10 Pin Shooting

[Cdolcejr]

Been bowling for a long time, but for some reason I just cannot consistently make my 10 pins. I'm usually 70% on them which isn't too good but lately, I have been so atrocious at shooting them that I must be under 50% in league. My 700 series are becoming 650 series and my 650 series are becoming 600 series. I even started throwing a backup-ball. I quickly decided against that. I have seemingly tried everything:

Plastic Ball with and without polish (Blue Dot/Taboo Spare)
Urethane (Karma Urethane)
Standing Far Left (aiming at 20 board cross lane)
Standing Right to cut down the angle
Taking my middle finger out of the ball to kill the reaction
Backup Ball
etc etc etc...

I currently use an old blue dot, but I'm not sure plastic is the best thing for me. Last night I tried my Karma Urethane and yielded better results as it was not as over/under as my plastic ball.

My question to you is:

1. What type of ball do you use when shooting your 10 pin (or 7 pin if you are a lefty).
2. How do you shoot your 10 pin? (Where do you stand, how do you throw it, where do you aim, technique, etc)

Any insight you can provide would be appreciated.

I'm a 215-220 bowler and for whatever reason I can't figure it out and it's very frustrating. I dedicate most of my practice sessions solely to the 10 pin. That's how bad it has gotten.

[mc_runner]

Personally I use plastic, and shoot cross-alley at it (over the middle arrow). I've tried targeting straight at the pin but see mixed results at best. I've found that projecting the ball helps with my accuracy at the mark in a significant way - it seems that the 10 pin results are more mental than anything else. I can hit 25+ in a row, then miss a shot and end up missing 3/4 of them for a week or 2 until I can reset mentally.

The best way I've found to look at it, is just thinking "hey if I hit my mark, it's going to hit it no problem" and just go an execute. Let the muscle memory take over. That usually is what busts out of the slumps too

[Amyers]

Everyone struggles at times with the corner pins. I use a plastic ball aimed over about 17 to pick up the 10 pin (I'm a righty). I echo MC's comments I'll go on a tear and make them all but if I'm miss one I'm going to miss more. What's causing your issue? Missing target, ball hooking, wrong angle? Seems like lefties struggle more with the 7 than righty's do with the 10. I think it has to do more with righty's typically play deeper on the lane out of necessity than lefties do so righty's are more used to adjusting their angles.

[NewToBowling]

I don't have a spare ball so use my reactive. Just less hand and I usually pick it up

[Cdolcejr]

Everyone struggles at times with the corner pins. I use a plastic ball aimed over about 17 to pick up the 10 pin (I'm a righty). I echo MC's comments I'll go on a tear and make them all but if I'm miss one I'm going to miss more. What's causing your issue? Missing target, ball hooking, wrong angle? Seems like lefties struggle more with the 7 than righty's do with the 10. I think it has to do more with righty's typically play deeper on the lane out of necessity than lefties do so righty's are more used to adjusting their angles.

I think it's like you both said- it can be mental at times. It happens to me where I can make 10 in a row and miss 5 in a row. On the physical side of the game, I feel like it can be that I'm missing my target slightly (a board or 2 in either direction) and the ball either misses by an inch left, or falls into the gutter at the last second. I don't have a problem with the ball hooking because I throw the ball with only my ring finger and thumb- the ball goes super straight. I was talking to my buddy last night who also throws urethane for 10 pins and we both agreed that there is less margin for error with plastic as it seems very erratic most of the time.

[J Anderson]

Been bowling for a long time, but for some reason I just cannot consistently make my 10 pins. I'm usually 70% on them which isn't too good but lately, I have been so atrocious at shooting them that I must be under 50% in league. My 700 series are becoming 650 series and my 650 series are becoming 600 series. I even started throwing a backup-ball. I quickly decided against that. I have seemingly tried everything:

Plastic Ball with and without polish (Blue Dot/Taboo Spare)
Urethane (Karma Urethane)
Standing Far Left (aiming at 20 board cross lane)
Standing Right to cut down the angle
Taking my middle finger out of the ball to kill the reaction
Backup Ball
etc etc etc...

I currently use an old blue dot, but I'm not sure plastic is the best thing for me. Last night I tried my Karma Urethane and yielded better results as it was not as over/under as my plastic ball.

My question to you is:

1. What type of ball do you use when shooting your 10 pin (or 7 pin if you are a lefty).
2. How do you shoot your 10 pin? (Where do you stand, how do you throw it, where do you aim, technique, etc)

Any insight you can provide would be appreciated.

