Hi everyone! I am just getting back into bowling after a 7 year hiatus. The last few years I bowled I was carrying a 180-190 average in 2 house leagues. I have been bowling now for about the last 2 months about 8 games per week and am having a problem with all right hand spares (I am right handed by the way). I absolutely cannot pick up anything on the right side. I think it is some kind of mental thing as I don't seem to have a problem with left side or center spares. I just can't seem to hit my mark on the right side of the lane. I'm not even close most of the time. I'm staying near the pocket on all my strike balls but those 10s and 6-10 spares are killing me. I'm getting really frustrated. I don't understand why I can hit my marks center and left, but miss it so badly on the right side. If anyone has any suggestions I sure would appreciate it. Thanks!

Are you using a spare ball or using your strike ball? If you are using your strike ball, are you "deadening" your hand/wrist?

You might need to check your alignment. It could be that you're not lining up properly to your mark once you hit the foul line. Either that or your getting into other bad habits in trying to force the ball. I find that a little bit of loft helps me with all of my spares along with opening the wrist (bending my hand to where the knuckles face the floor).


Edit: Forgot to mention you should be using a plastic spare ball. This is good for not only taking the oil out of play, but also prolonging the life of your expensive reactives.

Sorry. I should have mentioned that I'm using a plastic spare ball. My problem is not a matter of hooking past the pins and missing that way. I am plain just not hitting my mark. I know as soon as the ball leaves my hand that I missed my mark, but I can't seem to correct the problem. The fact that I can pick up the majority of my center and left side spares makes me think I have some kind of goofy mental block but I don't know.

Could be alignment problem. Maybe your ending up squared to the foul line instead of being squared to your target. I had the same problem for a while. Other than that could be mental or just lack of practice on spares. Maybe go and just shoot a whole game at those spares.

Are you using different marks for different right side pins, or using the same mark?

It sounds to me like you throw the ball pretty straight--otherwise, you'd be able to throw an inside strike shot with the plastic ball and at least carry the 6.

You probably just need some practice, going for that shot and nothing else for a couple of games at a time. If your other shots all go right to left, it's no wonder you're more comfortable with those lines.

I would move a half board right ot carry the 10 pin first of all. Second if I were you I'd stand on the filler board (39 board) and throw across the lane and aim for anywhere between 20-15 for the 10 and the the 6,10. The way I do it is I point my toes at the pins and have my arm and the ball aligned with the pins. The tricky part is not walking at the pins too steeply because you'll put in the gutter or take out the ten in the 6,10 and leave the 6 (I've done it 3 times in the last week).

It could be a mental block. A lot of people (righties) hate throwing at right side spares for one reason or another. Most misses I would say are because people are letting the previous shot affect them and they aren't ready, mentally, to throw their second ball but go ahead anyways and miss. But you have to go about it the same way you attack the pins on your first ball and how you attack the remaining pins on your center and left side spares. So it or they are still standing, instead of getting mad or upset at yourself, stay cool and put down the reamining pin(s). Then you can get mad afterwards while your teammates are bowling (kidding).

How do you usually react to leaving a ten pin or the 6,10? And then how do you feel when you go to pick them up?

The easy way is simple. Just draw a line from the pin to you. Where the line end on the lane.. you should be aligned to the target or spot on the lane that you are comfortable hitting. Some like to throw far out, other like to aim closed. Whatever you are comfortable with.

By aligned. Shoulder, ball and feet should all be pointing at your target.

I find that if I don't properly prepare for the shot, I nearly always pull it. I started taking my time on my spares and it's given me my first clean game (finally!). I usually line a shot up with an arrow or an adjacent board and I focus on getting the ball to the arrow. I also line the ball to the arrow, and adjust my body as needed. Finally, if I'm going to do anything outside a free swing, I figure that out before I start bowling (usually, I follow through with my ring and pinky fingers).

I also focus a lot of my attention on the ball's path during the approach. It should be straight and free-flowing, unless you've got an approach that compensates for any drift.