i have determined that I REALLY need to practice my spares as I feel my left side spares are what is keeping me from averaging 200+. What is a good way to practice spares?

It depends on the spare. I kill my resin balls throwing at 10 pins and 6-10s. I hook at every other right side spare. It is the left side that kills me. I use to try to hook at the left side back before I had a competent spare game. Then I started moving left and killing my ball. That was hit or miss, and I started chopping more of them. Now I am back right throwing through the oil with less hand than my normal shot and I feel it is getting better. I don't have set marks throwing at spares. I mostly go by feel

After practice I usually play lowcount, that way it forces me to hit only the corner pins in case you want/need to practice those pins, the score is the next.

If you throw it to the gutter on the first shot it counts as a strike, if you do it in the second shot, it counts as a spare, pretty simple, pretty difficult.

Also, you can play like frame 1, just get 1 pin, frame 2, 2 pins and so on.

hope this helps

IMO, I'd start using a spare ball for majority of your spares.

1. takes lane conditions out of play
2. you can throw your normal release
3. no over thinking the spare game

once you have a system in place, for example, like the "4th arrow system", your spare game will be easier to manage. We do a lot of thinking already (which we shouldn't do unless we are not on the approach) when it comes to game. We think of so many things and forget the important ones that matter most. Why not clean out the closet and get rid of the guessing game, or the uncertainty of the outcome of your spare game. Having a spare system that works and becomes "automatic" will take all the extra thinking out of play. And you can focus on your next adjustment so to not leave a 10 pin on the next frame, for example.

For practice, I play a game of "low ball". I try to score the lowest I can. I try to make practice fun just so I don't get bored. Also, I practice at looking at the pins when playing this game of low ball. I'll look at the side of the pin I want to hit and see if I can get the ball to that side of the pin that I'm aiming at.

Good luck.

I had a plastic ball for 3 months until it busted out around the thumb. I have a urethane ball now that i could use for spares, but I can kill a ball as well as anyone, so I really don't want to take the time to switch out my thumb inserts. Ill try the low count game next time i bowl. thanks

but I can kill a ball as well as anyone, so I really don't want to take the time to switch out my thumb inserts.

Pros can also kill it as well as anyone, yet the vast majority use spare balls. This is not a coincidence.

There's more to spare shooting than just making a ball not hook. Spare shooting is about consistency in your swing and footwork. How many times have you missed a spare and said "spare ball wouldn't have helped there, I missed by a mile"? You probably would've made lots of those if you didn't change your swing and speed trying to turn a strike ball into a spare ball.

Quote from: lilpossum1 on April 07, 2015, 03:45:00 PM

but I can kill a ball as well as anyone, so I really don't want to take the time to switch out my thumb inserts.

Pros can also kill it as well as anyone, yet the vast majority use spare balls. This is not a coincidence.

The pros are also bowling on a shot where any mistake they make in spare shooting is magnified. A concede to the point that changing speed and swing can throw off timing, resulting in errant shots, but I do not change my speed or my swing. My only difference is in my hand. I come straight up the back of the ball as much as I can. I may see the ball turn the tiniest bit at the end, but it is not much at all. And if I do run into a shot where that is not enough, I have my urethane ball. And I was throwing plastic at my spares for a while, but I saw minimal difference,if any, in my spare making.

Notclay, I like your's the best yet! Although, I do not see how that is any different from me during league..