Intermediate Skills

Picking Up Corner Pins and other Single Pin Spares

While it may sound easy, sometimes single pin spares can be tricky. Some tournaments that have traced spares find that as much as 50% of spares are missed! The key to single pin spares is to be accurate. A straight ball is more accurate than a curve release.

I f you use a big curve, get a plastic ball and/or learn to release the ball straight. With the straight ball, the ball reaction does not depend on lane conditions. Straight on a dry lane and straight on an oily one look the same. Master the straight ball and you won’t have to go hunting for where to stand and aim when you are facing a different lane condition.

In the basic spare shooting tip, a basic 3-6-9 system is described for rolling a straight ball. If you generally roll a curve ball at strikes, you can still use this system by finding out during your practice where you need to stand and aim in order to get your straight ball into the pocket. Once you know this, the chart in the other tip will work well. You may also use this chart as a guideline in developing your own system if necessary.

Make sure you use a couple of shots during your practice play to work on your spare line. One effective strategy is to roll at the corner pins on your first shot then try for the pocket on your second ball.

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