Bowling spares made easy 

be sure to share this if you enjoyed it. Thanks all😀

Spare shooting is a very underrated and sometimes forgotten aspect of the game. When I show people that you can roll a 200 game with only two strikes, it emphasizes the importance of spare conversion all the more.

I so enjoy JR's tutoring . His teaching is super simple and he makes you believe that it can be done .

This video will end up being your most-watched IMO. A+

Watching these old vids to the new ones you really see how far you’ve come physically. Looking good man. Keep hitting them workouts. Thanks for the tips.

Saw this on my Recommended and I’m glad I watched it. As a right-handed bowler, the 10-pin kills me whenever I miss it. Thanks for the advice!! My coaches help me with this, but seeing an actual visualization brings a whole new perspective on it!

Righties shooting at 10th pin problem: SOLVED!! Thankyou for the tips!

I made the same comment to my daughter and some people on her bowling team about how much room for error you really have when going for single pin spares. It was amazing to me that they thought single pins were more difficult to pick up than multipin leaves.

I think spare shooting is common sense but I see so many people struggle with it. This is a good video for the struggling spare shooter

Nice video! I love the torch for illustrating your line. Newbies might note that your ball has to start at the board the torch would pass over - not your foot. It took me a lot of practice to walk a straight line toward the pin, and get my shoulders square to the target. But it is so cool to make those spares everyone else struggles with.

Wow! I'm impressed with this clear and effective way of making spares.

Late to the video... but it's great! The torch made me realize that you can use anything that is lined up over the pin that reflects off of the lane surface. e.g. the picture frames in this video... above lane wall art in bowling centers.

Thanks for the help! I’m tired of missing spares 🤣

I have always had more struggle hitting the 10 pin as a lefty than I have hitting the 7. I appreciate the tips! Definitely gonna try this next time I go out bowling! Always lined myself up straight with the 10 giving myself almost no room for error to hook into that 10 pin. P.S. I also bowl with no thumb, only my 2 middle fingers in the ball.

Great video with the Torch to actually show the straight lines needed.

Always coming thru with golden information. Thx JR 🤙🏾

Just recently found your videos.....very informative. Really liked the one about putting tape in the ball....I really learned some things from that...thanks.

Love this thank you, my grandson does not want to listen to use. I am so happy a saw this

Thank you for the upload, I've been bowling youth for almost 3 years now and spares have always been my downfall, whether's a 10 pin or the washout. I never realized how crucial the angle at the 10 pin was. Keep it up!

I'm so glad I subscribed!!! Thanks for the tips!

Thanks JR. Greate TIP. Love from Holland.

Great content I love your videos I was watch them & learn from them . I’m from Toledo Ohio shot makers & champion pro shop

This is a really good video. Thank you.

Really great video my friend, regards from MTY, MX

wow...JR Amazing i followed and working wonderfully..Thanks

Thanks for the good advice!

Thx , for the refresher!

Excellent advice. Thanks for the videos!

Thanks for your tips. I enjoy the videos.

Thanks JR!

I just learned about walking straight, but with a slightly turned body, for targets diagonally across the lane. Mind blown. Nobody talks about it.

Hello I stumbled across your channel here and I love that laser tool I wish I'd had something like that but years ago because I threw a big hook ball when the only people in the world were throwing a big Hook was Mark Roth who I happen to bowl in a program with which just excited my heart's no end and he gave me quite a few pointers during our game but at that time I was leaving a lot of 10 pins I'm a right-handed bowler and I was probably making 40% of my 10 pins and missing 60% and most of them were to the left so one Saturday afternoon I went out to one of my local centers that I bold at and I decided I was going to make the 10 pin 98% of the time I didn't want to give myself a hundred percent cuz you know you got to have a little room for error but what I ended up doing was I moved all the way over to the left just like always and I was throwing over the 20th border or the middle arrow and what I had done was I broke my wrist during my shot so that would be virtually no spin or hook on the ball yes I was using a plastic ball at the time but you know I was still you know cranking the Chibis out of the ball and that's why I was missing it to the left so me by breaking my wrist that cut down any hook action at all and now some 40 years later I'm still having picking up the 10 pin probably 98% of the time

These are the cutest videos, love the transitions :P

Thank you legend at bowling

Great info.

Excellent tutorial !! .. even I can improve my spare percentage, and I'm pretty darned good at spares already, since I can't seem to make strikes 🙂

This is gold!

