Spares....Over time I changed the way I approach spares. I used to use the 4th arrow system with a polyester ball. Now, I use whatever ball I'm using for spares. I roll end over end to the right using the 3rd arrow (similar to 4th arrow system) and I hook to the left.

The problem with hooking to the left is, I'm not that good at it. Especially on longer or flatter conditions.

I tried rolling straight on left side spares using the 3rd arrow, but my eyes play tricks on me. The lane up front looks smaller, angel looks tight, move further right I run out of lane, ect....I've done this before

Old way with the 4th arrow system.
38,35,33 for the right
22, 19, 16 for the left side spares

Now with 3rd arrow...
35, 32, 29 Right side
hook it, straight, gutter, pray....

what to do?

Find an old rubber ball.  You won't crack that.  It will outlast you and your kids.

Or drill the plastic ball with no slug.  If your baby soft hands can't handle no slug, drill the thumb 1/4 inch big and plug it and drill back into the plug.

I did find one last year, but it was 13lbs at the goodwill....

I think my pampers hand can handle no slug....I'll try it out with the old poly, but that too is a pound lighter.

xrayjay,
    I have used a plastic spare ball since the mid-1990's. And I have had the same ball since that time as well, the clear plastic Wolf. Yes, I have had small issues with some cracking around the thumb hole, but it's plastic, I just had it drilled out, plugged, and redrilled the exact same thumb hole. I have tried with/without a slug and now have a switch grip in it. I see a small bit of cracking out around the sleeve, but it is very minor.
 
    Personally, I throw plastic at every spare....I go back and forth on it with double wood, if I am really on my spares I will throw the plastic at it, straight at the front pin, if I am not, I will roll my strike ball at it. I try to go straight at every spare on the left, taking the lane out of play, especially on longer, flatter sports patterns. I am not 100% on them, but I know my spare percentage went up when I went to plastic, and went up again went I went to throwing straight at left side spares with it. If you have a spare ball, what's the big deal with just getting it drilled out and plugged when it cracks. You can do it 2-3 times at least and be under what you would have paid for a new spare ball. With the Wolf, I love having the actual Wolf weight block in it, it becomes a monster on dry lanes, and my carry percentage is much higher than throwing a WD or something with just a pancake flip block. I like it so much I have a NIB one sitting in my closet just waiting for the first one to crack beyond repair. I thought I would be throwing the new one by now, but the old one just keeps going and going and going, lol.
 
Just my .02.