screwing up spares lately

[brd]

I've been in a spare slump lately. I throw a 15# Hammer Arson drilled fingertip + thumb and a T-zone 16# drilled conventional for my spare ball. I don't throw with a lot of speed on either and the tzone goes absolutely straight. I use a 3-6-9 system going over the center arrow for 6,10,7, sometimes 4 pins. I am right handed.

My problem is that lately I just keep missing my mark on spares. I don't know if it's mental or what. I try slowing down. I read somewhere to visualize the ball on the backswing in a line through a point by your ankle, across the arrow, and to the pin. But many times I throw wide (gutter on the 10pin). I try to let my arm go loose, but I must be doing something.

One of my teammates also told me that he thought I should use my strikeball on anything left side a few weeks back. That may also be in my head. But I'm not that confident doing that as the oil slick in the middle makes it hard for me to gauge a starting point for the left side.

The irony is that I've always been a great spare shooter, until the last few months. This is only my second year in league (since the 80s when I was a kid), but I've always shot about a 170 with house balls and when I started league last year before I got a reactive ball. And my strength was spares. I'd make all or maybe miss 1 a game. Last night at practice I shot just at 7-10s 1st-2nd ball of each frames and made only 12 out of 20 shots.

Ideas? Could it be the different weights and drill patterns?

[mc_runner]

how long have you had the T-zone? I'm not a big fan of switching between weight since it could mess up your timing.

e: the combination of different drilling and weight (missed that at first) can have an impact for sure. Since it's a plastic ball, you should be able to throw it with the same release/follow through as your strike ball and have it go pretty straight unless you're a super high rev guy.

[brd]

I've had it a year and a half, got it after start of Fall 2012. I've always thrown 16, so I got the tzone just as a step up from a house ball. Then I bought my Hammer used from someone and it was a 15.

So I was thinking of either a.) getting my tzone redrilled finger tip + thumb (it won't hook, I throw it with same position now and I'm not high rev) b) getting a new reactive ball in a 16 now that I've had a year and know more what I'm doing or c) getting a 15 plastic ball.

It occurred to me just now that I could try throwing a house 15 as my spare ball. Hate to do that tonight in league without practicing, should have done it last night. Maybe I can get a couple throws in during warm up.

[ghetto24]

i passionately hate the 10 pin

[swingset]

I'd never suggest anyone, EVER, go with both convention and a different weight on a spare ball. If anything, I'd go lighter on the spare but definitely keep my fingertip drilling so I can use a consistent release.

Next time you practice, and you're missing spares, line up and just as you start your approach close your eyes and keep them closed. Someone had me do that in a spare slump and I was picking up everything I threw at. Let me know where my error was (mind getting in the way of natural mechanics).

[RobLV1]

There are very few things that ball drillers and coaches agree on, but the one thing is not to change weights of bowling balls, ever. In my opinion, you should also have the same drilling (fingertip) for both strike and spare balls so you don't have to throw each differently.

[brd]

I'd never suggest anyone, EVER, go with both convention and a different weight on a spare ball. If anything, I'd go lighter on the spare but definitely keep my fingertip drilling so I can use a consistent release.

Next time you practice, and you're missing spares, line up and just as you start your approach close your eyes and keep them closed. Someone had me do that in a spare slump and I was picking up everything I threw at. Let me know where my error was (mind getting in the way of natural mechanics).

Thanks. I'll try this next time.

[brd]

Well, tonight at league I warmed up with a house 15# and it went okay, so I didn't even take my Tzone out of the bag. I only missed my arrow on spares 2 times, both in the 3rd game. I think I'll try this for another week or two before I get a 15# plastic ball, but it showed promise. Not sure if it was all in my head, but yeah everyone keeps telling me not to mix weights.

[Blacksox1]

I'd never suggest anyone, EVER, go with both convention and a different weight on a spare ball. If anything, I'd go lighter on the spare but definitely keep my fingertip drilling so I can use a consistent release.

I agree with this, one hundred percent ! Retire that original spare ball. Good scores will follow. Keep using the 3-6-9 system, it works for me too !

[vdubtx]

Not sure if it was all in my head, but yeah everyone keeps telling me not to mix weights.

Absolutely do not mix weights and agree with keeping drillings same on both strike and spare balls. I use my main ball for left side leaves(i'm a righty) and only my spare ball for right sides so there is no hook.