All of your equipment should be the same... weight, fit, feel etc.

You should be able to deliver it the exact same way that you throw your strike ball (assuming the lanes aren't bone dry, that is). That way, your release is consistent.

Many will use the same release, some will change the release even with a spare ball for added measure to ensure it doesn't hook. Several on this site, me included can throwing the most aggressive ball dead straight on most house shots and some can do it on sport patterns with no issue. I quit doing it when I started to find inconsistencies in my release, and actually at one point was barely hooking the ball. On occasion I will still do that but for most right side spares I throw the plastic ball with my same release.

Using a conventionally drilled spare ball isn't about versatility in bowling if you have a finger tip grip strike ball. Versatility is changing the hand position, amount of cupping and cocking in the wrist, slower or faster ball speed and being able to play multiple areas of the lane in order to hit the pocket and score.

Cal, I bought the new Taboo, and it comes with the free Taboo Spare ball... never had a spare ball before... I could always pick up spares, including the 10-pin, pretty well with the strike ball by just killing the roll. Every once in a while, mostly on the 10-pin, I would ever so slightly get some turn/lift on it, and I would miss left. However, after using the plastic ball for two weeks now I am finding that spares are easier, AND I think my release is more consistent. It makes sense, I get to rev the ball now on every shot. On our Brunswick AnviLanes with USBC Blue pattern, it moves a smooth,easy five boards every time.

Trek, does the taboo spare move more boards on that oattern than other plastics you see in use? I'm interested in the effect of the core in it.

Trek, I just had my taboo spare delivered and I was curious how you had the spare drilled in comparison to the taboo blue/silver?

It's hard to say... it doesn't move much... not much friction to work with. There's another guy in the league who's got one too, and he has been using a Lind's Laser... they seem to be very similar going down the lane. Imo, the core isn't going to make any difference at all on a slick condition... synthetic lanes with oil... the time when it might prove useful is on a really dry lane when you're using it as a strike ball. Then, with the increased friction, the core can actually do something.

Honestly don't know. I wasn't even sure I was going to keep it... never had a spare ball before. So, when I decided to give it a go, I just told him to drill it up to fit. I'll take a look tomorrow at both of them...

I have finger/thumb inserts on all my conventional grips.
I prefer the inserts as they give more hold on the ball without having to grip.
Also all the holes are pitched towards the middle, (forward pitch) so my fingers and thumb curl towards each other, so when I pick up the ball I don’t have to grip it.
The ball just hangs in my hand at my side like a suitcase with your fingers and thumb linked under the handle.

The finger inserts help a lot too in getting forward rotation on a straight ball so it rolls and does not slide.

A conventional grip should not be fit tight like a finger tip grip, is should be ‘slightly’ loose, especially in the thumb with the pitch making up the difference in hold.

There is no danger at all in using inserts for conventional (I have never had a ball stick or hurt me ever) and there are many advantages as far as ease of grip and extra forward lift/roll on the ball.

The technique for throwing a straight conventional ball is definitely different from throwing a full fingertip hook. You will have to make an adjustment in your grip and release when going back and forth. I started out straight/conventional and then advanced to fingertip/hook. I am able to use a conventional grip for spares and fingertip hook for the strike. But this muscle memory required a lot of time only rolling straight and then adopting hook. So my body can go back and forth the way a pitcher can throw a fast ball and a curve.

When the super dry lanes we have in league break down in the end of the second game I switch to the conventional/straight roller to maintain my average since the hook just dies out at that point and will only cause splits or weird spare leaves.

I am considering picking up a “Taboo Spare” to use as a late match strike ball.
The “Taboo Spare” is plastic but also has that wicked “Black Widow” core.
So if drilled with the right layout it should retain a lot of energy on a dry lane and still roll right over and strike pretty hard even with a straight ‘roll’.

Hope this helps.