Spares

[STBCrushEm]

Is it best to use plastic at spares or your first ball?

[mainzer]

It is best to use what you are most comfortable using. play your game not anyone elses.

My Opinion:

I would say if you are learning to bowl learn the art of breaking your wrist and throwing it straight as well as learning how to hold your wrist to hook the ball, it will give you alot more options when the lanes start breaking down.
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MainzerPower

[dizzyfugu]

It depends... Primarily I'd say, do what you are comfortable with.

Personally, I'd suggest using a polyester spare for corner pins. It goes straight, more or less regardless of the oil out there, and it takes a lot of error factors out of the equation.
 
Whenever double wood is involved (e. g. 2-8 or 3-9), I'd go for the strike ball because its forward roll in the end phase reduces deflection. Taking these doubles out with a straight spare shot offers very little room for error.
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DizzyFugu - Reporting from Germany

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[No Revs00300]

Both are good replies. I personally don't use a plastic ball for spares. I have worked hard for a long time learning to flatten out my wrist to throw straight confidently at most spares (single pins). either way it all comes down to what your most comfortable doing. I just took a peak at my palm pilot my single pin spare percentage is 96%. Not perfect, but pretty good. Practice will never hurt either. Good luck hope we helped you some.

[STBCrushEm]

sorry I ment for 7 and 10 pins

[dizzyfugu]

IMO polyester fro both. On the 10 (for righty), a reactive is prone to hook in the back end. Unless you are REALLY able to kill your shot through hand position and/or speed, I'd just grab the hard straight ball.

Same goes for the 7 - you might hook your strike ball across the lane, but I'd only recommend it when you are very familiar with and sure of the conditions out there. Making the ball cross the lane is hazardous - you never know how long the oil is, how the left side might actually play - and you might end up donating wood for a ball that just does not reach the 7. Here, IMO straight and hard shot is also the better option, since it takes out hooking (or non-hooking) hazards.

In both cases I'd go for a cross-lane shot, just to maximise room for error, since you will only have to touch the single pin, be it on the left or right side, to make it tip over.
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DizzyFugu - Reporting from Germany

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[JohnP]

If you will be bowling on different conditions, use plastic and learn a straight release.  Double wood spares are exceptions.  If you'll be bowling on a THS all the time, still use plastic straight for right side spares (all comments for right handed bowlers).  But for left side spares use a urethane ball (I use my Slate Blue Gargoyle) and use the "wall" to give you more room for error.  I target a little to the right of my strike target and, in practice, find the correct spot on the approach to stand to make the 7 pin.  To make the 4, 2, and left side combinations I move the appropriate distance to the left on the approach from my 7 pin spot.  The urethane reacts to the wall, but isn't jumpy like a resin ball would be.  Try it, you'll like it.  --  JohnP

[Xcessive_Evil]

Very good responses.  I personally use an avalanche pearl as my spare ball.  I just flatten my wrist and go after it.  You flatten your wrist enough you can throw anything straight.
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