Very true that spares can make a big difference. Many a night this year where I couldn't find a stable line to the pocket enough to carry that instead I left single pins or 7 and 8 counts that I converted into spares. I'm happier a lot of times with clean low deuce games than I am when I throw 230 or better but missed 1 or 2 easy spares...

Matt

GendouIkari -- You are very wise for your age.  I believe spares are actually MORE important than strikes.  Why?  Because the ability to make spares indicates accuracy.  When you have tuned your game well enough that you can make your spares, you will find that you hit the pocket more frequently with your first ball, resulting in more strikes and easier spares to make.  Watch the top bowlers at your center and the PBA on TV.  They don't miss many spares, do they?  That's because they PRACTICE shooting spares until it's second nature.  Do you practice spare shooting or consider it a necessary evil?  When you practice, don't be concerned about your score.  Try shooting a 10 pin on the first ball and a 7 pin on the second ball.  The next frame shoot a 4 pin and a 6 pin.  Then a 2 pin and a 3 pin.  Then straight into the head pin.  If you can make these shots with regularity you can make any spare with only minor adjustments.  You will see your average increase more than if you practiced strike shots over and over.  --  JohnP

Moe -- Maybe that's why you're a 120 average league bowler.  --  JohnP

un-intentional sandbagger --- ROFLMAO... great term... I think that is one that should be used more to describe new bowlers. I am going to putin in my bowling dictionary. Thanks.

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Getting all the pins I can. comming soon: www.bowlingknowldge.com

spares, spares, spares. Here we go again. I agree completely with GendouIkari - the initial poster...
If you can't make spares, you "don't got game". Period.
Some days, the pocket can't be found with both hands and a roadmap. What do you do then? Shoot 90s?

Several months ago, an open play bowler using a house ball and house shoes shot 300 on a lane right next to the scratch league. I was a few lanes away, doing something this guy has NO prayer of shooting - a clean 196 game.

What's your 10 pin percentage? How many do you leave? How many of those do you pick up? That alone is worth a bundle. Every missed 10 pin spare costs 11 pins - if you miss one a game, that's 11 pins off your average. But I guess they're not important... Hmmmm?

Sorry for the rant - but when the pins don't fall on the first ball, they give you a second shot for a reason. Learn how to use it, and you'll be a real bowler some day.

GendouIkari you are correct.

Spare's matter because you can't throw a strike every time. Plain and simple.

you need a good spare shooting system. plastic is the easiest there is. it goes right where you throw it. couple that with a broken wrist or flat release and they only way you can miss a 1 pin spare is really bad timing. real bad.

there is almost no lane/oil factor involved. it doesn’t get any simpler.

P.S. I love the 130 guys who give advice on spare shooting. it's like getting a hair cut from a blind guy!

realistically it's tough to be clean every game with today’s automatic split in the box. but you can easily avg mid 180's without throwing a double. so tell me how anyone can avg less than 180 and say spares don't count.

given the nature of today’s' soft conditions and powerful balls how can any one say spares don't count if they avg less than 210 on a THS. it's so easy to rattle off 4 or 5 in a row. make 90% of your spare and your 210.

with the proper mental attitude and any semblance of athletic ability to walk the same way twice you should avg 180 or better without trying. You may be trying to hard. the run before walk comment is a good one.

develop a simple free swing and good balance at the line at your in the hunt for 200 easy.

how do I know this? I doing it. I missed the birth of these reactive balls and came back with a grip it rip urethane release. I could cover all 40 boards and never see enough oil. Now, I have deconstructed down to the simple. I don't even release the ball. I let it fall into a free swing and let gravity and natural muscle tendencies turn the ball as it wants and just follow though. sure it a weak ball compared to my other release but I make more spares and hit the pocket more. so I avg 200.

even now, if I made 3 more spares a night, which I have room for, I would be 210. all that without any ideal turn or high rev release. Control and accuracy makes it easy. When I can shoot a 210 avg I will then turn my attention to developing 2 more releases for tournament play or go for league high avg.


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"deserves got nothing to do with it."
-- William Munny

Edited on 4/5/2004 2:54 PM

I Agree!!that's what i've been telling my daughter(10yrs old-109avg) and the other kids in her jr. league..her average has gone up 20-25 pins this year just by working on her spares and how to be more consistant how to adjust to the lanes.her high game this year is a 171 and she throws a fingertip ball-12lb..all the kids just want to throw strikes and don't put in the effort to make the spares.

just my 0.02
chris
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BIGZ-
BIG ON THE LANEZ!

Edited on 4/5/2004 5:23 PM