The funny part is I know all these tips, but I still find a way to screw up spares. I'll flatten my hand a ton, and still find a way to bring it up over and make the ball move just enough to miss whatever pin(s) I am aiming for.
Just go in and practice. If your close enough with your center and the people who call the shots they may go back and rig the lane to cycle 1 pin at a time.
Some things that help me( which you may already know but I’ll say it anyways) is aiming your hips at your pin/desired spot and also making sure your release is near your ankle and not too far out.
To pick up any spare I just go the entire way to the right and throw it along the gutter, and depending where the pins are adjust my speed so the ball curves into the pins. If it’s the ten pin then it’s a 50/50 chance I’m gonna hit it lmao
For me, I’ve found that flattening my hand out, to the point of having it be “broken” in my stance, makes it so that my spare shots are straight and consistent. So yeah, holding the ball different definitely helps for two handers.
Packy, any chance you can talk about your positioning of your feet on the approach? I swapped late 2019 to two-handed after a bad dog bite left me with nerve damage in my left thumb, and you're the pro that I get the most success from emulating but I'm curious about your logic when it comes to your feet on the approach.
Growing up bowling for YBC (Youth Bowling) in Ontario. I was taught to use a 3 6 9 board movement system to make spares. Still works for me to this day! I rarely miss :)
Packy I too am a lefty, missing a ton of 7 pins...personally I think that dropping the weight of my spare ball will help...I use 15 lbs...do you think a 14 lb spare ball will help??
What about Brunswick tzone? I have it, I draw straight lines toward my spares and hook a little with it. I need your opinion, maybe make a vid about it?
My tip for shooting the washout I learned from watching your friend Tim Gillick. Throwing the ball straight up (down?) 25 has a better chance of making it than moving your feet to the outside and trying to hit Brooklyn.
When I line up with my spare ball (C300 Bluedot), I tend to "break" my wrist and turn my hand slightly to the side, so when I release it, the ball goes straight. In the past, I've practiced using "low game" for my corners and recently tried using the 7 arrow challenge for my 10-pins, where you go for the 10-pin (I'm a righty) from each arrow on the lane.
What work for me on straightening out my shot was to work on my thumb position on my release. Noticed if I throw up the back and aim my thumb toward the pin it generally works out
I came back to this video after putting your tips to good use. Only a couple games and I already feel much more confident on my spares. I also bowl two handed and I knew I had to get more roll up the back of the ball, but that little adjustment in hand position at the start REALLY made a huge difference in being able to consistently keep the ball straight. No more hooking at 7 pins or throwing backup balls at 10 pins XD
My tip is mental, if your shooting a single pin excluding the 7 and 10, you only need to hit half the lane to hit that spare. If you take the width of the ball and the width of the pin and you double the width of the ballcause you can hit the pin on either side, you are taking up half the lane
Hey Packy! My name is Adam and I just wanted to say that it was an honor to meet you on this night. I remember walking into the alley for league, and got very excited to see the camera and then see you shooting a video. Just wanted to say that I ended up shooting 653, so I think you were a good luck charm😂. Anyways, just wanted to say hi again and that this video was very helpful! Keep it up!!
I hook every sparer besides the 4 & 7 pins, Im a lefty. My spare rate of about 70-80% so it's not too bad, However I will take your tips into my game because i know it would make me a better player.
You mentioned you still look at the same spot for your 2-4-7 as you do for your 7 pin. What board adjusment do you make to differentiate your 7 pin angle and 2-4-7 angle? I've been shooting Around 90% on 7 pins and 10 pins but less on my 3-6-10 leaves.
Hard and straight. I converted myself to a 2 hander at age 45 but I still put a thumb in and go hard and straight at spares as I had worked on that for a long time before. Another thought is practice. A lot of bowlers don't realize how important spares are until they lose by that 1 or 2 pins. I grew up on AMF with shadow bowling, We could do that for free at my local center as a kid and you had to visualize things.
I use a Pitch Blue for 10 pins and reactive for everything else, and I will use a practice game for 10 pins only. It works for me and have good results except for the occasional error.
Funny enough I watched this just because (already doing these things) but the slow-mo of your release was actually the biggest help... currently analyzing why I cant get my track off the fingers and its because I'm too much behind the ball upon release. Looking where your hand position was at release vs mine was enlightening and I think I know how to work on it
I started to struggle just recently with my corner pins since working months to change my hand position and release it down instead of hitting up through the ball. I cant get my non plastic not to hook at the last 4-6 feet right around the ten and either blowing by 7s gliding through the oil, or dropping in the gutter under a foot in front of the 7.... I am going to drill a plastic ball or a plastic/urethane for spares this month. I always used plastic as a junior and returning 20 years later, I guess somethings never change.
