Spares save your butt. Although strike in a row are fine, it is the consecutive execution of clear frames which makes you competitive even under difficult lane conditions. Even with a spare-only game, you can make a 190 maximum result.
And just lining up clear frames keeps you competitive in a tournament, putting pressure on your opponent(s) to clear the frame, too, to keep up with you when it is neck to neck.
Strikes come automatically with good technique and predictable lane conditions. But anything else is won through a strong spare game!
Do not let pesky 10s or baby splits ruin your game...
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DizzyFugu --- Reporting from Germany
"All that we see or seem, is but a dream within a dream..." - Edgar Allen Poe