The torch is awesome

realized i was going standing too far to the left for a 10 pin. thank you

great video

This might sound a bit different but i'm applying these lessons to duckpin bowling. It is a lot harder to convert spares, and the splits are wider apart than tenpin. I'm a left-handed bowler so hitting any of the 2,4,6,8, and 7 pins are more of a pain obviously. I've been applying the same straight angle approach to the 7 and 10 pins, and i will apply the same tactic to hitting the other pins for spares. I know that duckpin isn't as popular or commercialized but i do like the challenge it presents.

I use the 3-6-9 system but I can see benefits to this spare picking perspective especially for the corner pins. 10 pins have cost me 10- 20 pins on my average. Great instruction video JR.

I'm a lefty with only a slight hook, maybe 5-7 boards. I can attest to the 22 inches you have to take down a single pin. And yes, you can miss left on a 7 but still get it if your angle is correct. My typical approach is to aim just for the gutter side and let my natural hook carry it back into the pin. Likewise, I aim for the 9 when going for the 10.

Thank you so much!! I have been struggling with my spare shooting here lately:( What do you suggest for the baby split? I left that 4 times in one night!!

Great video!! TY

Good video

JR Thank u for the great modern teaching methodology that u use in your videos Can u please have some tips about break point targeting ? I don’t use the arrows just the break point and focal point but I have problems adjusting May be u have some tips?

I need this badly. My spare percentage need work!

show or tell where you are standing.thanks

Were you using a spare ball or your regular ball (strike ball)?

How many boards should I move left or right as a 2h bowler?, and any ball you were recommend, and why?

We have a "jar of misery" on the back table. It costs .25c if you miss a single pin.... and everyone pays .25 if you make a split. We won the next Quarter Season playoff spot after starting that. I always tried to keep my weekly budget under $1.00. If a few splits were made, that didn't leave much to cover misses

3:18 Great shot, but wish I could have seen the pins fall to see what you were talking about. I'm a lefty, so the 7 pin is my crutch.

I tend to use my plastic ball for most spares, even those in the middle of the lane. Take the oil pattern out of play as much as possible. Ironically enough, I have more success shooting the 3-10 or 3-6-10 by lining up with the 3 pin and trying to throw straight at the 6. For whatever reason, I find myself chopping those most of the time if I throw across the middle at them or I'll miss a little right.

Are you standing behind the dot, in front of the dot. standing on dot five for the seven pin. Standing on forty for the ten pin?

Thank you for getting out of the way.

Im a two hander with a lot of hook. Can you do a video for hitting these with a high rev rate?

Yes I know but either you're right handed or your left hand it to that make a difference?

As one that normally would use the same ball for the corner pins and spares, How do we adjust to added another ball just for the spares and how should they be drilled? same as regular ball we use?

It really hurts your game if you don't pick up spares, especially the easy ones

Which board do you stand when shooting on the corner pins?

I coach high school bowling. Is the “torch” available for purchase?

I have a question. Which spares can be picked up by shooting at your strike ball mark?

hey bro, what ball has the most check mark shape but hooks early? thnx.

can you show a video of where your feet go?

What are your thoughts on using urethane for spares

Hi does this work for 5 pin bowling too? I usually stand at a 45 degree angle to get the spares is this not a good way, my ball usually hooks when it's at the pins, looks like a strike until it gets there and hooks? Don't know what I'm doing wrong.

Have you every did a video that address how to chose the right bowling

so yiou should bring more than one ball one plastic one other?

Thanks, but it would be nice to know where you are standing

I'll just start with saying I found this to be a really good video that can help people out with their spares if they really apply what they're seeing here. Everything in this video is correct, and I appreciate how JR goes about showing his points. However, I think the best way to summarize this video, if most of this video already is something you understand, is to just throw the ball flat. If you have no idea what that means, or just a little idea of what that means, basically you flatten your hand in a way where you don't apply any actual axis or reaction in general to the ball. I think this video's targeted audience is more of the bowlers who still hook at their ends and most of their spares, which isn't the worst thing possible thing you can do. It's just something to fix. If you want to know a bowling icon who you can look at to get an idea of attacking spares flat, look at walter ray williams jr picking up spares. you can hear the sound of the ball rolling over it's holes. That's where you want to be. And yeah when it comes to direction, you're better off with finding an angle standing near the end dots (the 10th boards) and posting an angle that passes somewhere more in the middle by the arrows. EX: I'm a lefty. for my 7 pins, i'm standing at the 30th board (10 for righties), and aiming at the left 17. For my 10 pins, i'm on the 10th board (30 for righties) aiming at the left 13th board. I use a purple hammer to go after my spares, but if you really need the plastic ball because of some reason that shoes you flattening your hand isn't efficient enough or if it's just that much easier, then go for it. I'm one of those people that thinks it's good to learn to throw the ball flat, as referenced in the back part of the video. Direct lines to the end pins, throwing it flat. It's all you gotta do.