I've been wondering for years why even some pros have occasionally problems converting simple spares. To me the culprit is the mantra "hard and straight", more precisely the "hard". The most prominent example to me is Sean Rash. He throws his spare ball with tremendous speed, but often at the expense of accuracy, hence, missing single pin spares. Eugene McCune is also one of those guys. I have never understood that. A guy like Walter Ray Williams Jr is considered, for good reason, as one of the greatest spare shooters ever. He can not only through it straight, he is also super precise. And the latter is mainly because he considerably decreases velocity on his spare balls. As a last note, I think that every league bowler, but especially every Pro, must be capable of throwing a bowling ball dead straight, even a reactive resin ball. Just take a look at Norm Duke, another incredible spare shooter. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think he hadn't have a spare ball in a very long time. Sure, a spare ball helps. But to me, using a spare ball often seems to be an excuse for not having to learn the proper skills for throwing a ball straight.
@@tonybarber420 in that case we shall await Packy’s answer. I suspect he does hook at it. When watching the pros on TV it seems like Walter Ray and Norm Duke are the only ones who would throw straight at the double wood.
With my Geico plastic ball I put 1500 grit trucut on it so I can use it for a strike ball when it is bone dry. But for my 7 pins I flatten my wrist and go up the back of the ball is rolling over the thumb hole. Your videos on spares and all of that has helped me out. I went from a 150 average to a 169 average but your tips and tricks that you show us. Then again out of all the house members your my favorite one .
I have a house ball I bought at goodwill and I’ll throw that at the dry and I can pick up any right side pins. Left side pins I’ll throw my hooking ball in the dry and slow it down
We have that second game built into our scoring it’s called last pin standing it’s really cool! You leave the head pin on the first ball it’s a strike on the 2nd ball it’s a spare and when you hit it you get a gutter. When it is hit on the first ball however it is a double gutter.
I'm a left handed, no thumb bowler. I'm not two handed. Not near the caliber, but like a lefty Tom Daugherty. To make my 7 pin, I have a Tzone drilled with a thumb hole that I use to bowl straight. For other spares, I release the ball like a no thumb delivery except with my thumb inserted because of the balance hole rule and I don't want two spare balls. I bowl straight at my spares now rather than hook at them with my strike ball because I learned on patterns that not a THS that it's not a good practice.
Hey Packy. Do you continue to look at 23 for non corner pins also and just adjust your feet? I usually use 20 as my point and I throw spares very hard and straight. Tens and sevens are good but lately I’ve been missing spares not on the edges which is an abnormal funk for me
I started bowling at an early age, forgot exact age. My ball was the Brunswick Black Beauty rubber ball. My style was unlike anything anyone ever saw. Probably even stranger to watch me bowl than some of the other unusual styles like Ron Williams. What I did was since I can copy physical movement (a talent). I copied a variety of professional bowlers shots. Making the copy my own. Each style would give me a variety of things that I could do. if the lanes had a lot of oil and I didn't need much speed. Then I would use styles like Wayne Webb, Carmen Salvino, etc.. If I needed a little more speed but still not much hook then I would use my version of Marshal Holman or Del Ballard Jr. If the lanes were about average as far as oil goes. Then I would have shots were I would hold the ball at waist level that would allow me to get just a little more loft as well as decent speed like Nelson Burton Jr, Walter Ray Williams Jr, Brian Voss, etc... Then when the lanes were dry and I needed a lot of loft I would cut the hook down and use ones like Dick Weber, Earl Anthony, etc... So I was like a golfer in bowling as far as styles. Each style represented a club in golf. Need better break point control and high accuracy I would use Earl Anthony. For spares, till I learned how to make my own version of Holman's straight shot. Also I wanted to say that I used the same ball for strikes and spares. I would flatten the shot as best as I could and use a lot of speed. I never drifted in my approach like some pros do. I would first draw a line from the arrow that I would want the ball to roll over to the side of the pin that I wanted to spare. If it was the ten pin I would draw the line where I would hit the pin on the left side of the pin, the right side on the seven. Now for spares that I could hook the ball I would move around 3-5 boards right if I missed right and hook the ball at the spare and would usually spare the shot. That is unless that part of the lane was unpredictable. If it was unpredictable then I would just throw a straight ball at it. I made a lot of spares. When we bowled as a family for about 20+ years i shot around a 170 average for three games. I got to meet Dick Weber in person and even Marshal Holman in person. They said watching me bowl like them was eerie. They wouldn't want me to turn pro because they wouldn't want me to beat them using their own style. But I told them correctly that if I did use their style and was lined up. That would line them up because they know their style and equipment better than me.
For some people I've worked with in the past flattening their hand out or coming up the back of it is a mental block and they have trouble with it. I will normally tell them that in the interim if you slightly speed up your footwork and ball speed it should compensate. Not trying to kill it but maybe like a 5% increase. Me personally I almost come out of spares backwards.
I’m averaging 199 in league this season but notice my spare game has been shit lately. I find myself just “doing it” when I go up to spare as opposed actually knowing what to aim for. I find myself switching between the dots and the arrows as targets. I’m like 70 percent on 10s (I’m a righty) and I’m good on 7s but I don’t shoot straight at them, I hook them. I want to learn to shoot straight at them but I just don’t trust my target or even know what to look at.
