Spare Shooting 111

Let’s be honest, watching pins fall from a strike is just more entertaining than watching a single-pin spare conversion. But spare shooting is what separates average bowlers from exceptional ones. In this Premium Video Scott Pohl, owner of On Track Pro Shop, demonstrates a spare shooting game that you can work into your next training session that will help make spare shooting more fun and help increase your average.

How it works

With a full rack of pins, shoot at a corner pin on the first ball. The goal is to knock down as few pins as possible on your first shot. Next, try to pick up the spare with the remaining pins on the lane. If you shoot 1/ for all 10 frames, your score will be 111. A perfect game.

Keys to success

Using a plastic ball for your spares will make you a more accurate spare shooter. The reason pro bowlers use a plastic ball for spares is because it takes the lane out of the equation. Well, what does that even mean?

It means no matter what oil pattern, the volume of oil and/or the lane surface, the plastic ball will travel down the lane exactly the same every, every time. Additionally, If you don’t already have a spare system, get one. You need to know where you’re going to stand and target every single pin spare ahead of time.

Missed spares are missed opportunities, and it’s crucial to develop a spare system that is uniquely yours that you can rely on.