3-6-9 spare shooting?

[boatman37]

So does the 3-6-9 system still apply if using a plastic ball for spares? May try using the spare ball more often and try straightening my line a little more for the 7 pin. I struggle when trying to target way left of my feet. I think I swing my arm around to get the ball out there. Thinking maybe straightening my line so I'm not at such an extreme angle. Think I'm gonna go get some practice today and spares will be my focus

[J Anderson]

So does the 3-6-9 system still apply if using a plastic ball for spares? May try using the spare ball more often and try straightening my line a little more for the 7 pin. I struggle when trying to target way left of my feet. I think I swing my arm around to get the ball out there. Thinking maybe straightening my line so I'm not at such an extreme angle. Think I'm gonna go get some practice today and spares will be my focus

The 3-6-9 system is as good a place as any to start when figuring out a spare shooting system that works for you. The book ‘Bowling Beyond The Basics’ by James Freeman & Ron Hatfield has a table of what board your ball should cross at the foul line for each key pin using the third, fourth and fifth arrows as targets based on the actual positions of the pins and arrows on the lane and throwing a straight ball. The lay down points were calculated using trigonometry. It is not a three board move each time.

For shooting corner pins, you should probably pick a target at the arrows between the third and the fifth arrows. People who are used to playing down and in will probably be more comfortable using the third arrow. Guys who like to swing the whole lane might be better off somewhere between 4th & 5th.

[boatman37]

Just got back. My first game I was just getting warmed up and not concerned with spares. Game 2 I used the T-Zone for every ball up until about the 8th frame or so. Score didn't matter. 3rd and 4th games I shot for score. Still missed a few easy ones. Problem with them was I missed my mark by about 2 or 3 boards at the arrows on those.

For 7 pin I stood on about 32 and targeted 17. Moved feet 3 left for the 4 pin, 3 more for the 8, etc. For the 10 pin I stood on about 22 and targeted 17, etc. For me I always lined up with my plant toe so I have to 'guesstimate' where my slide foot lines up...lol. My plant toe is on 15 and target 17 for the 10 pin...lol. Moved 3 boards right for the 6 pin and 3 more right for the 3 pin. Used my T-Zone for all of these shots. When I did miss it was because I missed my mark but the system worked.

Oh, 1st ball of game 1 I used my Kingpin which I never use but recently hit it with a 500 and wanted to see what it would do. And it slipped right off my thumb...lol. I threw it the next couple of shots too.

[J Anderson]

Think I'm gonna go get some practice today and spares will be my focus

Just got back. My first game I was just getting warmed up and not concerned with spares. Game 2 I used the T-Zone for every ball up until about the 8th frame or so. Score didn't matter. 3rd and 4th games I shot for score. Still missed a few easy ones. Problem with them was I missed my mark by about 2 or 3 boards at the arrows on those.

For 7 pin I stood on about 32 and targeted 17. Moved feet 3 left for the 4 pin, 3 more for the 8, etc. For the 10 pin I stood on about 22 and targeted 17, etc. For me I always lined up with my plant toe so I have to 'guesstimate' where my slide foot lines up...lol. My plant toe is on 15 and target 17 for the 10 pin...lol. Moved 3 boards right for the 6 pin and 3 more right for the 3 pin. Used my T-Zone for all of these shots. When I did miss it was because I missed my mark but the system worked. ]

You sound just a little like some of the kids I coach who in the first game of a practice session insist that they can’t shoot at corner pins because they’re not warmed up.

In the second game it would be interesting to know what you were trying to do each frame.

[boatman37]

You sound just a little like some of the kids I coach who in the first game of a practice session insist that they can’t shoot at corner pins because they’re not warmed up.

In the second game it would be interesting to know what you were trying to do each frame.

Initially I started out going spare shot on ball 1 then convert on ball 2. Then went to left side spare on ball 1 then right side spare on ball 2. Then about 2/3 through I started throwing my strike ball. 5th and 6th frames were supposed to be 3 and 6 pins but went Brooklyn on one of them.

Oh, my strike game hasn't been great lately either and I have a tournament tomorrow so although my spares were a priority I wanted to work on everything. I had been averaging about 17-18 strikes a night for much of the season but lately it has been more like 12-13. My accuracy has been off across the board. I have been using 2 releases. One is more up the back of the ball and the other a little more around the ball. Coming around the ball had been producing alot of strikes but lately not as much so wanted to work on that too. Today I came around the ball every shot in games 3 and 4

[boomer]

So does the 3-6-9 system still apply if using a plastic ball for spares? May try using the spare ball more often and try straightening my line a little more for the 7 pin. I struggle when trying to target way left of my feet. I think I swing my arm around to get the ball out there. Thinking maybe straightening my line so I'm not at such an extreme angle. Think I'm gonna go get some practice today and spares will be my focus

The 3-6-9 system is supposed to work with your strike ball. The idea is that you keep everything the same but, working with your strike ball and strike line as baseline, change your target to make your spares.

It's a rule of thumb! I mean, if you were bowling up the twig outside of 5 . . . there's not much move-room for that! LOL

And as you mature in the system, you adjust it to fit your own system.

M