I am averaging 204 so far this league year. Up 10+ pins from last year. It's all pretty much spares for my average. I am usually only having 2 to 4 opens a night. Half is usually splits. I practice corners in warm ups and not so much strikes. This seems to help me target for strikes and helps me feel confident when I do leave 10s or 7s
I am so not qualified to give tips on spares...i do everything weird. I throw a extreme backup ball at right side spares, i throw a backup for washouts and stuff like 2-10s and 2-8-10s, i hook at pretty much all spares. I like to think im a above average league bowler in the 205+ avg area but i definitely do it weird. I use to drive my coaches insane as a kid. At one point i would fight with them and they would just call me a lost cause. Tho i did have this one coach who believed in me and gave me the best advice. "if it works don't change it, and don't let anyone make you change it" and i applied that to bowling ever since.
Crown Jewel is shockinly straight, like really. Got mine last week and it almost seems to back up when I'm shooting spares, which is great for somebody like me who can't throw it straight
@@quickplaya Not on the Ultra-high friction conditions I normally bowl on. I also have a Maxim, a White Dot and a Rhino Plastic and they all hook on me on dry. Crown Jewel is the only spare ball ever to go 100% straight for me on the old lanes with mineral oil
I think there are two factors at work. One is that the 4&7 are ‘supposed’ to be easy if you’re right handed and bowlers either rush the shot without thinking because it’s easy or they tense up because they don’t want to embarrass themselves by missing an easy spare. The other factor is that the trajectory of your first ball is almost always left to right, to throw straight at a 7 pin the ball path is now right to left.
I've been bowling for about 35 yrs. and I put my little and ring fingers in the holes and I use my thumb hole. In my stance, I have my thumb pointing straight up in my mind.. That makes my huckingest ball go straight. That's why I don't need a spare ball.
I didn't have a spare ball for the longest time and I'd always miss them a good percentage of time but after getting one I get about 75% of my spares now but this video still helps
I'm about to get a new spare ball because I'm throwing a spare ball right now that is too light. Has anyone thrown the new Black Widow Viz-a-ball and have an opinion on that over other spare balls?
I’m right handed and I find it easier to just hook my ball into the 7 or anything else on the left side. You get a more forgiving margin of error than going straight at it imho
I bowled with a guy in Maryland years ago who refused to shoot his spares. If he didn't strike, he hit the reset button, sat down and took an open frame. The League Secretary told him nothing in the rule book says he has to shoot his spares. lol
I personally think you all left out one important detail. Many people get upset or fear corner pin spares. Treat them just like every other single pin spare. Make your adjustments and don't worry that it is a certain pin. The rate for any single pin spare is not 100% on tour.....so don't beat yourself up if you miss them from time to time...it happens!
I'm a righty. There are days when I can't miss the 10-pin. It's just so easy. And then there are the days when... well, you know. So, even with knowing what to do, you still have to be able to hit your target to make your shot. And that is my problem. I look at the correct spot to throw the ball, but my arm & hand have other plans. I would have had 200+ in league this morning in the third game, but I missed the 10-pin twice. Very aggravating.
This would be amazing if you comment on this because I really need help. I have the black widow spare ball with the webs on it, and it hooks like crazy. I shoot 14 mph and when I’m aiming straight to the 10 pin it hits the 3. I even throw it without rotation but it’s insanely inaccurate because of how uncomfortable it is for me. But even if I put a little rotation on it it misses and hits the 6. People said I should polish it and idk what to do.
I agree with Quintin. Even though it says Black Widow Spare the core is going to make it hook a bit. Any of the balls with a pancake weight block is going to go straighter.
You said you were using 23 as your target point but then threw it consistently over 17. My #1 tip for shooting spares: Throw slower at spares. Smooth and easy.
Couple things that dramatically improved my spares: I kept my aiming point close on the pushout, but down the lane on the release for single pins. This both stopped me from short arming throws on occasion and accounted for any drifting and miscalculation on approach. The second was to lift weights. I lifted weights all through high school, but cut back to not be sore as often for bowling when I was on my college team my freshman year. This turned out to be a mistake as my bowling got worse even though I was bowling way more often (the perks of being on a team and having free bowling). Being sore here and there from the weightlifting was far outweighed by the control and ability to recover I had from being stronger and more athletic in general. Turns out a 15/16 pound ball isn't heavy when you're accustomed to moving much heavier weights on a regular basis.
Also, don't be afraid to get your spare ball re-drilled if it doesn't feel right. Got ovals instead of lifts in my first spare ball with the intention of it making me grab it less, but it just felt bad and was never comfortable with it so just started using a weaker urethane as my spare ball with great results, but I should really get the spare ball adjusted and use it.
