Bowling Lane Arrows: A Definition

A bowling lane displays a lot of information to the informed bowler. Every bowling lane is comprised of 39 parallel boards running the length of the lane. The boards are assigned numbers, incrementally from the left for left-handed bowlers and from the right for right-handers. Before the bowler puts a ball on a path to the pins, he needs a method to visualize the path. The foul line, dots and arrows on a bowling lane are there for this reason. Aiming a ball using the dots and arrows as a guide is a more accurate method than aiming at the distant pins.

  1. The Approach

    • Two sets of seven evenly-spaced dots divide the approach area. The first set is 15 feet behind the foul line, the second is 12 feet behind the foul line. These dots are used as guides for where to stand to set up for strikes and spares.

    Foul Line

    • Three inches from the foul line another set of seven evenly-spaced dots is aligned with the two sets in the approach. This set marks the touchdown point where the ball should contact the lane. The foul line itself is an unbroken line the bowler can't cross.

    Lane Dots

    • Two sets of five dots are located 7.5 feet from the foul line. From right to left for a right-handed bowler, the dots are on boards 3, 5, 8, 11 and 14. After a gap of 11 unmarked boards in the center of the lane, the dots continue on boards 26, 29, 32, 35 and 37. The lane dots are located halfway to the arrows and provide the first visual reference for fine tuning the moving track of the ball.

    Arrows

    • There are seven arrows on a bowling lane, beginning 15 feet from the foul line. The arrows are spaced every five boards and numbered 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35. For a right-handed bowler, the numbering increments are from right to left, for left-handed the sequence runs left to right. The arrows are aligned with the dots at the foul line, which are aligned with dots on the approach. The arrows aren't aligned with the lane dots, but occupy boards between the lane dots.

    Typical Track

    • At least two reference points are required to provide a visual track of a moving object. For a right-handed bowler, targeting the strike pocket with a standard amount of spin on the ball and releasing at foul line dot 3, a desired track might be lane dot 8, arrow 10. Depending on the result of that track, the next attempt might be fine-tuned for more spin by tracking between lane dots 3 and 5 and between arrows 10 and 15.