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The spare is where most recreational bowlers give away 20–30 pins a game without even realizing it. Strikes get all the glory, but spares are the foundation of a consistent score. If you can regularly convert your single-pin spares, your average will climb faster than almost anything else you can work on.
Let me walk you through the system I teach every student — from beginners to competitive league bowlers.
Why Spare Shooting Is a Skill Most Bowlers Neglect
Most bowlers treat spares as an afterthought. They grab the same ball they use for strikes, step up, and hope for the best. The problem is that striking and spare shooting require completely different approaches — literally. Your strike line is designed to hook into the pocket. A spare line, especially for corner pins, needs to be straighter and more direct.
The Foundation: Use a Plastic Ball for Spares
This is the single most impactful change most bowlers can make to their spare shooting. A plastic (polyester) ball doesn’t hook — it goes straight. That predictability is exactly what you need when you’re targeting a single pin or a cluster. Trying to convert a 10-pin with a reactive resin hook ball is making your life harder than it needs to be.
Get a plastic spare ball. Drill it straight. Use it for everything except strikes. This one change can add 10+ pins to your average immediately.
The 3-6-9 Spare System
There are several spare shooting systems out there, but the one I teach most often is the 3-6-9 system. Here’s the basic idea:
- For every pin you move to the right (from the headpin perspective), move your feet 3 boards to the right while keeping your target arrow the same.
- For every pin you move to the left, move your feet 3 boards to the left.
The exact board counts vary based on your ball speed and release, but the 3-6-9 baseline gives you a consistent starting framework to adjust from. Once you dial it in for your game, you’ll have a systematic answer for every single-pin leave on the lane.
The Corner Pins: A Special Case
The 7-pin (left corner) and 10-pin (right corner) are the spares that haunt recreational bowlers the most. Here’s the fundamental approach I teach:
- 10-pin (right-handed bowler): Move your starting position significantly to the left — I typically start near the left edge of the approach — aim at the second arrow from the right, and let the ball travel cross-lane to the 10-pin. Keep it straight.
- 7-pin (right-handed bowler): Move to the right side of the approach, aim at the second arrow from the left, and cross the lane to the 7-pin.
The cross-lane angle is your friend on corner pins. It gives you the widest margin for error.
Build Muscle Memory with Repetition
The best thing you can do for your spare game is practice it in isolation. Before your regular practice session, spend 15 minutes shooting nothing but corner pins and single-pin spares. Pick a system, commit to it, and repeat it until it’s automatic. Spare shooting is almost entirely about consistency and muscle memory — not power or hook.
The Bottom Line
If you want to bowl better, fix your spares before you worry about your strike ball. A bowler who picks up 80% of their single-pin spares will consistently out-score a harder thrower who misses half of them. It’s not glamorous, but it’s the most reliable path to a higher average.
Want a complete spare system with diagrams, board counts for every pin, and drill sheets? That’s exactly what my Complete Spare Shooting System guide covers — coming soon. Get in touch if you want to be first to know when it drops.
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