Hooking into double woods (sleepers and buckets) is always better than going straight, so I still use 3-6-9 method (or similar board movement) for those. I also tend to hook into the central single pins if I know my strike path. I bowl a few different houses and their fresh oil conditions can vary considerably so straight/spare ball shooting will typically yield more consistent results with no guesswork (since there's no variation between houses when shooting straight). If my straight spare shooting happens to be lousy, I might revert to 3-6-9 for everything but corner pins. If I'm confident on my strike path, I might also hook into splits where I need to catch it very thin. Happy bowling!
As one of my high school teachers used to say, there’s no such thing as a dumb question before the test. The answer is yes, every bowling ball you use should be the same weight.
@@TheHouseBowling I bowl 2 handed and for spares I bowl one handed. I just can't seem to get the throw right I have a lot of balls going straight to the side and some hit "ok". Can't seem to get the right hook for a strike or any hook at all
Indeed, spares are CRITICAL to your score. Open frames absolutely KILL your score quickly .. you do NOT want open frames. If you can't make the strike, you GOTTA make the spare!
Once upon a time I had a 10 lb spare ball, you could really let that thing fly. I found a different way to pick up the washout. Lots of fun throwing that ball.
Freaking 10 pins kill my average and I get so frustrated. Sometimes my plastic hooks too much and its annoying. Sometimes I feel more confident making splits and washouts than I do a 10.
I dont understand why so many professionals have shiny spareballs. The ball Will hook late with the amount of revs those guys have. Slightly more surface and more speed with let the ball burn early. Predicticteble and better.
Hey, really love your show… But just so you know, a lot of us are leaving RUclips and moving over to Rumble . You should consider opening an account over there as well.
I feel like there’s no 1 “right” way to make some spares. Maybe besides the 7 and 10 pins (cross lane). I know some bowlers use the center arrow as their focal point and move left and right depending on which pin they are shooting at. Best tip I can offer is: hit the pins that are still standing ;)
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
The funny part is I know all these tips, but I still find a way to screw up spares. I'll flatten my hand a ton, and still find a way to bring it up over and make the ball move just enough to miss whatever pin(s) I am aiming for.
Just go in and practice. If your close enough with your center and the people who call the shots they may go back and rig the lane to cycle 1 pin at a time.
Some things that help me( which you may already know but I’ll say it anyways) is aiming your hips at your pin/desired spot and also making sure your release is near your ankle and not too far out.
Practice makes confidence🤷🏻♂️
To pick up any spare I just go the entire way to the right and throw it along the gutter, and depending where the pins are adjust my speed so the ball curves into the pins. If it’s the ten pin then it’s a 50/50 chance I’m gonna hit it lmao
@@muphmangler5673 not a great strategy for a sport shot but on a house shot it would work great if your consistent with it
For me, I’ve found that flattening my hand out, to the point of having it be “broken” in my stance, makes it so that my spare shots are straight and consistent. So yeah, holding the ball different definitely helps for two handers.
Super helpful tip that if seen plenty of great spare shooters use!
Agreed I definitely switch my hand positions when shooting spares as a two hander as well
what do you mean by broken? you’re not. cupping it?
@@trypprl467 only slightly cupped. For the most part, my dominant hand is flat. My dominant and non dominant form somewhat of a 90° right angle
Packy, any chance you can talk about your positioning of your feet on the approach? I swapped late 2019 to two-handed after a bad dog bite left me with nerve damage in my left thumb, and you're the pro that I get the most success from emulating but I'm curious about your logic when it comes to your feet on the approach.
Growing up bowling for YBC (Youth Bowling) in Ontario. I was taught to use a 3 6 9 board movement system to make spares. Still works for me to this day! I rarely miss :)
Packy I too am a lefty, missing a ton of 7 pins...personally I think that dropping the weight of my spare ball will help...I use 15 lbs...do you think a 14 lb spare ball will help??
I was literally watching these types of videos 30 mins before you uploaded. Good timing by the best bowling channel
What about Brunswick tzone? I have it, I draw straight lines toward my spares and hook a little with it. I need your opinion, maybe make a vid about it?
My tip for shooting the washout I learned from watching your friend Tim Gillick. Throwing the ball straight up (down?) 25 has a better chance of making it than moving your feet to the outside and trying to hit Brooklyn.
When I line up with my spare ball (C300 Bluedot), I tend to "break" my wrist and turn my hand slightly to the side, so when I release it, the ball goes straight. In the past, I've practiced using "low game" for my corners and recently tried using the 7 arrow challenge for my 10-pins, where you go for the 10-pin (I'm a righty) from each arrow on the lane.
Great advice. I tend to rotate my spare ball. I will practice staying up the back. Do you use plastic for the 2 4 7 8?
What work for me on straightening out my shot was to work on my thumb position on my release. Noticed if I throw up the back and aim my thumb toward the pin it generally works out
Sometimes a little backup goes a looong way!
