Split (bowling)
[citation needed] A split is marked by highlighting the number of pins knocked down, mostly in red, on the scorescreen.
One of the most infamous of splits is the 7–10 split, often called "goal posts", "bedposts", or "snake eyes", where the bowler is left with the leftmost and the rightmost pin in the back row (the number 7 and number 10) to knock down with a single ball to achieve a spare.
This is made more difficult by variation of the pit design according to the pinsetter system, with the Brunswick A-2 being more prone to bounce-outs than recent machines.
Bouncing out on a Brunswick GS-series pinsetter is exceedingly difficult due to a moving curtain at the back of the pit which absorbs the impact, while AMF pinsetters have a higher chance of bouncing out the pin facing away from the ball return of a lane pair.
This is incredibly rare, but pro bowler Sean Rash did it by sliding the 10-pin into the 7-pin in 2019 during qualifying at the Tournament of Champions.
[1] The only other three professionals to convert this split on television are John Mazza and Jess Stayrook, both of whom did it in 1991, and Anthony Neuer, who accomplished it in April 2021.
Roth and Mazza converted theirs on ABC broadcasts of the Professional Bowlers Tour, while Stayrook did his on an ESPN telecast.
The 5–7–10 is considered the most embarrassing split of all, because not only is it almost impossible to make, it is left by throwing a "flat ball", that is, a shot with no revolutions or action on it.
Similar to a 5–7 split, but since the 3-pin is two rows ahead of the further from the 7-pin, the ball must hit the right side of the 3-pin at a slight angle.
This is the easiest split to convert since there are two options: A) sliding the 2-pin into the 7-pin; B) deflecting the ball off the "front" pin.
The only professional to convert this split on television is Walter Ray Williams, Jr., doing so on an ESPN telecast in 2005, although there have been other bowlers to do so on camera.
This split is believed to be slightly easier to convert than the Big four, because sliding the 6-pin over (for right-handers) will sometimes cause the 6-pin to ricochet off the 9-pin and set a crash course for the 4 and 7 pins.
Washouts are easier than most splits, because the headpin is in the front of the pin deck and therefore gives the bowler more room for error.
Since the pins are set up as an equilateral triangle, identically spaced splits can occur on different parts of the lane.
