How to Shoot Basic Spares In Bowling

This Is A Basic Spare Shooting Guide For Beginners

After you have learned the 4 step approach and the basic targeting or line bowling for a strike shot. Now you can learn basic spare shooting.

Good Spare Shooting Is Very Important In Bowling.
Probably one of the most important things in bowling is shooting spares. This is often overlooked or taken for granted, yet is preached to bowlers by coaches over and over again. I think one reason we take spares for granted is there is not the same gratification in knocking down a spare as rolling a strike.

Even myself, after looking at my scores in league play, I realize that 3 or 4 open frames add up to about 10 to 20 pins for each missed spare. If I had converted those spares what would my score have been? Bowlers at the beginner level should take spare shooting almost more seriously than rolling a strike.

The golden rule is move your feet the opposite direction of your spare. So if you are right handed and you leave the 7 pin, you should move about 9 or 10 boards right on the approach with your feet and shoot your ball across your strike spot with your follow threw toward the pin. The same is true of the 10 pin; move 9 or 10 boards left and shoot cross lane at the pin.

For the 3 and 6 pin area, or the 2 and 4 pin area, the same is true with these spares, but you do not move your feet as far. An example, for the 2-4 pins move your feet right half the distance of your 7 pin. So if you move your feet 10 boards right for the 7 pin, you would now move them 3 to 5 boards for the 2-4 pins and shoot your ball cross lane with your follow threw. The same is true for the 3-6, move your feet left about half the distance of your 10 pin shot and shoot cross lane at the 3-6 area and remember to follow threw.

Please note: This is just a general area and it will take some trial and error for you to find your comfort zone. There are some illustrations below that will give you a mental image of what I am trying to say.

Well Good Luck And Practice is the Key.

Shooting a 7 pin Shooting a 10 pin

Shooting the 2 - 4 pins Shooting the 3 - 6 pins