I came back to this video after putting your tips to good use. Only a couple games and I already feel much more confident on my spares. I also bowl two handed and I knew I had to get more roll up the back of the ball, but that little adjustment in hand position at the start REALLY made a huge difference in being able to consistently keep the ball straight. No more hooking at 7 pins or throwing backup balls at 10 pins XD
0:50 I don’t have a spare ball all I have is a house ball I’m knew
My tip is mental, if your shooting a single pin excluding the 7 and 10, you only need to hit half the lane to hit that spare. If you take the width of the ball and the width of the pin and you double the width of the ballcause you can hit the pin on either side, you are taking up half the lane
What a great video, can't wait to try these drills. I just wish I had that pretty spare ball, that crown jewel looks so nice.
Get a white dot. They’re a great spare ball
Hey Packy! My name is Adam and I just wanted to say that it was an honor to meet you on this night. I remember walking into the alley for league, and got very excited to see the camera and then see you shooting a video. Just wanted to say that I ended up shooting 653, so I think you were a good luck charm😂. Anyways, just wanted to say hi again and that this video was very helpful! Keep it up!!
That’s awesome!! Glad you bowled well!!
I throw my strike ball for all my spares. For the 10 pin, I throw a backup ball. Haven't used a spare ball in over 2 years.
I hook every sparer besides the 4 & 7 pins, Im a lefty. My spare rate of about 70-80% so it's not too bad, However I will take your tips into my game because i know it would make me a better player.
Thank you Packy. I really appreciate the content that you are bringing to us bowlers that are willing to learn!!!! Thank you!
You mentioned you still look at the same spot for your 2-4-7 as you do for your 7 pin. What board adjusment do you make to differentiate your 7 pin angle and 2-4-7 angle? I've been shooting Around 90% on 7 pins and 10 pins but less on my 3-6-10 leaves.
Hard and straight. I converted myself to a 2 hander at age 45 but I still put a thumb in and go hard and straight at spares as I had worked on that for a long time before. Another thought is practice. A lot of bowlers don't realize how important spares are until they lose by that 1 or 2 pins. I grew up on AMF with shadow bowling, We could do that for free at my local center as a kid and you had to visualize things.
Spares are what separates some good players from great ones!
Frankie would be so proud!
One might say Frankie is “Inspirational”
I use a Pitch Blue for 10 pins and reactive for everything else, and I will use a practice game for 10 pins only. It works for me and have good results except for the occasional error.
Funny enough I watched this just because (already doing these things) but the slow-mo of your release was actually the biggest help... currently analyzing why I cant get my track off the fingers and its because I'm too much behind the ball upon release. Looking where your hand position was at release vs mine was enlightening and I think I know how to work on it
I started to struggle just recently with my corner pins since working months to change my hand position and release it down instead of hitting up through the ball. I cant get my non plastic not to hook at the last 4-6 feet right around the ten and either blowing by 7s gliding through the oil, or dropping in the gutter under a foot in front of the 7.... I am going to drill a plastic ball or a plastic/urethane for spares this month. I always used plastic as a junior and returning 20 years later, I guess somethings never change.
I've been wondering for years why even some pros have occasionally problems converting simple spares. To me the culprit is the mantra "hard and straight", more precisely the "hard". The most prominent example to me is Sean Rash. He throws his spare ball with tremendous speed, but often at the expense of accuracy, hence, missing single pin spares. Eugene McCune is also one of those guys. I have never understood that. A guy like Walter Ray Williams Jr is considered, for good reason, as one of the greatest spare shooters ever. He can not only through it straight, he is also super precise. And the latter is mainly because he considerably decreases velocity on his spare balls. As a last note, I think that every league bowler, but especially every Pro, must be capable of throwing a bowling ball dead straight, even a reactive resin ball. Just take a look at Norm Duke, another incredible spare shooter. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think he hadn't have a spare ball in a very long time. Sure, a spare ball helps. But to me, using a spare ball often seems to be an excuse for not having to learn the proper skills for throwing a ball straight.
As a fellow lefty what about the 3-9 what are your target boards and should i use my spare ball for that too
I find that the 3-9 for lefties and the 2-8 for righties are among the few spares where it’s better to hook at it with your strike ball.
@@janderson8401 i agree but i like to know and prove my precision i just wanted to see if pack did the same?
@@tonybarber420 in that case we shall await Packy’s answer. I suspect he does hook at it. When watching the pros on TV it seems like Walter Ray and Norm Duke are the only ones who would throw straight at the double wood.
@@janderson8401 yea i also agree on that. I doubt pack will respond it seems youtubers never do😔
With my Geico plastic ball I put 1500 grit trucut on it so I can use it for a strike ball when it is bone dry. But for my 7 pins I flatten my wrist and go up the back of the ball is rolling over the thumb hole. Your videos on spares and all of that has helped me out. I went from a 150 average to a 169 average but your tips and tricks that you show us. Then again out of all the house members your my favorite one .
Is your grip conventional in your spare ball? Same or different from strike ball? Thanks.
