Making the 7 pin (left handed)

[dmaylman]

Hi, I have returned to the game after 10 years. I have joined a league with my wife and friends from work. I am left handed and use a finger tip grip. I can not for the life of me make the 7 pin for a spare. Help!!!!

[WAC4504]

I know how you feel, and I bet almost everyone can remember their own problems with the 7 or 10 pins. I don't know if this will help you but it did me, a good friend told me to stand left and aim at the middle and let the oil carry the ball to the 10. I'm right handed so I stand as far left as I can and aim at my 3rd arrow and then the most important part is to commit to the shot, don't be scared of the pin put as much in the 10 or 7 as you would a strike, and that means follow through also. Like I say I don't know if this will work for you, but it has worked wonders for me. I used to hate to see the 10 pop up 'cause I knew it would be an open frame, but not any more. I still don't like the 10 pin but at least I know I can pick it up. Good luck and good bowling.

[WhirligigHD]

The best advice I ever got was to NOT leave those pins! Easier said than done...but it is possible to leave less of them - maybe in another topic.

I actually use my main ball, but flatten out my hand and just stand far left (right for you) and throw straight at the middle arrow - rarely miss.

[Graaille]

Personally I have a ball that is designed to not hook (much) for those corner pins. All the prior advise about stand farr right (for you) and throw over the middle is the best advise because it gives you the most miss room available (psychologically). Before I release the ball I always say "we fear not the 7 (10) pin" then go ahead and make it.

[Maine Man]

I am left handed, and rarely miss the 7 pin. I stand 6 boards past the last dot on the right side of the approach with my right foot, and aim right over the 4th arrow. I just flatten out my strike ball, and let it coast across lane and make the seven pin. You always have a much better chance of success when you give yourself the best angle to make the pin, which is going across the lane. Good luck!

[psaunders300]

I too am left handed and like most I use a less hooking ball as my spare ball (a mild reactive ball). I use it for almost all spares. I also stand right, but I stand on the last dot to the right and target the third arrow. I used to stand further right and target the fourth arrow, but I bowled in a house where the extreme right of the approaches were very, very tacky and I had a hard time sliding there. One night after missing several seven pins, I moved 5 left with my feet and target. Cutting down the angle worked so well for me (I really felt more comfortable throwing from there) that I actually made more seven pins than ever before, so I use this all the time now.

I also "flatten" my release for the seven and four pin shots. In case you're wondering what this means, there are several ways I have been taught to do this. You can break your wrist back or put your hand on the side of the ball, but for me what works best is a combination of breaking the wrist slightly and pushing the ball with my pinkie finger at release. This keeps my hand flat and gives the ball an end-over-end type of roll (no side roll) and the ball goes straight for me. You should practice different techniques and places on the lane to see what works for you. Most of all you need to feel comfortable where and how you are throwing at the seven pin and whatever works best for you, practice it, practice it, and practice it some more.

When I am practicing, I usually throw one game of nothing but shots at the 7 pin on the first ball and the 10 pin on the second ball. I will vary where I throw the ball slightly to see if I can just pick off the 7 or 10 without hitting anything else or try for the 4-7 and 6-10 combination. This is also good practice for the rare occasions when you have to shoot a 4-7-10 or 6-7-10 split.

Good luck and let us know how you are doing!

[aalleexx]

It is hard to get that shot wether you are new to the game or just got back, have you looked at your shoes? Sometimes you are able to get lefty shoes that make the world of difference! My sister got new lefty bowling shoes and her game has improved x3. Check out the different shoes that are available out there and you may be suprized.

[JAnderson]

I am left handed, and rarely miss the 7 pin. I stand 6 boards past the last dot on the right side of the approach with my right foot, and aim right over the 4th arrow. I just flatten out my strike ball, and let it coast across lane and make the seven pin. You always have a much better chance of success when you give yourself the best angle to make the pin, which is going across the lane. Good luck!

Keep in mind that in some bowling centers the "last dot" is on the 10 board and in other bowling centers it is on the 5 board.

The reason why it is suggested that bowlers throw across the lane at corner-pin spares instead of down the gutter is that throwing across the lane allows the bowler more room to "miss" and still hit the pin. Assuming that the ball is thrown straight, consider an attempt to throw straight down the left gutter at the 7 pin. If the bowler misses just a little bit left, the ball will be in the left gutter before it gets halfway down the lane. Throwing across the lane at it and missing by the same about left, the ball is able to hit the left side of the 7 pin as it is falling off the lane and into the gutter. In short, throwing across the lane gives the bowling almost 100% more room to miss left/right when shooting at corner pin spares.

[RaceFanBill]

We have a guy the is right handed but throws it like a left hander. I have tried this technique for my t10 pins and hard spares and it seems to help

[JAnderson]

We have a guy the is right handed but throws it like a left hander. I have tried this technique for my t10 pins and hard spares and it seems to help

If you can throw a slight "backup ball" (for a righty a ball that hooks left-to-right, for a lefty a ball that hooks right-to-left) it make seem to help, but only if you can be accurate with it which is going to require practice. I'd still recommend throwing the ball straight at your spares, especially if you ever sport bowl. It allows the bowler to ignore the lane conditions and make every spare the same way every time on any condition. (Certain strange basement/cellar houses not withstanding)