What does THIS spare mean??

[Aslan]

What I think would be cool, would be some kind of coaching "sheet" that tells you exactly why you leave a certain type of spare.

For example; early on in this grand bowling journey of mine...I left a lot of 1-2-4-7-10.

But last night, using the PinPal App (which is awesome, thanks VDub!)...I didn't leave that spare ONE time in 9 games. I left a few 1-2-4s...but NO 1-2-4-7-10s.

Last night...the most noticeable "leave" was the 2-4-5 3/4 bucket. Left it 5 times. According to what I read, "Light seven: A hit too light on either side of the head pin resulting in the 2-4-5 or 3-5-6." And unlike my "old problem"...this one seems to be straight-forward (even though with my previous leave it was obvious I was missing the headpin to the right completely). The ball "clips" the headpin on the right...but at the wrong angle. So it slides the headpin to the side and the ball misses the 5-pin.

It "seems" like correcting that is just a matter of getting the ball to hit more of the headpin...maybe a board left of where I was hitting it.

Is that sorta right? Maybe a 1/2 to 1 board move laterally to the right??

It's frustrating because most good bowlers seem to struggle with their ball hitting LEFT...moving too far LEFT. My problems thus far have been more with missing RIGHT. First it was speed and ball and not allowing the ball to react with the lane. Now it seems to be a "slight" inability of the ball or lack of revs where I'm just missing to the right.

[sprocket]

I can't speak for your house but where I bowl the adjustment for a 2-4-5 would be one board right with my feet and one board right with my target. All I'm trying to do is a straight lateral move that will catch more of the dry. I might have to make that adjustment twice but I would rather adjust twice than hit too much dry and hook through the nose.

This assumes that I actually threw a good shot and didn't simply throw it too hard right through the break point or just miss it at the bottom. Always be careful not to adjust your target based on a bad delivery.

[RobLV1]

You leave the 2-4-5 when the ball doesn't make it back to the pocket for some reason. How to adjust to it often depends on when you leave it. If you feel that you are not lined up yet, then the move for a right hander is to the right. If, however, you have been lined up earlier in the set and you start to leave it, then the ball is probably losing energy from too much friction and the move is left to find more oil. It can, of course, be caused simply by a bad shot: either a bad release (losing the ball at the bottom, or dumping it), or by too much speed.

Rob Mautner

[Pauley]

I leave this spare mostly because of speed control. I have been working a lot on my release lately to get a little more on the ball, doing this without muscling it is my biggest issue. Sometimes it is harder than you would think to realize whether it was speed or a move is needed. Everyday of practice it gets a little better, but learning to not muscle the ball is a big task...

[mc_runner]

How about solid 9 pin leaves? I had 4 last night, all on what looked like perfect pocket hits. Didn't notice the ball rolling out or sliding through, flush hit, etc. I've never really had this happen with other balls, but I'm about 16? games into a Storm Byte and I've noticed at least a few each series.

[tr33frog]

How about solid 9 pin leaves? I had 4 last night, all on what looked like perfect pocket hits. Didn't notice the ball rolling out or sliding through, flush hit, etc. I've never really had this happen with other balls, but I'm about 16? games into a Storm Byte and I've noticed at least a few each series.

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong here, but generally it is the angle that you hit the pocked at. Your ball ends up diving right through the 5 pin and doesn't deflect off it and knock out the 9. I almost never have to make an adjustment for it because it doesn't repeat that often. Probably could get away with a half board move to hit a little lighter on the head pin.

[tr33frog]

Aslan - When you miss the head pin it is hard for someone to give you advice on what you did wrong without seeing it compared to the rest of your shots. But really, if you are missing the head pin consistently, something is pretty messed up. Only reasons you should miss it, ball thrown too hard, didn't keep your hand in the ball so it didn't hook, or you just plane old missed your mark.

[Aslan]

Aslan - When you miss the head pin it is hard for someone to give you advice on what you did wrong without seeing it compared to the rest of your shots. But really, if you are missing the head pin consistently, something is pretty messed up. Only reasons you should miss it, ball thrown too hard, didn't keep your hand in the ball so it didn't hook, or you just plane old missed your mark.

I was asking about the 2-4-5 leave so I was hitting the headpin. My issue is (I think) that I'm coming in too light. Since I don't have a huge hook...it seems to lessen my margin for error because a little right leaves things like the 2-4-5...but a little left leaves some nasty split.

[tr33frog]

I was asking about the 2-4-5 leave so I was hitting the headpin. My issue is (I think) that I'm coming in too light. Since I don't have a huge hook...it seems to lessen my margin for error because a little right leaves things like the 2-4-5...but a little left leaves some nasty split.

2-4-5 would be where you come in too light and you kick the 1 out in front of the 2. Similar fixes to missing the head pin, because you are essentially just barely touching the 1. You are obviously missing mark, throwing too hard or just not staying behind the ball because it is obviously not coming up. Does the rotation look any different than your normal throws?

[Aslan]

2-4-5 would be where you come in too light and you kick the 1 out in front of the 2. Similar fixes to missing the head pin, because you are essentially just barely touching the 1. You are obviously missing mark, throwing too hard or just not staying behind the ball because it is obviously not coming up. Does the rotation look any different than your normal throws?

I think it's a variety of possible things. I've really been struggling lately trying to find a balance between high loft/high speed and low speed/low loft/low rev. I seem to have a problem adding revs without adding speed/loft. So I'll toss it out there 15ft...get some nice revs on it...but it goes too fast and doesn't use the lane...so it hits right. Then I'll slow it down and release earlier....but I'm not getting any revs.

So each time I throw...I'm focused on my timing, then "snapping" the release (so I don't just drop it with no revs), then getting into a good post or form....balance arm out, head straight, forward facing, shoulders paralell. But if I lose concentration or just get lazy or get confused trying to think of 12 different things or my timing is off as I get to the foul line....I end up dropping the ball down with very little revs imparted on it...then obviously it hits right because it doesn't have the revs to get back to the pocket.

Yesterday, I didn't leave 2-4-5s. I left single 7s, single 10s, and I left the 1-2-4. But it was heavy oil....my ball wasn't reacting much...mostly a straight shot at the pocket. When I left the 1-2-4...those were probably just "misses" to the right...not getting my shoulders straight and/or being afraid of pulling it....or thumb too powdered...ball slips off.