Super helpful. Is there any chance you could show spare pick ups when there's a bad or ruff break
I have a house ball I bought at goodwill and I’ll throw that at the dry and I can pick up any right side pins. Left side pins I’ll throw my hooking ball in the dry and slow it down
This was extremely helpful!!! I can't wait to try these out during practice!!! Especially for me as a lefty !!!
This is my home bowling center!! That's insane to see this on here a year later
Love the production quality my guy. Different angles, good audio and good pace. Love to see it!
We have that second game built into our scoring it’s called last pin standing it’s really cool! You leave the head pin on the first ball it’s a strike on the 2nd ball it’s a spare and when you hit it you get a gutter. When it is hit on the first ball however it is a double gutter.
I'm a left handed, no thumb bowler. I'm not two handed. Not near the caliber, but like a lefty Tom Daugherty.
To make my 7 pin, I have a Tzone drilled with a thumb hole that I use to bowl straight. For other spares, I release the ball like a no thumb delivery except with my thumb inserted because of the balance hole rule and I don't want two spare balls. I bowl straight at my spares now rather than hook at them with my strike ball because I learned on patterns that not a THS that it's not a good practice.
Hey Packy. Do you continue to look at 23 for non corner pins also and just adjust your feet? I usually use 20 as my point and I throw spares very hard and straight. Tens and sevens are good but lately I’ve been missing spares not on the edges which is an abnormal funk for me
What size ball do y’all use for a spare ball?
I started bowling at an early age, forgot exact age. My ball was the Brunswick Black Beauty rubber ball. My style was unlike anything anyone ever saw. Probably even stranger to watch me bowl than some of the other unusual styles like Ron Williams. What I did was since I can copy physical movement (a talent). I copied a variety of professional bowlers shots. Making the copy my own. Each style would give me a variety of things that I could do. if the lanes had a lot of oil and I didn't need much speed. Then I would use styles like Wayne Webb, Carmen Salvino, etc.. If I needed a little more speed but still not much hook then I would use my version of Marshal Holman or Del Ballard Jr. If the lanes were about average as far as oil goes. Then I would have shots were I would hold the ball at waist level that would allow me to get just a little more loft as well as decent speed like Nelson Burton Jr, Walter Ray Williams Jr, Brian Voss, etc... Then when the lanes were dry and I needed a lot of loft I would cut the hook down and use ones like Dick Weber, Earl Anthony, etc... So I was like a golfer in bowling as far as styles. Each style represented a club in golf. Need better break point control and high accuracy I would use Earl Anthony.
For spares, till I learned how to make my own version of Holman's straight shot. Also I wanted to say that I used the same ball for strikes and spares. I would flatten the shot as best as I could and use a lot of speed. I never drifted in my approach like some pros do. I would first draw a line from the arrow that I would want the ball to roll over to the side of the pin that I wanted to spare. If it was the ten pin I would draw the line where I would hit the pin on the left side of the pin, the right side on the seven. Now for spares that I could hook the ball I would move around 3-5 boards right if I missed right and hook the ball at the spare and would usually spare the shot. That is unless that part of the lane was unpredictable. If it was unpredictable then I would just throw a straight ball at it. I made a lot of spares. When we bowled as a family for about 20+ years i shot around a 170 average for three games. I got to meet Dick Weber in person and even Marshal Holman in person. They said watching me bowl like them was eerie. They wouldn't want me to turn pro because they wouldn't want me to beat them using their own style. But I told them correctly that if I did use their style and was lined up. That would line them up because they know their style and equipment better than me.
I do the 3 board tech and use plastic.
For some people I've worked with in the past flattening their hand out or coming up the back of it is a mental block and they have trouble with it. I will normally tell them that in the interim if you slightly speed up your footwork and ball speed it should compensate. Not trying to kill it but maybe like a 5% increase.
Me personally I almost come out of spares backwards.
I'm sure when you played Candlepin (minus the video you showed), you easily left just the head pin. I do that often. :)
Packy, an easy tip for your spares is to just throw a strike! If I leave a single pin I just reset the rack because I should get a strike every time.
Yep, the game is a lot easier and a lot more fun when you only throw 1 ball per frame............except the 10th of course
I’m averaging 199 in league this season but notice my spare game has been shit lately. I find myself just “doing it” when I go up to spare as opposed actually knowing what to aim for. I find myself switching between the dots and the arrows as targets. I’m like 70 percent on 10s (I’m a righty) and I’m good on 7s but I don’t shoot straight at them, I hook them. I want to learn to shoot straight at them but I just don’t trust my target or even know what to look at.
Curious to where you are standing for all those shots given you are using the same target.
I am averaging 204 so far this league year. Up 10+ pins from last year. It's all pretty much spares for my average. I am usually only having 2 to 4 opens a night. Half is usually splits.
I practice corners in warm ups and not so much strikes. This seems to help me target for strikes and helps me feel confident when I do leave 10s or 7s
How heavy should you go with a spare ball?
