Bowling Raps & Taps

bowlingball.com, Originally Posted: 4/12/2015; Updated: 6/13/2022

If you are wondering why you leave so many bowling raps & taps, the answer is simply a numbers game.

If you hit the pocket ten times, you likely will strike four to six times in an average game.

Assuming you average five strikes per game on pocket hits, then over a three game series, you will strike 15 times.

Over the three games, getting 15 strikes means you hit the pocket 30 times out of 36 opportunities.

Your carry percentage, therefore, is 50%.

Typical leaves for a right handed bowler are the 10 pin, the 7 pin, the 4 pin, and sometimes the 8 or 9 pins.

These leaves as we know are commonly referred to as “raps” or “taps.”

When round objects such as bowling pins collide, the angle of deflection varies and there will always be the result of not carrying all ten pins thereby getting “rapped” or “tapped.”

One common reason for “raps” and “taps” is bad bowling pin racks.

When the pinsetter cells are slightly out of adjustment, the pins will be set slightly off spot, sometimes noticeably so.

Bad racks of pins lead to inconsistent pin carry due to unpredictable pin deflections.

At times the pocket seems open or closed in relation to normal pin spotting.

If the 1-3 pocket seems closed due to poor pinspotting, then the 1-2 pocket will likely appear to be open for a left handed bowler. Both examples can present problems with pin carry percentages.

You carry percentage may be reduced from 50% with bad racks.

If you choose to re-rack the pins and still get a poor pin spot, then re-racking again is futile.

You simply must accept the fact that you will get rapped more frequently than normal.

You will, however, have times when your carry is much better than 50% and when you hit the pocket frequently in these instances, your scores soar.

No one carries every pocket hit, not even the pro bowlers. Raps and taps are part of the game.



Avoid letting raps and taps get to you adversely affecting your attitude. Just keep with the prime purpose of hitting the pocket as often as possible and convert the spares you leave.

Over the course of the season your percentage of carry will even out and if you develop an improved ability to hit the pocket more often than at the present time, you will see an improvement in your strike percentage and in your scores.

Bowling raps and taps are part of the game and every bowler must deal with them. Expect to see raps and taps every outing and don’t let them spoil your performance.