How many of you use your plastic ball for ALL spares?

[NewToBowling]

I have abandoned my spare ball. I only ever used it on 10 pins. Now I use my strike ball and adjust hand. I definitely feel more comfortable with strike ball at the 10. I convert it more than not. With my spare ball it was a crap shoot. Either I converted or missed by a mile. Now I'm more consistent and if I miss it's by inches.

I know this isn't the preferred method and I would probably pay for it playing on sport or any other hard lane conditions, but for now it works for me.

[Aslan]

One thing I've noticed is that people talk about how they use a strike ball for their corner spares...because they miss with a plastic ball.

That's the equivalent of saying, "I can't accurately throw a ball straight...so I use a ball that hooks and hope it hooks just enough."

If ya can't throw a ball straight...and hit a single-pin...then you know what you have to work on...accuracy/consistency.

Saying you can't hit a target....so you'll just throw the strike ball is the equivalent of saying "It doesn't matter where I stand on the approach....because I drift +/- 6 boards." You've identified a problem...the next step is fixing the problem....not adding more problems to the equation.

Ray Zalinsky: Went a little heavy on the pine tree perfume there, kid?
Tommy: Sir, it's an taxicab air freshener.
Ray Zalinsky: Great, you've pinpointed it. Step two is washing it off.

[NewToBowling]

One thing I've noticed is that people talk about how they use a strike ball for their corner spares...because they miss with a plastic ball.

That's the equivalent of saying, "I can't accurately throw a ball straight...so I use a ball that hooks and hope it hooks just enough."

If ya can't throw a ball straight...and hit a single-pin...then you know what you have to work on...accuracy/consistency.

Saying you can't hit a target....so you'll just throw the strike ball is the equivalent of saying "It doesn't matter where I stand on the approach....because I drift +/- 6 boards." You've identified a problem...the next step is fixing the problem....not adding more problems to the equation.

Ray Zalinsky: Went a little heavy on the pine tree perfume there, kid?
Tommy: Sir, it's an taxicab air freshener.
Ray Zalinsky: Great, you've pinpointed it. Step two is washing it off.

Hey, gotta do what I feel comfortable with. And for me it's working better as mentally I'm more confident with strike ball. But I throw at the 10 pin a lot faster and with a broken wrist that it goes straight anyways. Was never fully comfortable with spare ball. Call me weird.

To me I have to do what I'm comfortable with, I have no grand illusions of joining the PBA so I'm happy with where I'm at.

[Amyers]

Hey, gotta do what I feel comfortable with. And for me it's working better as mentally I'm more confident with strike ball. But I throw at the 10 pin a lot faster and with a broken wrist that it goes straight anyways. Was never fully comfortable with spare ball. Call me weird.

To me I have to do what I'm comfortable with, I have no grand illusions of joining the PBA so I'm happy with where I'm at.

I know a few high end bowlers who use their strike ball for 10 pins but I also know a few who miss more than they should. If you can hit your target with the strike ball you should be able to hit your target with the spare ball with out having to master a different swing and release. It may be in your head NTB or you may find your more comfortable with your spare if you add a little surface to it so it doesn't squirt. It has to be easier to throw a plastic ball than it is to try and keep two different arm swings and releases down.

[jab5325]

Keeping an even foot/armswing tempo is what's important for making your target on spares. So many people take a plastic ball and try to heave it as hard as possible at a 10-pin (or 7-pin), but miss wildly because their timing is all out of whack.

Try the 3-6-9 spare system. It makes using plastic balls a breeze. Learning to shoot straight at a spare takes one variable (the oil) completely out of the equation, thus will lead to an increased percentage over the long run.

[NewToBowling]

I know a few high end bowlers who use their strike ball for 10 pins but I also know a few who miss more than they should. If you can hit your target with the strike ball you should be able to hit your target with the spare ball with out having to master a different swing and release. It may be in your head NTB or you may find your more comfortable with your spare if you add a little surface to it so it doesn't squirt. It has to be easier to throw a plastic ball than it is to try and keep two different arm swings and releases down.

And that is why I got the spare ball in the first place. But in the end I never really felt comfortable with spare ball. I'm just not a straight shooter

I'm actually VERY comfortable now shooting at the 10 pin with strike ball. I don't sweat it like before. Just mental I guess.

[JasonNJ]

For me, I started shooting all my spares with my spare ball about 6 months ago and it was a struggle. I was probably only 60% single pin spares for a while and I kept flopping back and forth between using my strike ball because of the frustration. About 2 months ago I finally committed to only shooting spares with the spare ball and now overall I'm 80% on single pin and improving.

But personally, I think you should shoot whatever way you think you best with. Norm Duke doesn't use a spare ball and he has said he just doesn't like the different feel of a spare ball. Although he is probably a bad example since he is one of the best bowler of all time.

Regardless of what you choose to do, the one common thing is practice practice practice.

[Aslan]

I know a few high end bowlers who use their strike ball for 10 pins but I also know a few who miss more than they should. If you can hit your target with the strike ball you should be able to hit your target with the spare ball with out having to master a different swing and release. It may be in your head NTB or you may find your more comfortable with your spare if you add a little surface to it so it doesn't squirt. It has to be easier to throw a plastic ball than it is to try and keep two different arm swings and releases down.