I am so not qualified to give tips on spares...i do everything weird. I throw a extreme backup ball at right side spares, i throw a backup for washouts and stuff like 2-10s and 2-8-10s, i hook at pretty much all spares.
I like to think im a above average league bowler in the 205+ avg area but i definitely do it weird. I use to drive my coaches insane as a kid. At one point i would fight with them and they would just call me a lost cause. Tho i did have this one coach who believed in me and gave me the best advice. "if it works don't change it, and don't let anyone make you change it" and i applied that to bowling ever since.
I bowl two finger style, but when it’s just a 10 pin I switch to three finger. Seems to help a lot, but that’s always a tough one for me.
I actually do the osku polarma windup for my spares and it actually works out pretty good for me
For either corner pin I cross lane it
Crown Jewel is shockinly straight, like really. Got mine last week and it almost seems to back up when I'm shooting spares, which is great for somebody like me who can't throw it straight
You are delusional. Any plastic ball polished will go straight. All the same.
@@quickplaya Not on the Ultra-high friction conditions I normally bowl on. I also have a Maxim, a White Dot and a Rhino Plastic and they all hook on me on dry. Crown Jewel is the only spare ball ever to go 100% straight for me on the old lanes with mineral oil
The crown jewel is an extra little bit straighter not going to lie it took me some getting used to!!
I'm right handed, yet the 4 and 7 pins give me headaches. Ironically, the 6 and 10 pins I'll make 90% of the time. Is that normal?
I think there are two factors at work. One is that the 4&7 are ‘supposed’ to be easy if you’re right handed and bowlers either rush the shot without thinking because it’s easy or they tense up because they don’t want to embarrass themselves by missing an easy spare. The other factor is that the trajectory of your first ball is almost always left to right, to throw straight at a 7 pin the ball path is now right to left.
What is on his fingers i wear away my fingers and I'm using a bowling tape what kind is this
I try the 3-6-10 based on your recommendation. I normally hook it in
Let me know how it goes for ya!!
@@TheHouseBowling I did try. I don't have a big enough example yet to say I am better. But I was perfect 1 for 1 last night.
Like the spare practice games - keeps practice a bit more fun.
I make sure the ball rolls over that thumb hole when I shoot for my seven pins so I know it's not going to move at all.
That’s one way to KNOW it’s not hooking hahaha
I've been bowling for about 35 yrs. and I put my little and ring fingers in the holes and I use my thumb hole. In my stance, I have my thumb pointing straight up in my mind.. That makes my huckingest ball go straight. That's why I don't need a spare ball.
I didn't have a spare ball for the longest time and I'd always miss them a good percentage of time but after getting one I get about 75% of my spares now but this video still helps
Thank you
I'm about to get a new spare ball because I'm throwing a spare ball right now that is too light. Has anyone thrown the new Black Widow Viz-a-ball and have an opinion on that over other spare balls?
I’m right handed and I find it easier to just hook my ball into the 7 or anything else on the left side. You get a more forgiving margin of error than going straight at it imho
3-6-9 all the way. Once I got my head wrapped around it, my average went up 20 points in like 2 weeks.
Why hook when have only 1 or 2 pins?
I bowled with a guy in Maryland years ago who refused to shoot his spares. If he didn't strike, he hit the reset button, sat down and took an open frame. The League Secretary told him nothing in the rule book says he has to shoot his spares. lol
What is the weight of your spare ball?
I personally think you all left out one important detail. Many people get upset or fear corner pin spares. Treat them just like every other single pin spare. Make your adjustments and don't worry that it is a certain pin.
The rate for any single pin spare is not 100% on tour.....so don't beat yourself up if you miss them from time to time...it happens!
The mental aspect is big!
I'm a righty. There are days when I can't miss the 10-pin. It's just so easy. And then there are the days when... well, you know. So, even with knowing what to do, you still have to be able to hit your target to make your shot. And that is my problem. I look at the correct spot to throw the ball, but my arm & hand have other plans. I would have had 200+ in league this morning in the third game, but I missed the 10-pin twice. Very aggravating.
The 23 board is from the left...correct
This would be amazing if you comment on this because I really need help. I have the black widow spare ball with the webs on it, and it hooks like crazy. I shoot 14 mph and when I’m aiming straight to the 10 pin it hits the 3. I even throw it without rotation but it’s insanely inaccurate because of how uncomfortable it is for me. But even if I put a little rotation on it it misses and hits the 6. People said I should polish it and idk what to do.
I don’t wipe my ball either because that hooks to the center pin.
I’d invest in a spare ball without an aggressive core like that. I personally use a white dot.
I agree with Quintin. Even though it says Black Widow Spare the core is going to make it hook a bit. Any of the balls with a pancake weight block is going to go straighter.
You said you were using 23 as your target point but then threw it consistently over 17.
My #1 tip for shooting spares: Throw slower at spares. Smooth and easy.
He’s left handed, so that is 23 for him.
@@hamboner2 That makes more sense. But I was not aware that boards were counted in reverse for left handers.
It would have been good if you showed us where to stand like what boards dots stand left side or right side.
Maintain that same level of aggressiveness that you use when you throw your first ball.
Couple things that dramatically improved my spares: I kept my aiming point close on the pushout, but down the lane on the release for single pins. This both stopped me from short arming throws on occasion and accounted for any drifting and miscalculation on approach. The second was to lift weights. I lifted weights all through high school, but cut back to not be sore as often for bowling when I was on my college team my freshman year. This turned out to be a mistake as my bowling got worse even though I was bowling way more often (the perks of being on a team and having free bowling). Being sore here and there from the weightlifting was far outweighed by the control and ability to recover I had from being stronger and more athletic in general. Turns out a 15/16 pound ball isn't heavy when you're accustomed to moving much heavier weights on a regular basis.
Also, don't be afraid to get your spare ball re-drilled if it doesn't feel right. Got ovals instead of lifts in my first spare ball with the intention of it making me grab it less, but it just felt bad and was never comfortable with it so just started using a weaker urethane as my spare ball with great results, but I should really get the spare ball adjusted and use it.
I have a big drift so look at my mark and when walking look at the arrow closest to my feet
Does no one use the 3-6-9 method anymore?
Hooking into double woods (sleepers and buckets) is always better than going straight, so I still use 3-6-9 method (or similar board movement) for those. I also tend to hook into the central single pins if I know my strike path. I bowl a few different houses and their fresh oil conditions can vary considerably so straight/spare ball shooting will typically yield more consistent results with no guesswork (since there's no variation between houses when shooting straight). If my straight spare shooting happens to be lousy, I might revert to 3-6-9 for everything but corner pins. If I'm confident on my strike path, I might also hook into splits where I need to catch it very thin. Happy bowling!
What is the “East Coast” definition of a washout? On the West Coast it is a split with the head pins still standing like the 1,2,4-10…
Same! But for lefties it’s 1-3-6-7
Great Video! I been struggling lately hitting my spares (10 Pin) but this helped greatly!
Glad I could assist!
probably a dumb question, should your spare ball be the same weight as your primary balls?
As one of my high school teachers used to say, there’s no such thing as a dumb question before the test. The answer is yes, every bowling ball you use should be the same weight.
Dang I really need to get that ball or just use a house ball
I have a huge problem with flattening out my wrist😭 If you are a two handed, no matter how you throw it, it will hook.
My problem is consistency with my release
I've found my percentage of picked up spares increase when I throw straight at it
My strategy is to try and be completely up the back of the ball with no axis rotation. This helps me get my 10/9 pins.
How about a video on how to throw a ball correctly and with power + stance, and everything around ?
I been bowling for a few months now and I suck ass
You’ve only been bowling a few months, don’t be too hard on yourself!! Do you bowl 2 handed or 1?
@@TheHouseBowling I bowl 2 handed and for spares I bowl one handed.
I just can't seem to get the throw right I have a lot of balls going straight to the side and some hit "ok". Can't seem to get the right hook for a strike or any hook at all
Indeed, spares are CRITICAL to your score. Open frames absolutely KILL your score quickly .. you do NOT want open frames. If you can't make the strike, you GOTTA make the spare!
What's up guys it's me packy from the house. And I'm gonna show you how to bowl good but not good enough to make it onto tv.
I was told to use 20 by multiple people as my target for spares but I see the pros use like 23 like you do Packy.
OK. What do you think about this tip? Use a spare ball that's a couple pounds lighter you can throw it faster and it deflects more.
Once upon a time I had a 10 lb spare ball, you could really let that thing fly. I found a different way to pick up the washout. Lots of fun throwing that ball.
You left the 5 pin on the head pin game =-)
Practice spares. 245 and 310, 36910
Here is a tip use a wild looking spare ball that can't be confused for your strike ball and if you miss it is very embarrassing.
😂😂 I like that
I miss the DV8 viz-a-ball
Freaking 10 pins kill my average and I get so frustrated. Sometimes my plastic hooks too much and its annoying. Sometimes I feel more confident making splits and washouts than I do a 10.
I dont understand why so many professionals have shiny spareballs. The ball Will hook late with the amount of revs those guys have. Slightly more surface and more speed with let the ball burn early. Predicticteble and better.
😐
Shiny spare balls at 20mph almost never hook
i could have used this an hour ago. missed 4 7 pins and a 10 pin today to cost me 40 pins
Hey, really love your show… But just so you know, a lot of us are leaving RUclips and moving over to Rumble . You should consider opening an account over there as well.
I can't give tips to pick up spares because i don't pick up my spares. maybe if I practiced a little .
I feel like there’s no 1 “right” way to make some spares. Maybe besides the 7 and 10 pins (cross lane). I know some bowlers use the center arrow as their focal point and move left and right depending on which pin they are shooting at. Best tip I can offer is: hit the pins that are still standing ;)
Im a kid and can't even hold a 6 pound ball can u help FYI im 10