Single-Pin Spare Shooting and Joe Slowinski's Bowler Reference System

[Aslan]

First, some statistics to illustrate the issues I've had with single-pin spare shooting:

Single-Pin Conversion % by Year:

2014: 73% (196/267)
Primarily used strike ball on left-side leaves and the 4-8-12 adjustment and a plastic ball for right side leaves.

2015: 73% (670/914)
Got coaching to help develop a system and used a plastic ball for all corner-pins.

2016: 73 % (581/792)

2017: 77% (107/138)

2019: 70% (337/481)
Return to bowling after moving to Iowa. Lost both my coaches...so on my own.

2020: 72% (320/440)

2021: 72% (306/425)

2022: 72% (154/213)

2024: 65% (397/607)
Return to bowling in Kansas, after moving twice and recovering from an Achilles procedure.

2025:
Fall: 66% (328/494)
Summer (to date): 80% (83/103)*

* After reading Joe Slowinski's Bowler Reference System and tweaking my single-pin conversion technique accordingly.

So, as you can see...prior to, during, and after coaching...I was generally a 72% single-pin spare shooter. And, during that time...approximately 31.8% were 10-pins.

After re-starting my bowling career after a short hiatus due to job changes and an Achilles injury...I was generally a 65% single-pin spare shooter. And, approximately 36.7% were 10-pins.

So, I finally got around to reading one of the books MWhite gave me when he retired...Joe Slowinski's Bowler Reference System. It's more of a "manual" than a "book". A lot of interesting stuff. A little dated...I think it was published in 2007. But, a very interesting read with a lot of inserts to help with practice and statistics. But, the one thing that I took out of the book was in relation to single-pin spare shooting:

My previous technique involved hitting a target at the arrows. As long as I stand in a certain place and hit that target...I 'should' pick up the spare. And, I have to mention that one of my coaches said I 'SHOULD' be able to pick up > 85% of my single-pins and average 195. And this is someone that watched me bowl twice a week for almost 2 years. However, I have the tendency to square up to the foul line when I release the ball...and if I miss that target at the arrows...the miss is magnified down lane. Its an easier target to hit...but I have not much miss room.

So, Joe Slowinski's book supported the idea of getting my target out further on the lane. I know other bowlers also do this...targeting where the pins reflect or even targeting the pin itself. So, now...I still stand in a consistent spot and I still generally line up with that same target at the arrows...but I project that line to the pin and pick a spot further along that line as my target. This helps (or at least its starting to)...because its harder to square up when trying to hit a target further out...and if I miss...I have to miss by a wider margin to miss the pin.

And..thus far...it seems to be working. 80% of my single-pins with 36.9% 10-pins.

So...thanks to Joe for his assistance!

[Aslan]

And these numbers (single-pin conversions) are "tricky".

Generally, as you become a better bowler, you leave far more corner pins than other single-pin leaves. So, as you get better at shooting corner-pins...you also leave more corner-pins.

For example;

2014-2022: 68.4% of my single-pin leaves were 4s, 6s, 7s, or 10s. 45.1% were 7s or 10s.

2024: 68.9% of my single-pin leaves were 4s, 6s, 7s, or 10s. 49.8% were 7s or 10s.

2025 (Fall): 71.9% of my single-pin leaves were 4s, 6s, 7s, or 10s. 53.2% were 7s or 10s.

2025 (summer to date): 74.8% of my single-pin leaves were 4s, 6s, 7s, or 10s. 55.3% were 7s or 10s.

And just for the sake of embarrassment...if I look at my 2014 stats...before I had any coaching when I was averaging around 162: Only 64.8% were 6s, 4s, 7s, or 10s. And only 36.3% were 7s or 10s.

[J Anderson]

I’m glad somethings working for you

[Aslan]

I’m glad somethings working for you

One thing I found that was interesting was he proposed a new league scoring format where you don't get points for wins/higher scores, but instead its based on these various statistics that he feels are more important. For example, it valued consistency game to game over the occasional "high games" sandwiched between two low games.

I mean, I'm a nerd...so I loved it. But...like most bowling things I get excited about...I can almost hear the room full of "ugh"s if I were to even propose something like that. Many of the folks in the leagues I bowl in are still struggling to be able to tell what the pin numbers are. Whihch...is REALLY annoying when the pinsetter knocks a pin over and you're trying to get the fromt desk to reset it...and you know it was either a 4-pin or an 8-pin...and they're like, "I think it was like a 3 or a 7." There's a HUGE difference between a 3 and a 7!! They're on opposite sides of the lane for crying out loud! There's only 10 pins...and they're in consecutive order...how do you not know this!?

[boatman37]

Now you made me look at mine...lol. 75% for single pins this past season. Not very good. I was 73% on 7 pins (96/131). Oddly I was only 62% on 10 pins (41/66) and I'm a lefty...lol