Dreaded 10 pin spares!

[Blomer]

Just wish it didnt take me a year to figure it out!

[MICHAEL]

I use to have problems, even started thread about the 10 pin. NOW IT is not a problem at all! I rarely miss one, tonight league hit ever one.

I use the Norm Duke method,, I don't have to use plastic at all. I can use any of my power balls. I simple stand far LEFT, ( right handed bowler), walk toward the gutter, (on the far left) and aim 4th arrow, (center arrow) throwing with the palm facing straight UP! All of my balls go straight as an arrow, with a end over end rotation and NO side spin at all. ( I think Norm sometimes throws a back up ball too if I remember correctly) for 10s!

Norm said why waste a slot in your bags for a plastic ball, when you can simple change you release and get any of your balls to WORK just like a plastic ball. I know it has been working for me, for some time now! I don't carry plastic at all anymore, with the exception of my credit cards!! LO

some bowlers and coaches swear by plastic, I don't have a need for plastic at all,,, I used the Deadly Aim (strong ball) tonight to pick up my 10 pins, and like I said got them all!! With the Norm Duke release, I am sure plastic would work just as well, but like Norm said, why carry a plastic, when any of your balls will pick the 10 up with the method mentioned above.

[RobLV1]

My latest article in BTM is called Buddy Can You Spare a Dime? It's all about spare shooting. In it I reference the fact that the only bowler who can use Norm Duke as a reason for not using plastic is Norm Duke. This goes for you too, Michael. Unless you already average 230+, a plastic ball can only help your game.

[MICHAEL]

My latest article in BTM is called Buddy Can You Spare a Dime? It's all about spare shooting. In it I reference the fact that the only bowler who can use Norm Duke as a reason for not using plastic is Norm Duke. This goes for you too, Michael. Unless you already average 230+, a plastic ball can only help your game.

No, I don't have a 230 yet...LOL,,, not young enough to get there I fear!! Having just started bowing sanctioned leagues 3 years ago. I just took a peek at my composite average for 2013-14 at USBC, and its 195. So I have a ways to go!

BUT one thing I can say for sure Norm and Ice have in common besides body types, I can pick that 10 pin up most of the time now, where as before I read about Norms technique, I was 50/50, or even worse.

I don't get it Rob??? When I release the ball with speed, and palm up, my ball goes straight as an arrow! Last night my son, 40 years old new to bowling, was having some problems with the pesky 10 pin.

His ball was making that hook just before hitting the pin. I talk to him about releasing the ball with the palm up, and after his first failure, due to poor aiming, he started getting the hang of it, and WALLA,,, he started hitting the pin the rest of the night along with many other spares on the right side using the Norm Duke method of palm up.

Why is it so important to have plastic, when a power ball will work and roll the same way if released with palm up, and speed???

I have always thought if it WORKS, don't try to fix it? Its working for me, and now my son.

COULD IT BE that I have the SAME bowling skills as NORM??? Could this be a DNA thing? After all my real first name is Norm!! I go by my middle name. Could Norm Dude and Iceman be some how related in some strange twist of DNA, somewhere down the evolutionary trail???

SURE,,, with the Palm UP release, I am sure a plastic would work for ICE, but if a Power Ball is working on the 10, WHY USE PLASTIC? WHY?
Rob I don't miss anymore,,, unless I have a senior moment, and miss my 4 arrow!

[RobLV1]

"BUT one thing I can say for sure Norm and Ice have in common besides body types, I can pick that 10 pin up most of the time now, where as before I read about Norms technique, I was 50/50, or even worse"

Key words here are MOST OF THE TIME. It's also not just the ten pin that we are talking about; it's every single pin and none double-wood spare. How often do you chop the two and the four off of the five? How often do you see your strike ball stop hooking as it crosses the puddle in the middle of the lane to miss the single seven pin on the right? What is your split conversion rate? How about washouts? Norm doesn't pick up the ten pin or any single pin spare "most of the time." You can usually count the number of single pin spares he misses in a month on one finger (or less). As I said in my article, and I will repeat it here, Norm Duke is the only bowler who can use Norm Duke as an excuse for not using a plastic spare ball. Please don't get hung up on all this GIFT nonsense and believe that this doesn't apply to you. It does!

[Aslan]

My latest article in BTM is called Buddy Can You Spare a Dime? It's all about spare shooting. In it I reference the fact that the only bowler who can use Norm Duke as a reason for not using plastic is Norm Duke. This goes for you too, Michael. Unless you already average 230+, a plastic ball can only help your game.

I read that article.

And...I am in the process of getting a plastic ball.

NOT because of the article...all the stuff in that article I heard via Rob's preaching over the last year or so. But last night I watched a perfectly aimed and perfectly released ball miss the 10-pin with my new, improved release...and it was pretty obvious that this thing was going to be a problem.

Now...am I sold on the whole method talked about in the article? Not yet. I still don't know what method I'll settle on. I'm still very proficient at picking up left side leaves with my strike ball and it requires no change other than lateral movement. The only time I usually miss is if it's a very short sport pattern or if I screw up the release (which would result in a miss anyway you do it). Not ruling it out...NOT ruling it out. But I tried shooting left side leaves with my spare ball and I didn't like it and wasn't any good at it.

The bigger issue is the idea of breaking your wrist EVEN IF you are using a plastic spare ball. THIS I am really going to have to think about. I'd almost rather perfect my back-up ball and throw that than to totally flatten my wrist. Flattening my wrist throws off nearly everything for me including my timing. And with my low rev rate...even on shorter sport patterns...a plastic ball shouldn't move much when thrown with my standard release.

Again...work in progress...I've finally developed a release where going for a plastic ball makes sense to me. I hope to see some positive results. If it is still hooking too much and i gotta change my realease...I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. One baby step at a time...

It wasn't my favorite article. Seemed a little too "preachy"...I like some of your other articles more. Don't get me wrong....it wasn't Joe Slowinski level "preachy"...but still. But, to be fair, I also just didn't really "understand" the whole shadow pin system you were explaining and it was giving me a headache trying to think about it. As you (Rob) know....my head tends to get "to full" at times and I have tried to cram SO much information in there in preparation for the my league title run, the ASLAN V. ICEMAN spectacle, and upcoming sweeps that I'm about at my maximum level. I need to clear some space so I can take in as much from your lesson as possible without my head just exploding.

[MICHAEL]

I read that article.

And...I am in the process of getting a plastic ball.

NOT because of the article...all the stuff in that article I heard via Rob's preaching over the last year or so. But last night I watched a perfectly aimed and perfectly released ball miss the 10-pin with my new, improved release...and it was pretty obvious that this thing was going to be a problem.

Now...am I sold on the whole method talked about in the article? Not yet. I still don't know what method I'll settle on. I'm still very proficient at picking up left side leaves with my strike ball and it requires no change other than lateral movement. The only time I usually miss is if it's a very short sport pattern or if I screw up the release (which would result in a miss anyway you do it). Not ruling it out...NOT ruling it out. But I tried shooting left side leaves with my spare ball and I didn't like it and wasn't any good at it.

The bigger issue is the idea of breaking your wrist EVEN IF you are using a plastic spare ball. THIS I am really going to have to think about. I'd almost rather perfect my back-up ball and throw that than to totally flatten my wrist. Flattening my wrist throws off nearly everything for me including my timing. And with my low rev rate...even on shorter sport patterns...a plastic ball shouldn't move much when thrown with my standard release.

Again...work in progress...I've finally developed a release where going for a plastic ball makes sense to me. I hope to see some positive results. If it is still hooking too much and i gotta change my realease...I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. One baby step at a time...

