is two strikes in a row.
- A “perfect strike” is a single strike.
- A “perfect game” is 12 strikes in a row over two games.
- A “brat” is a string of five strikes in a row, which refers to bratwurst.
- A “nickel” is another term for a string of five strikes in a row.
What comes after turkey?
Turkey – Three strikes in a row is a turkey. Badger – 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, etc. Perfect Game – 12 strikes in a row is a perfect game and totals 300 points.
What is the sequence of a bowling ball?
Bowling ball motion is commonly broken down into sequential skid, hook, and roll phases. As the ball travels down the lane in the skid and hook phases, frictional contact with the lane causes the ball’s forward (translational) speed to continually decrease, but to continually increase its rev rate (rotational speed).
What happens after a Turkey in Bowling?
Here are the common scenarios after a turkey and the bowling lingo used: Four-bagger or Honey Pot – This refers to 4 strikes in a row after a turkey. You’ll earn at least 60-70 points. Five-bagger or Golden Turkey – 5 consecutive strikes are called this. You’re guaranteed 90-100 points minimum.
What is a Turkey in Bowling?
A turkey in bowling refers to the achievement of scoring three consecutive strikes in a single game. This is considered an impressive feat because it requires a high level of skill and precision to consistently knock down all ten pins with three consecutive throws . Can beginners bowl a turkey?
How do you get a Turkey in Bowling?
The best way to achieve a turkey is to perfect your striking ability. If you have a bowling average of more than 200, then you probably score 2 or 3 strikes in your game (to the least). Now, all you have to do is learn to be consistent with your shots.
Can you throw a frozen turkey in Bowling?
To play this game, you need a smooth surface to be able to throw the frozen turkey. Some even play this game in a grocery store down an aisle. The bowling turkey meaning (turkey strike) refers to when a player throws three strikes one after the other. Throwing three strikes in a row in modern bowling is much easier than 100 or 200 years ago.
Does bowling make you a big Turkey?
Persistently honing all aspects of bowling leads to big turkeys and scores in the future. The feeling of converting a turkey as teammates erupt in cheers is electrifying. With your adrenaline pumping, the temptation to chase more strikes can be irresistible. But don’t let the pressure get to you.
What are some funny bowling terms?
The term stems from the history of giving away prizes to those able to throw four strikes in a row. A turkey is probably one of the most recognizable bowling terms. However, turkey is not the only bowling term, there are many funny terms used in the game of bowling. Here are some interesting bowling terms: