"Good Spare Shooter" = winning?

[Monte]

I've often heard that to be successful in bowling, one must be a good spare shooter. And that being a good spare shooter will lead to winning.

But consider...

if you have a clean sheet (say, 9/, or nine, spare conversion) in EVERY frame except your fill ball (9, let's say) that leaves you with a 190. That's a pretty good average, right? but replace a couple of those spares with strikes (say, the 2nd and 3rd frame you double), and guess what...that 190 becomes a 202.

I'm guessing that phrase means that you should make good spare shooting part of your overall game. Because obviously strikes are more important than spares. And I think it's easier to recover from an early open frame with a couple of strikes than it is with spares.

[Amyers]

On THS strikes are at a premium if you can throw 4 or 5 in a row on a regular basis you can get by with the occasional missed spare. On sport tournament conditions spare shooting becomes more critical. If you are bowling on conditions that reduce your strike rate to 30-40% you better be able to convert spares.

[bowl1820]

The thing is "Opens" don't win games. Lot's of games are lost by less than 10 pins, that's a missed spare.

And if your not striking, spares can keep you in the game.

Yes, a all 9 spare game is a 190 and a adding double in there gives you 202 a 12 pin increase.

But take that all 9 spare game and put back to back open in there and you got a 170 game a 20 pin drop.

or take that 202 and add 2 opens along with those strikes, now you got a 180 or 181 depending on where they are. So two opens cost you 20- 21 pins!

Yes striking is important, but those spares are just as important and in a lot of situations maybe more important.

[NewToBowling]

Spares are important because we can't all rely on getting 12 strikes every game. You may have some games with 0 or 3 or 4 strikes. It's what you do with the other frames that matter. Many people go for strikes and when they don't get it just throw the second ball as an afterthought and wait for a full rack again to try for the strike.

[epiepenburg]

It's what you do with the other frames that matter.

I agree. Don't let a single open frame bother you. Open frames also have certain times when they are less impactful.

Look at yesterday's PBA tournament for example. Ronnie Russell missed a 10 pin spare conversion, but managed to still win his match. Parker Bohn threw a 7-10 split the first frame, leading to an open. He was able to compose himself and win the match.

Now if you have a few opens, especially if they come back to back, your average will show.

[Jaescrub]

Very true. We won our last game sunday night by only 3 pins. I missed a ton of spares my first game and only shot a 124. Made a ball and line change for the second game and shot most of the game with /x/x/x had a few missed shots and shot a 181 we'll above my 136 avg. third game ball and line change and shot about the same kind game but hit more of my spares shot 195 that's the game we only won by three pins spears win games!!!

[J Anderson]

spears win games!!!

Yes, whenever someone points a spear at me I almost always say" okay, you win"!

[Mike White]

Very true. We won our last game sunday night by only 3 pins. I missed a ton of spares my first game and only shot a 124. Made a ball and line change for the second game and shot most of the game with /x/x/x had a few missed shots and shot a 181 we'll above my 136 avg. third game ball and line change and shot about the same kind game but hit more of my spares shot 195 that's the game we only won by three pins spears win games!!!

Is this a "Game Of Thrones" league?

"spears win games!!!"

[Jaescrub]

Dang you autocorrect! :/ but yes that is one way to win your league. :/

[Gone59]

Must be a "Bush" League.