Lofting (bowling)

Lofting (by a bowler) in bowling is throwing a bowling ball more than a short distance down the lane.^[1] This is usually done with the bounce pass technique, but can also be done with a straight ball. Lofting is looked down upon by the bowling community and bowling alley employees because of the damage to the ball and lanes. Many bowling alleys that use wood for their lanes will either have signs that tell the bowlers not to loft, or an employee will tell the bowlers not to do so. Lofting the ball before the arrows in some bowling alleys is not against the rules. Some professional bowlers do loft a considerable amount under certain lane conditions. Crankers and other high-rev players may be forced to loft under dry conditions in order to delay the ball's reaction and prevent it from overhooking. Lofting over the gutter is known as "popping the cap" and is done when a bowler hooks the whole lane.

In the sport of candlepin bowling, "lofting" a ball beyond a line situated ten feet (3.05 m) down the lane from the main foul line is called a lob, and is considered a ball foul, resulting in no counted pinfall from a ball delivered in such a manner, as the ball must first touch the lanebed on the bowler's side of the lob line to be considered a legal delivery.

See also

• Bowling
• Candlepin bowling
• Hook (bowling)
• Ten pin bowling

References