Why don't more people use spare balls?

[ghoul31]

I was at the bowling alley yesterday, And I was watching this 2 handed bowler. He had a super gigantic hook. But he was so wild, he rarely got strikes.


And watching him shoot at spares on the right side of the lane was hilarious. I saw him shoot at at 6,10 and he didn't come close to either pin.

Its like he thinks that the point of the game is that whoever has the biggest hook wins, and that score doesn't matter.

That was one guy that certainly could have used a spare ball. Or he could have used 1 hand and broke his wrist on his spare shots.

[ecub]

Yeah, I know the feeling. When people first start out bowling, all they want is the big hook. So they learn to bowl 1 handed. The hook looks "cool" until they try to pickup their spares. For me, I'm a tweener and I throw a hook, though not a big one, for strikes, but I can use the same ball for spares. I use a wrist device and have a weak wrist, so I can't remove it and break my wrist down for spares. All I do is just compensate for the hook and to increase the ball speed to pick up my spares. I'm been successful picking up 10s and sometimes 6,7,10's.

[Greenday]

Without a spare ball, I'm sure my average would drop at least ten pins. On medium or heavier oil, I can throw any of my balls cross-lane and hit the ten pin. It's just a matter of killing the hook. I've done it with my Sync. Just now I've developed a system that works for me to pick up pins on the left side with my spare ball.

I think for some people who are more casual bowlers, it's not a big deal to them if they miss a spare here and there. It's a must have for anyone getting serious about bowling. But let's be realistic for a second, if you are bowling on a THS, picking up the left side spares is just a matter of throwing slower and letting the ball do its thing. So most people don't really need a spare ball for that. But if you bowl on a sports shot, having a spare ball is a must. You can't rely on your ball's hook to save you anymore.

[swingset]

My spare shooting has become much more consistent and accurate since I abandoned using a hooking ball for spares. Except for THS left-side spares, I use the plastic...even at 7's. Knowing all I have to do is lay it on the right arrow takes 100% of the guesswork and mental game out of my spares, and that confidence means less misses.

[e-tank]

I think its just a matter of practice. Maybe the bowler was just getting into two handed? I can roll some pretty good games two handed but picking up a 10 two handed is a no go for me

[CeKnauss]

Around my area, there are many people, young and old alike, who believe purchasing a separate spare ball is a waste of money because they could just use a house ball or they claim they can adequately throw their strike ball straight enough. Unfortunately, reactive balls still hook for them. They just make themselves think it doesn't.

[maximumslinky]

i honestly probably need a spare ball for shooting at the 10 but that would mean i would need a bigger bag. i have been limiting myself to a 2 ball bowling bag because i live on the second floor of an appartment building and carrying more weight sucks. i have 4 "strike" balls and have to make a decision on which to bring based on which lanes i will be bowling on. i sure hope i can buy a house soon haha.

[barcar]

I had to buy a spare ball just for the right side spares, as 10 pins were an adventure.
It sure has increased my made percentage, as was stated hit the correct arrow and let it go.

[Kobra167]

To be honest, they just dont know any better or are in denial. They get too fasinated with the big hook and it's flashiness among the inexperienced. Somehow the managed to do get a hard pin like a corner pin once, and that justification enough not to get one. They think if they can just manage to through it right, then can they use just one ball. So then they end up with a 10% percentage on the harder spares like the 7 and 10 pin. I've told one of my students mutliple times to get a spare ball and that it would be the best investment to improve their game and average. They insist on doing it the hard way. They have 4 performance balls including one of the new DV8 ball, just ordered an $80+ dollar bowling shirt, and cringes at 10 pins everytime they show up because it's gonna go in the gutter or hook away from the 10 pin at the last second.

[DrOcktagon]

I've never used a spare ball. I understand the need some people have for them, but I've always been able to throw whatever ball I'm using dead straight, and I'm not just fooling myself into thinking that. I throw a decent sized hook, but even with a very aggressive ball, I can throw it straight as well.

If I'm throwing my 2Cruel at a full rack, then I'm throwing my 2Cruel at ten pins, too.