This series of Make That Spare will cover bowling basics for beginning bowlers and league bowlers with a game average of 120 or less. It will also be a refresher for some bowlers with higher averages, who may find topics which will improve their game. Maybe even the better bowlers will find a point or two during the series that will give their game a boost.
Besides making spares, the series will visit other topics which will assist in areas of getting set up on the approach, timing, release, basic lane play, the mental game and the real reason we all bowl, having fun.
One of the games most critical components is spare shooting. No question that strikes are the stars of the show in bowling. There is a certain satisfaction that comes over a bowler when they see all the pins tumbling, leaving an empty space where 10 pins once stood. But we all know that strikes are not going to happen with every roll. That is where the value of spares comes in. A bowler with an average of 150 can increase their average to 170 just by getting two more spares in each of their games. Another way to look at it is that you can score a 190 game without getting a strike. So the point is, the importance of making spares cannot be minimized.
There are spare shooting systems are available and we will discuss these in future posts in the series. However, keep in mind these systems are general guidelines rather than hard and fast rules to be followed by all bowlers. Once you choose a system of your liking, you will need to adapt the system to your game and style. This can be done with repetition and experimentation during practice.
Before getting into the systems, let’s first discuss some fundamental points of spare shooting you must keep in mind, regardless of the system you choose. Firstly, they are called “systems” for a reason. You must be systematic in the way you approach spare shooting. By this I mean you have to follow a formula in a consistent manner so that you know what your alignment will be for any given spare combination. In addition, if you miss a spare, following a system will allow you to know what adjustment is needed to make that spare the next time around.
Identifying the pins by their number is a must to quickly know what adjustments need to be made on the approach and alignment for a particular spare. The pins stand in a triangular shape in four rows starting with one pin in the first row, two in the second row, three in the third and four in the fourth. The lone pin in the first row is number one and the remainder are numbered front to back and left to right. The second row pins are 2 and 3, third row are 4, 5 and 6 and the back row are 7, 8, 9 and 10. Memorize the pin positions and their related number.
Finally, align yourself to your target in order to maintain your normal swing and follow through. If you are right-handed throwing a seven pin spare shot, you do not want your arm swing or follow through to cross your body. Align your shoulders to the target so that your swing is perpendicular to your body and your follow through is at a 90 degree angle. How much you turn to align with the target will depend on your individual throw. This can be determined through experimentation during practice.