My spare game is disappearing! For two reasons and the first showed its ugly head in the first two games tonight in league. I missed 4 out of 6 ten pins. I was 0 for 1 on 7 pins as well as the 6,10. And I missed 3 other easy makable spares. A 162, 163, and 222 was my series tonight. You never would've guessed that I would miss those spares by the way I was hitting them in practice. But I think my mental game fell apart a little when it came to those spares in the games, plain and simple, bad Execution.

Now the last game my spare game was disappearing because I didn't have to throw as many because I found the 1,3 pocket and took out all ten a lot more. Also by this time I was starting to get a little irritated with the corner pin misses and I decided to go back to the way I used to throw spares and it worked (hooking my Scout Reactive at my spares).

Unfortuneately I realized a little too late in the night that I was bending my knee too much and it was causing me to be very low when I released the ball, which threw off my release point, which didn't allow me to put the ball where I wanted to i.e. pull the ball, chicken winging, and no lift on the ball, which lead to low scores and inconsistent reactions. But I realized what was going on and corrected it in time to have a much better last game.

Demo, I am having spare trouble too. I am averaging 2+ opens per game, and still hit over 200. I have fixed the first ball, but spares are killing the game.

I am finding two things are the cause:
First, I am not trusting the ball on right side spares to the point where I have slowed down and allowed my hook to take me out of the shot. I miss to the left constantly. I cherry the 6 off the 10 or the 3 off the 6 all the time. I have gone back to my spare ball, with very little success. Practice today, just on this. It's a matter of trust. How can I pick up a 6-7 last week, yet miss 3 tens?

Secondly, on others, I tend to steer the ball to the spare and don't let the ball roll. As a result, I don't target well. Why is my release different on the second ball over the first? Subconsciously, I thing I am worried about loss of ball reaction when I cross center oil, or start in the center oil for a spare.

I have to beat this. It costs me 20 pins per game.

Demo, unless your right knee is touching the floor, there is no such thing as bending your knees too far. Your release point is being thrown off by you muscling the down swing, bending the knees has never done anything but make a release stronger.

In Genral, your spare game can be thrown off by many different factors, here are some of the most common:

1. Alignment. When you get to the line you are square to the foul line instead of square to your target.

2. Trying to hook the ball at your spares. If you hook the ball at your spares you are at the mercy of the dry and oily patches on the lane, if you hit either of those your shot will either hook too much or not enough.

3. Trying to throw the ball too hard at your spares. This throws your timing off to the point that it creeps into your strike game as well. Remember if you are throwing the ball straight at your spares, you don't need to throw it fast, just straight.

I would have to say that all of the corner pins that I missed was probably a result of the 3rd one. I was probably throwing them a bit harder than in practice. But then I started hooking my Scout Reactive at the corner pins like I used to and I took out the ten pins that I left. I do throw the my Scout Reactive ball as straight as possible, I adjust my finger position so that my index finger is in tight and my little finger is out wide and come up the back of the ball.

Also I was having a little bit of trouble with the alignment but I think I was just throwing the ball too hard.

Dennis, I was the opposite, the angle at which I approach the corner pins was too steap last night and I left of the 7 pin and right of the 10 pin twice. I also missed a 6 pin but got the 10 pin in a 6,10 leave. That burned me up a little.

I can't figure out why my targeting has gone to hell and high water as well. I can't figure out how to hit the spots or lines to pick up spare. It up and vanished. I think it is because I don't quite know the reaction of Cell at different parts of the lane.

I changed the way I throw my spares in my summer league. I moved the index finger in tight and the pinkie out wide. It has produced an "over the finger holes" release for me. Which is dead straight. My mental thought for spares is that I will pick them up moving my feet. My avgerage has went from a 197 in the fall to a 208 in the summer. Even though it is a different house my enemy was my single pin/easy multi pin spares.

I throw straight at every spare except double wood and the bucket. Every so often I get fast with the feet or I muscle my armswing and whif a ten. Lately I have been on the mark.

I use the same finger position as you, Matrix. While it doesn't Track completely over the holes, I do catch the edge of the thumb hole. I was able to throw any of the equipment I owned dead straight like that with a broken wrist and straight up the back of the ball. Of course the issue started to become accuracy, between my swing coming behind me and muscling the ball.

All of my balls are reactive and when I use that finger position my balls go pretty straight but the Cell hooks a tiny bit on the backend at the very last second.

And come on Matrix, the bucket and double woods aren't that tough to pick throwing a straight ball. As a matter of fact the conversion percentages for the double woods are about the same. The bucket might be a little easier with a hooking ball but I think you could get it down with a straight ball just as easy. In reality it is all a matter of how confident you are about how accurate you think or know you are with a straight ball and a reactive ball.

Norm Duke says he hardest routine spare is the Bucket. I happen to agree. Who an I to disagree with Norm?

I would agree that the bucket is the hardest routine spare to pick up. I think either way you throw the ball straight or with a hook it doesn't really matter as long as you have the confidence to make the shot.

Double wood and the bucket are 2 of the only spares you see most pros hook the ball at.

There are just so many different ways to leave something on the bucket no matter what your style for picking it up. I believe Norm likes to go straight up the lane at it pushing the 2 pin straight back into the 8 pin with the ball pushing through and catching the 4 and 5 pins. As long as he's not completely off, at most he leaves a pin. I think this way is the best.

Other ways of doing it, such as hooking, or even coming at an angle can be a little unpredictable, kicking some pins around.

There is always the risk of deflection with a straight ball, and a chop with a hook for double wood spares.

I tend to play a hook. Rarely miss a 2-8 or 3-9, but the 2-4-5-8 has given me trouble. I usually leave the 5, and if I play right more, the 8 stays. I have changed to playing more of a straight line rather than cross, and it seems to be helping. It's a matter of correct targeting.

Where I will often hit both the 2 and 8 with the ball, I don't on the bucket.

That was my point, either way has risks, but straight takes any lane condition out of the equation, but requires accuracy. Hooking at them puts you at the mercy of the lanes while needing a little less accuracy. A hang spot and the ball slides a little further maybe deflecting, or missing a front pin or all of them, or a dry spot and it takes off.

Throwing straight at all spares will help you when you bowl on sports shots and the PBA patterns. The lane is basically out of the equation unless the lanes are bone dry. For me its usually...If I hit my mark (on easier spares) I just turn around and walk away and wait for the sound. but yea...Shooting straight at your spares is the way to go. Your accuracy will be so much better when you get good at it and your spare percentages will go up to...give it a shot and see how it goes :]

Of course there are pros and cons of throwing a straight ball vs a hooking ball. But I would have to agree with Recobbs and Cal. Throwing a straight ball is a much better way to become more accurate, and take the lane out of the equation. You have to get used to throwing a straight ball at certain spares and learn how and where to throw the ball at those spares.