I've found that when I have one or two pins to hit, I just loosen up, let my arm swing freely and point my white dot at them, and it works better than thinking about it. I am much more upright and don't use my balance arm as much in this frame of mind (get it?) and it's thrown me off before, but in general it helps me.

Now, why not do the same thing with your first ball? Relax and just loosen up, let it swing and let it roll off your hand.

Of course it helps. Perhaps it is also because you are taking your time. You aren't all gung-ho let's throw the ball just because, which allows you to achieve a freer swing. Taking your time is a part of spare shooting that can often get overlooked. But it's how WRW one his nickname Deadeye.

Why do they say "throw it hard and straight" then? Is there an inverse relationship between relaxing and throwing it hard?

Because for the pros, if they let up on the speed, the plastic is going to hook. When you have the revs in your release that they do, plastic hooks.

Erin

Exactly!

Don't most of them throw end-over-end for spares? I watched a lot of them throw spares, and with a few exceptions like Mike Scroggins, Pete Weber or Tommy Jones, most of the times I've seen, the ball doesn't seem to hook at all. Especially those players that throw reactive for spares.

Norm Duke, Walter Ray Williams Jr, and Mike Machuga throw end over end. Wes malot throws it end over end a lot of the time too. There's probably more, but I'm pretty sure Chris Barnes, Sean Rash, and Rhino Page, in addition to the ones you listed, have some rotation. They've flattened out the release some, either the most that they can or the most that they're comfortable with. The speed at which they throw does the rest for them. Unless I throw as fast as them my plastic ball will hook too if I have any rotation on it.

Even throwing it hard and straight it should be a relaxed swing. Just move the ball up in the stance and move back a little on the approach to keep the same timing.

Two points:

1 - My wife beats me half the time, every week, with her white dot. She hooks it at 10-11 mph. Of course, I beat her with my Lane #1 (15 mph) half the time too...

2 - My spare ball (12 mph) doesn't even roll until halfway down the lane. In other words, a total skid, as if it were on ice. To pick up single pin spares, I stand at a specific spot and throw at a specific arrow.

- end -

not relevant, but I like to talk:

I do not use my spinner/helicopter for spares.

My ball count is up to 10 (just bought a very-used Vortex), but not all of them are drilled yet. Two have gotten 9 strikes - Brunswick Monster and Roto Grip Epic Quest. But the Lane #1 is most consistent.