It wasn't my favorite article. Seemed a little too "preachy"...I like some of your other articles more. Don't get me wrong....it wasn't Joe Slowinski level "preachy"...but still. But, to be fair, I also just didn't really "understand" the whole shadow pin system you were explaining and it was giving me a headache trying to think about it. As you (Rob) know....my head tends to get "to full" at times and I have tried to cram SO much information in there in preparation for the my league title run, the ASLAN V. ICEMAN spectacle, and upcoming sweeps that I'm about at my maximum level. I need to clear some space so I can take in as much from your lesson as possible without my head just exploding.

ICEMAN,,,, can't,,,,,,believe it!!! I CAN"T BELIEVE IT!!! YOU SOLD OUT, and now your going plastic!!! All because of an article written by ROB!
((Did you know that Rob owns a plastic factory in Vegas, that manufactures,,,,,YES,,, PLASTIC BOWLING BALLS!!! Iceman will be, like his bowling hero, Norm Dude, and continue to use any of his power balls to pick up spares,,, ANY SPARE! Makes no difference,,, YOU SOLD OUT Aslan!!

[Aslan]

ICEMAN,,,, can't,,,,,,believe it!!! I CAN"T BELIEVE IT!!! YOU SOLD OUT, and now your going plastic!!! All because of an article written by ROB!
((Did you know that Rob owns a plastic factory in Vegas, that manufactures,,,,,YES,,, PLASTIC BOWLING BALLS!!! Iceman will be, like his bowling hero, Norm Dude, and continue to use any of his power balls to pick up spares,,, ANY SPARE! Makes no difference,,, YOU SOLD OUT Aslan!!

I admit, I feel like a bit of a sellout. But, I sold out on lofting and that worked well. I've sold out on keeping my hand behind the ball and that is working out well. So maybe I just need to accept the fact that all of my pre-determined strategies were horrible and I should just do what the expert's consensus opinion is.

Remember Iceman, you can defy convention because you're gifted. I have to do it the boring, hard way.

[RobLV1]

Now...am I sold on the whole method talked about in the article? Not yet. I still don't know what method I'll settle on. I'm still very proficient at picking up left side leaves with my strike ball and it requires no change other than lateral movement. The only time I usually miss is if it's a very short sport pattern or if I screw up the release (which would result in a miss anyway you do it). Not ruling it out...NOT ruling it out. But I tried shooting left side leaves with my spare ball and I didn't like it and wasn't any good at it.

You just hit the nail on the head as to why it is so important to learn to use a plastic spare ball an to throw it straight: there are many sport patterns, both long and short, where hooking the ball at left side spares is just not an option (here I go preaching again). I know exactly what you mean about not liking using plastic for left side spares. I've been doing it exclusively for the past six months and my confidence level is just now reaching what it is when I hook at them. On the other side of the coin, my spare percentage on right side spares has gone way up as a result of using the same shot all the time for all non-double-wood spares.

[Aslan]

You just hit the nail on the head as to why it is so important to learn to use a plastic spare ball an to throw it straight: there are many sport patterns, both long and short, where hooking the ball at left side spares is just not an option (here I go preaching again). I know exactly what you mean about not liking using plastic for left side spares. I've been doing it exclusively for the past six months and my confidence level is just now reaching what it is when I hook at them. On the other side of the coin, my spare percentage on right side spares has gone way up as a result of using the same shot all the time for all non-double-wood spares.

You may actually, despite preaching, be….dare I say…"right".

I mean, just started using plastic for right side…and it is kinda amazing to throw it straight at the pin with my standard release and cringe as it's about to miss left…but it DOESN'T. I can't say I am 100% proficient yet…but I think Monday I went 8 for 13 on single pin right side spares the FIRST night using a plastic ball…and 4 of the 5 misses were in the first 6 games (of 12). So, in other words, after only 6 games of practice…I missed a single-pin on the right side once in the remaining 6 games. THAT would be uncommon for me throwing a resin ball at spares from past experience.

Still gotta figure out left side. Like I said, not ruling it out, "probably" will eventually happen…definitely on shorter (or longer) sport patterns…but one change at a time. It would also help if I could strike 35% of the time so I didn't NEED to make 21-28 spares per night…but thats a whole other challenge!!!