Too bad they don't put statistics up on "makeable" spares (i.e. anything including washouts, baby's and 5-6's). That would make the statistic a little easier to decipher, as its impossible to know how many of those spares are either very hard or just based on luck in terms of picking it up (although i know there is skill involved in the 2-10, its still very hard to pick it up consistently without some luck).
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stanski

I have to agree with Stanski, there are a large number of splits and washouts associated with the fact that the lane conditions don't steer the ball to the pocket.

Every time I bowl a the Nationals though I do see a number of people hooking the ball at single pin spares, but 54% implies that we all don't know how to shoot spares, in singles and doubles I only had one open each set and it was a split in the first frame of each set and I missed a bucket on a fill ball in the 10th frame of the last game.

One of my worst Nationals.
I left 39 1 pin spares in 3 games.
I missed 2 - 10 pins, and 1 - 7 pin out of 29.

I had a dismal singles. My flight came in one hour before bowling.
I arrived at the Center about 30 minues before check in...I stopped to pick up my equipment, which was shipped, and could not be located, for 15 minutes.

I shot doubles first, missed 2 spares, a 7 pin, and a 10 pin. I shot singles next, by that time, I could not get my thumb into my ball. First time I bowled thumbless in 25 years. I shot 473 with 11 opens.

I had my thumbs redrilled in 4 balls, for team which I shot the next day.
I shot 573, with 2 opens. 1 - 10 pin and 1 - 6 pin.

I never had one clean release for 9 games. I had a decent spare showing, except for my thumbless bowling fiasco.

I don't think the conditions affect one's (single pin) spare game.
JMHO.
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Duke Harding



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