I'm a 215-220 bowler and for whatever reason I can't figure it out and it's very frustrating. I dedicate most of my practice sessions solely to the 10 pin. That's how bad it has gotten.

1. For the 10 pin I'm currently using a Storm mix; urethane cover with a pancake weight block. I used to use a White Dot but it started to chip around the finger holes after only a year. When I bowl lefty I use a Storm HyRoad to shoot the 7 pin, it's usually the same ball as I'm throwing for strikes.

2. Stand on 30th board, aim at 14 at the arrows, ( I tend to drift right with my feet ), flat release so the ball goes end over end. Some times I will use only the thumb and one finger, if I notice that I'm getting some axis rotation.

Insights: All bowlers, with the possible exception of Walter Ray Williams, go through slumps in their spare shooting. Eventually you will return to form.

If you've been spending most of your practice time on the ten pin without improvement, you may be trying too hard. Take a break from working on it. Maybe try to see how close you can come to the 10 without touching it. When you go back to working on it, make it fun. play games of low ball with a friend.

Spare shooting is at least 50% confidence. If the confidence isn't there, substitute not thinking. Pick whatever ball you're going to use to shoot it, take your place on the approach, look at your target, GO. If this takes more than 8 seconds your conscious mind will kick into gear and make you miss.

p.s. When I'm really in a slump on corner pins I will revert to aiming directly at the pin instead of using an intermediate target.

[Amyers]

I think it's like you both said- it can be mental at times. It happens to me where I can make 10 in a row and miss 5 in a row. On the physical side of the game, I feel like it can be that I'm missing my target slightly (a board or 2 in either direction) and the ball either misses by an inch left, or falls into the gutter at the last second. I don't have a problem with the ball hooking because I throw the ball with only my ring finger and thumb- the ball goes super straight. I was talking to my buddy last night who also throws urethane for 10 pins and we both agreed that there is less margin for error with plastic as it seems very erratic most of the time.

As I mentioned earlier I typically aim about 17 for my 7 pins. I can hit as far right as 15 and as far left as 20 and still make the pin but at either extreme the angle, release and ball speed have to be perfect where as if I hit my mark it really doesn't matter I'm going to make the pin. You may need to experiment a little with your target and angle to find a sweet spot that gives you a little extra room.

[vdubtx]

I have struggled with 10 pins in the past as well. Now, for this past season I picked up 91% of the time(PBA pro's are in the 95-96% range). That percentage is going to continue to increase this next year as well. The change for me was something that I learned from Susie Minshew and also from Rob on this site.

Susie has an article in Bowling This Month which describes a mind set to not shoot at a lone pin on the deck, rather shoot at the 6-10 if you have just the 10 or just the 6 up for instance. The next piece of my way of picking up the 10 pin is I don't focus on a mark on the lane, I focus on the pin instead. This has really worked wonders for my single pin spare game. In total for last season I converted single pins at a rate of 94%. I stand to the left on last set of dots on approach and go cross lane.

Also, I only use plastic ball for right side spare pick ups. Depending on the shot, I use plastic on left side leaves as well.

[Jessiewoodard57]

I use my Taboo Spare ball rolling it down the 10 board making sure to come out of the back of the ball. I use the same ball as a strike ball on broken patterns or dry lanes. On a dry lane it has an awesome roll out of the breakpoint. 2 weeks ago on league night the lanes where so bad (only 20 ft of oil on the front end) that I had issues with my Crux Pearl and Radical Score. I put both balls away thinking I'll go to my Ride but grabbed my Taboo spare instead and wouldn't you now it the first 2 rolls where strikes.

[djp1080]

I've been down this road. Three things more that I tried:
1) Used of my 50+ year old Black Beauty.
2) Tried a Columbia White Dot.
3) Tried a conventional grip on a Storm Polar Ice urethane ball.

Today I use a Storm Mix urethane drilled exactly like my reactive resin balls (right-handed). I stand with the middle of my slide foot on board 29 and aim at board 9 at the range finder at about 40 feet (or use board 14 or 15 at the arrows). Once I angled my shoulders and swing towards my target while continuing to walk straight up the boards (i.e., perpendicular to the foul line) my ability to hit the 10 pin improved drastically. I don't wince now when leaving them and have every confidence in picking it up. Hope this helps... Works for me...