I'd say 100% of the time when hear these excuses...and I hear them a LOT...it's just excuses. If you are accurate...you can throw a spare ball and always, always, always it will hit the pin. The ONLY way to mess it up is to miss. Now, there's multiple ways to miss...sometimes I hit my target and still miss because I've drifted or I square my shoulders to the foul line, etc... But it's physically impossible according to the laws of the universe to miss using a plastic spare ball when you throw it directly at the pin. Unless the lanes are SOOO dry...and I mean...no oil applied in the last 2 weeks to a month...it's going to hit the pin.

That being said...I'm not "hatin"...when I miss single-pins...I too am tempted to throw that stupid plastic ball in the garbage. And I make the same excuses everyone else does (i.e. It doesn't 'feel' the same, I need to have a little bite at the end, I don't like switching balls, it messes with my rhythm, etc...) But, if I'm being honest, those are just excuses to try and talk myself into doing something I know is incorrect because I don't want to admit the truth...that I still am not skilled enough to pick up single-pin spares at a 90-95% rate.

There is some truth to using a plastic ball only for 6, 10, and 6-10 (for righties)...because left side leaves the ball is actually hooking in that direction anyways...and maybe it gives you a little more miss room than throwing straight at them. But at the end of the day, if I can't throw a plastic ball straight and hit my mark...then that's something I need to fix.

Hey...do whatever ya want...if it works better...then you're the exception to the rule and that's cool. Just be honest with yourself...because the day WILL come when you miss a crucial single-pin conversion trying to hook the ball into the pin...and then you're going to feel even worse because not only did you fail to execute...but you kinda tricked yourself into the entire situation. I deal with that all the time...when I get married to a 'system'...and then go up on the approach thinking, "You realize you should probably make a 2:1 move left. Your 'system' says to throw this shot first...but you know it's going through the nose." And then, 3 out of 4 times...it goes through the nose...and I only got myself to blame.

I bowled with a guy on my old Tuesday league. He threw 1 ball...an Ebonite Cyclone...he had great form...very consistent...great spare shooter. His only weakness...he absolutely refused to get a spare ball. He is a lefty...and he probably converted 1/3 of his single 7-pins...and he left it a LOT! He should have been averaging over 200...but he was always in the 180s. Finally, after I left the team he texted me and said, "I finally broke down and got the plastic spare ball...now I rarely miss the 7-pin!" Now he's averaging just shy of 200.

Not saying everyone should listen to me...of matter of fact...I'd say it's more of an exception than a rule...but it's still nice to be right sometimes!!

[NewToBowling]

I'd say 100% of the time when hear these excuses...and I hear them a LOT...it's just excuses. If you are accurate...you can throw a spare ball and always, always, always it will hit the pin. The ONLY way to mess it up is to miss. Now, there's multiple ways to miss...sometimes I hit my target and still miss because I've drifted or I square my shoulders to the foul line, etc... But it's physically impossible according to the laws of the universe to miss using a plastic spare ball when you throw it directly at the pin. Unless the lanes are SOOO dry...and I mean...no oil applied in the last 2 weeks to a month...it's going to hit the pin.

That being said...I'm not "hatin"...when I miss single-pins...I too am tempted to throw that stupid plastic ball in the garbage. And I make the same excuses everyone else does (i.e. It doesn't 'feel' the same, I need to have a little bite at the end, I don't like switching balls, it messes with my rhythm, etc...) But, if I'm being honest, those are just excuses to try and talk myself into doing something I know is incorrect because I don't want to admit the truth...that I still am not skilled enough to pick up single-pin spares at a 90-95% rate.

There is some truth to using a plastic ball only for 6, 10, and 6-10 (for righties)...because left side leaves the ball is actually hooking in that direction anyways...and maybe it gives you a little more miss room than throwing straight at them. But at the end of the day, if I can't throw a plastic ball straight and hit my mark...then that's something I need to fix.

Hey...do whatever ya want...if it works better...then you're the exception to the rule and that's cool. Just be honest with yourself...because the day WILL come when you miss a crucial single-pin conversion trying to hook the ball into the pin...and then you're going to feel even worse because not only did you fail to execute...but you kinda tricked yourself into the entire situation. I deal with that all the time...when I get married to a 'system'...and then go up on the approach thinking, "You realize you should probably make a 2:1 move left. Your 'system' says to throw this shot first...but you know it's going through the nose." And then, 3 out of 4 times...it goes through the nose...and I only got myself to blame.

I bowled with a guy on my old Tuesday league. He threw 1 ball...an Ebonite Cyclone...he had great form...very consistent...great spare shooter. His only weakness...he absolutely refused to get a spare ball. He is a lefty...and he probably converted 1/3 of his single 7-pins...and he left it a LOT! He should have been averaging over 200...but he was always in the 180s. Finally, after I left the team he texted me and said, "I finally broke down and got the plastic spare ball...now I rarely miss the 7-pin!" Now he's averaging just shy of 200.

Not saying everyone should listen to me...of matter of fact...I'd say it's more of an exception than a rule...but it's still nice to be right sometimes!!

I've finally learned that I can't do everything "textbook". I get that there are things that you really should follow but certain rules "can" be broken. I drift, I have a big crossover first step, I use strike as spare ball.

It boils down to comfort level for me. I've tried the "textbook" thing and honestly some of them just don't work. I've reverted back to what I feel comfortable with a heavy mix of "textbooK' bowling techniques.

No, this won't get me to the PBA but I'm really out here having fun and try not to think too much on the approach. It's a balance for me and it works. At the end the of the I'm not technical type, I go by feel for the most part.

I never played it off as an excuse, just making a statement.

[Jubalplow]

I use a spare for the 10 every time and most single pins, for mutli pin spares or 7 ill use my strike ball