Hey not to sound like a dick coach but who cares what they throw at there spares i throw the same ball at mine just flatten out my hand. We had this same conversation last year when Mike Fagan through his 811 at a spare. I did not care what he was throwing then and I don't care what they're throwing now. if you pick up your spare who cares.
Do you see me complaining? Obviously, there're ways to convert spares with reactives. I just got a Taboo Spare, which saves me the chore of flattening my Hot Sauce Pearl at spares. Just curious, because in every avenue of bowling, coaches and bowlers heavily recommend the spare ball.
That layout on Tom's IQ Tour was odd, and I guess it allows for a weaker reaction. So, to each their own.