Picking a 7 or 10 pin

[santos314]

Watching EJ Tackett on some step ladder finals and I have a question. Years ago I was told, to pick a 7 or 10, you stand opposite side and shoot your straight ball across lane. They throw almost straight on which I thought was harder to do. Is that because of the oil patterns they play on? Is that also why they throw so hard at their spares?

[J Anderson]

Watching EJ Tackett on some step ladder finals and I have a question. Years ago I was told, to pick a 7 or 10, you stand opposite side and shoot your straight ball across lane. They throw almost straight on which I thought was harder to do. Is that because of the oil patterns they play on? Is that also why they throw so hard at their spares?

I haven't really noticed how Tackett shoots a ten pin. Are you saying it looks like he throws straight down the five board?

Shooting " cross alley" is still the best strategy for making corner pins. Using a plastic ball and going straight takes the pattern out of consideration. You're going straight with a ball that does not hook so the pattern does not matter.

[C J]

Watching EJ Tackett on some step ladder finals and I have a question. Years ago I was told, to pick a 7 or 10, you stand opposite side and shoot your straight ball across lane. They throw almost straight on which I thought was harder to do. Is that because of the oil patterns they play on? Is that also why they throw so hard at their spares?

Most all pros go straight at their spares to take oil pattern out of play. Actually most all people who own a spare ball go straight at them. EJ Tackett will at times hook a 7s and other pins on the left side if his spare game isn't feeling good at the time. But he almost always is money with a straight ball at em. I think if you are throwing straight how far you stand is a personal preference. My father-n-law stands on like board 10 or 15 when he goes at a 10 pin and picks up about every one of em. Other people stand further over....... I personally hook at 10s and I stand on 35 and pick up 10 pins pretty consistently. Stand on about 15, square shoulders up and hook it at the 7........ Straight ball is the "preferred" method but where you stand and how you do it seems to be personal preference.

[bowl1820]

Watching EJ Tackett on some step ladder finals and I have a question. Years ago I was told, to pick a 7 or 10, you stand opposite side and shoot your straight ball across lane. They throw almost straight on which I thought was harder to do. Is that because of the oil patterns they play on? Is that also why they throw so hard at their spares?

Going cross lane and throwing a straight ball at the corner pin (which are near the gutters, which cause you lose to some miss area), gives the highest margin of error.



Plus it takes the lanes conditions out of play, which can cause those unexpected last minute hooks.

Throwing straight to take the lanes conditions out of play, becomes even more important on the harder conditions.

Now while some do throw the ball harder, usually because their trying to keep the ball from possibly hooking. (Because they can't totally kill their hook.)

A lot don't actually throw harder, they use their normal shot. It's just the ball is retaining speed, because it usually plastic and it's traveling over a lot of oil so it's not losing much speed do to friction.

[got_a_300]

On my left side spares I usually use my strike ball and flatten it out and
go straight at them now on the right side is a completely different story
I use my plastic ball and go straight at them.

I use to use the plastic ball at all spares right and left sided but some
times I would throw it too hard across the middle at the left side spares
and it would slide right by them.

[santos314]

Yeah...actually I hook it for the 7 and 10 but across lane for both. Not quite sure where I ever heard that across lane is much easier.

[JasonNJ]

This summer I worked on using my plastic ball and throwing straight at all my spares. Once you get comfortable with what angle and what target to shoot for, then its just memorization and repeating it for that spare. Throwing plastic straight will be pretty much the same on any oil condition.

[Albundy]

I read a way to practice is aim for it on your first ball. Th aim for the pocket on the 2nd ball to practice a strike shot. You get more shots in each game this way. I throw my strike ball with a plastic ball and stand on the last dot facing across the lane. I have a hard time with it no matter how i throw it. Anyone else so used to throwing a hook have a hard time throwing it completely straight?

[santos314]

I read a way to practice is aim for it on your first ball. Th aim for the pocket on the 2nd ball to practice a strike shot. You get more shots in each game this way. I throw my strike ball with a plastic ball and stand on the last dot facing across the lane. I have a hard time with it no matter how i throw it. Anyone else so used to throwing a hook have a hard time throwing it completely straight?

Yes, that's the way I feel. A straight ball seems difficult and unnatural....I don't even through much of a hook.

[Amyers]

I read a way to practice is aim for it on your first ball. Th aim for the pocket on the 2nd ball to practice a strike shot. You get more shots in each game this way. I throw my strike ball with a plastic ball and stand on the last dot facing across the lane. I have a hard time with it no matter how i throw it. Anyone else so used to throwing a hook have a hard time throwing it completely straight?

If your throwing a plastic spare ball your normal release should allow you to roll the ball relatively hook free. corner pin spares are about practice and a consistent swing more than anything else. Even good bowlers will struggle with corner pins at times and often timing issues will show up in your corner pin spares before anywhere else