When I'm bowling for money all I use for spares is plastic. Lately for league I have been using my strike ball and throwing it straight (or trying anyway).
Well, when shooting for ten pins (I'm a righty), nine pines, or six pins, I always use my plastic ball. Most lanes aren't oiled enough that it's too hard to throw a straight ball with my strike ball. With my spare ball, I can just throw it straight every time and it won't over hook.Originally Posted by bayedup84
When I'm bowling for money all I use for spares is plastic. Lately for league I have been using my strike ball and throwing it straight (or trying anyway).
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My spare ball only comes off the rack for 6, and 10 pins. I've tried using my spare ball on every shot and ended up missing shots on the right I always made. It's just more comfortable to do that for me.
When my Daughter went to college, one of the first things the bowling team coaches told her was "spare balls for 'every' second ball shot and to go straight down the boards at every shot except the right hand corner. Kinda screwed her up, because like me she threw a hook at everything except the right hand side. She's not bowling with the team anymore ($$$$$) and back to converting spares (good) the way she used to. Not every person fits the same mold and whatever works the best for you...DO IT. Regardless of what someone says.
I use a spare shooting system I developed myself as a teenager many years ago and I've taught this system to hundreds of bowlers, with HUGE success. Basically, if you throw a 'down and in ball' (and this is not for you crankers), without looking at your feet, VISUALLY line up your ball, the middle arrow, and your object pin (say for instance the 4 pin), and shoot the arrow to the right of the arrow you lined up with. You walk towards your target. Most people I've showed this to, have greatly increased their spare shooting ability and think this is a no brainer. I convert spares, around a 98% average and anyone else can also achieve that once you get used to it. SIMPLE, SIMPLE, SIMPLE.
Bob
That sounds lilke another system I should try out. This week I have been focusing mostly on keeping my elbow locked on spare balls, and it has increased my percentage alot. Once I am confortable throwing the ball where I want, I'll start to worry about where to aim. This week my scores were pretty low but I'm not that concerened because the first few days there was no oil on the lane, and it took me a few games to figure out there were no lines to play, then I started to hook my spare balls on that surface to get a few 200+ games. The next day I went to another bowling ally, and they had just layed down the pro tour oil pattern without telling me, and it took me 4 games to believe that there were no dry parts on the sides. I dropped my speed by 4 mph and revd the ball like crazy to get the ball to strike, and after I was done the person at the front desk was like, oh I forgot to tell you we have the pro shot pattern down today. It was a good experience though, it gave me more spare practice, and I am definitly getting better by locking my elbow on the spare shot.
Do you lock it on your strike shot?
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Owner/Operator of Bowlerz Score Coaching
Tweener Rev Rate of 420, Speed 19 mph
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Reading this i know myself I am going to try some of the spare systems talked bout here.
Style: Stroker
In the bag: C300 Wicked Encounter, C300 Freeze, Hammer Arson Hybrid, Hammer Cobalt Vibe, and Brunswick T Zone
PAP 4.25 over x .25 up
High Series: 716
High Game: 273
Keith, give my system a try. It's really so simple you'll be amazed. I've actually had people ask me if I had it patented and I've laughed about it.
Let me know if it works. All visual except maybe for the ten pin.
Bob
TampaBayBob I will give your system a try... I just got to get a plastic spare ball still though... I have the biggest trouble with the 10 pin
Style: Stroker
In the bag: C300 Wicked Encounter, C300 Freeze, Hammer Arson Hybrid, Hammer Cobalt Vibe, and Brunswick T Zone
PAP 4.25 over x .25 up
High Series: 716
High Game: 273
I use what I call the "Walter Ray" system, A guy was talking about it in another forum one time so I gave it a try.
Basically it was once you have your starting position, pick one spot on the left to shoot all right side spares, one on the right to shoot all left side spares.
Heres what WRW said
Walter Ray-
"I have my own method for shooting spares. I like to shoot my right side spares from the same starting spot on the left side of the lane and adjusting my target depending on the spare. Likewise I shoot my left side spares from the same starting spot on the right side of the lane and adjust my target accordingly. I will adjust my target for 10 pins depending on the approaches."
Right handed Stroker, high track ,about 13 degree axis tilt. PAP is located 5 9/16” over 1 3/4” up.Speed ave. about 14 mph at the pins. Medium rev’s.High Game 300, High series 798
"Talent without training is nothing." Luke Skywalker
No I don't, I kinda let my arm go limp like a noodle after the pushaway. Off this subject, I just had my spare ball finger holes altered abit which made me miss more spares. The alteration was to fix an odd shape which was in one of the finger tips, now all the holes are shaped good and the ball comes off my hand correctly now. But since the fingertip was altered it did chage the way it would come off my hand so I am not use to it yet. Off subject abit, but I am getting much better at cupping the ball. I think the reason why I wasn't as good in the past is because I wasn't able to uncup it gently.
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