If practice is boring you aren't practicing properly, or are just playing the same old line over and over, or just are needing a break from the game.

First practicing on a house pattern is hard if you want to learn to play different angles and still score, the key is don't worry about the score. Some of the more extreme angles just are not going to carry well on a house pattern so play these when you are working on your spare game as you will leave more spares to shoot. The key here is to keep the ball in play and make subtle adjustments to carry better.

When playing the twig on a house pattern you should use your spare ball because the oil is so light outside the 10 board on most house patterns, if you are lucky enough to have a house that allows you to use modern equipment outside then stay in one spot as long as you can then exhaust every adjustment possible to stay in the same place as long as you can, then move in and try to find a line to exploit the dry boards you just created and then move again deeper and get the ball out to the same point and stay there for at least three strikes in a row to make sure you didn't get lucky or a fluke strike before moving again and still get the ball out to the same point.

When you are working on fundamentals, concentrate on just that one aspect of your game, then quit when you lose concentration, stop practicing you are done, staying past that will incorporate bad habits into your game so know when to just walk away then come back when you have a fresh attitude toward working on the same aspect of your game before moving on to the next.

You shouldn't try playing different lines until you are sound fundamentally, playing different lines when you are tripping and stumbling your way to the line with bad timing and a poorly fit ball isn't accomplishing anything, work on fundamentals until you have a properly fit ball, a repeatable approach and several consistent release options before playing all over the lane. Sucking from the 5th arrow is the same as sucking from the second arrow.

WOW - I didnt think there were that many opinions out there. I definitely need to work on spares more then I need to work on a strike ball. Maybe what I'll do is when I bring my wife is have her throw all the first balls and i can clean all her spares.

Sounds like a fun time. Any time that you can get the old lady to the lanes, take advantage

I like doing Scotch Doubles to help on my spare game. Before Christmas a few of us on my Saturday league used to stay after league and do Scotch Doubles pot games. Come to think of it my spare game hasn't really been as good since we stopped. The house my Tuesday men's league will be in next season holds weekly Scotch tournaments over the summer where they randomly team up a lower and higher average bowler and bowl either 4 or 5 games across 4 or 5 pairs.

I love practice. No idea why, I've just always enjoyed it.

If you want to make any fundamental changes in your shot, now's the time to start: the way I look at it, I've got about five months before I need to be halfway decent again. Are you happy with your speed, revs, accuracy? Videotape yourself (or get a coach) and see what you can do about it.

I know some people who like to go open bowling, worry about score and call it practice. I tell them that is not practice. One has told me he is working on his release but he tries for his spares. If I am working on my strike release I throw a strike attempt on every shot. If I'm working on my straight release I go at the corners on every shot.

Cal for fun try throwing your straight ball for strikes, this way you will learn to relax on your strike shot instead of trying to make the ball hook, you will also leave tough spares to convert that will make normal spare leaves easier, and you might also learn to play the lanes from a different angle.

I've decided not to practice until I get my equipment refitted, which I should be doing next week. When I start again I'll give the straight ball for strikes a try. I assume you mean throw it straight and not a hook release? To work on spares at one point I would just roll a reactive down the lane with a normal release but at a different mark than I would if I was looking to score and then shoot the plastic to clean up the mess. My current spare problems have been not lining up correctly, then not walking parallel to my line and trying to make up for it with the arm swing and muscle the ball way too much. When I do all of this correctly I'm deadly on spares, unfortunately I have not done it all correctly that much recently.

rolling over a mark that you know won't strike, with a strike ball and release, might be a good way to practice as well. Since you are not trying to strike, you should take some pressure off yourself. You can still work on accuracy, having a good clean release, and as a bonus, you can work on reading the lanes. When you are throwing further inside than you should, how much longer does the ball go? Learn to watch how the roll changes when the ball skids more than usual. If you're playing further out than you know you should, you can teach yourself to watch for signs of early hook and roll-out.