Thanks for the tips! My game, I have a 2 finger, high rev approach. The 10 pin is my nemesis. I cannot shoot straight. So i have to play with angles bowling right handed and I really have to figure out the oil pattern because too much or not enough and the ball changes path drastically (even with a resin/plastic ball)..So I end up just switching to a slow left handed, slow rev bowl.. usually works, sometimes doesnt (I'd say 80-90% success rate). I really need to just start practicing straight shots/spare shots. No high scores, no strikes, just focus on my spare shooting. Bowling is so fun...I don't think even the best of the best will ever be able to perfect their game.. there are so many variables to change from game to game like atmosphere, oil patterns, mental focus, etc.

Being I cant stand in the other lane or past the ball return then the only way to pick up a ten pin for me is to turn my body during the last two steps of the approach . that is hard to do consistently .

Does this work with all oil patterns? It’s so tough!

JR - thank for the videos, interesting and helpful. Anyone looking for a more system oriented approach using the straight angles for spares that JR discusses here should look into the Triax Spare System - has helped me a lot

Thanks for doing this, solid work. Spares are what's keeping me from being a pretty decent bowler. The ball you used looked like it hooked a bit, was it plastic? I use a Columbia 300 white dot...Green Slime. :-)

Rule of 7? 1 board to the left = 2 boards right? Could you do a video on you please?

The return on even lanes limits my ability to get left on right side spares. Take less angle on both odd/even or shoot odd/even differently?

I always have trouble with the 10 pin

Imma righty and oddly rather shoot 10 then a 7 since I got away from curving spare shooting

That is my weakness but I missed 1 spare my first game this past Wednesday on league and next 2 games I missed 5 and 4 spares and all of them could have been picked up. It is very frustrating when it is the same spares that I have picked up before

Yes!!! Plastic ball is REQUIRED to improve spare shooting. I'm far from a pro bowler but I am an engineer. A plastic ball simplifies the physics EXPONENTIALLY. Once you can pretty much eliminate friction, you are left with basic geometry. You know exactly how far each pin is down the lane and you know exactly how far each pin is left to right because it is standardized through USBC or PBA. There for you have 2 sides of a RIGHT TRIANGLE. Now all you have to find is the hypotenuse, or the path the ball travels. The problem is you have to figure everything from the FOUL LINE. You will have to practice to see how far you "drift" left to right and how far from your mark you release. Once you figure that out make a table and you're good to go!

JR, I was wondering which board your left foot is on when you shoot the 7 pin. As usual, great video and thanks.

do you look at the corner pin or continue eyes at arrows?

Hi Raymond, As an amateur bowler, I think your videos are really helpful. However, you may have to pay attention to the sound levels of your voice versus the music and just the ambient noise. Quite often your voice seems to nearly disappear, and I can hardly hear what you're saying. Keep up the good work though!

What affects hook more? The coating on the outside of the ball, the configuration of the weight inside/finger holes or the way you throw it. My league average is 167, but last week I hit a lifetime best of 265, but I've also had games in the 120s. The thing that gets me into trouble is splits and one-pin spares...especially the 10! Frustrated that I don't seem to be improving...just getting lucky or unlucky.

Cool video talk to tech Jr Raymond getting spare

I have an old hard rubber black beauty that I use as a spare ball ever since I got that ball I pick up 10 pins a lot easier

video ends at 8:06

Giel zal er plezier van hebben. Hahahaha.

That beat was relaxing

3:04 I really do LOVE the light reflection but when you bowl it might be better to have a 2nd camera setup so we can see the shot. Also, you may want to show your foot placement as well. I think it would help with the video. Keep up the great work!!

Is pitch black

You got one tip?

Thanks Sir for the tips. Where can I purchase the angle device?

Or like the 6, 10 pin when it always hit one and leaves other one standing

As an avid bowler that's been bowling for 30 years I can't be the only person here who's noticed the left side of the lane (near gutter) that's used in order to throw a 10 pin spare (for righties) tends to have less slide than anywhere else on the approach. In other words.. I won't stick during my slide anytime I'm throwing a typical strike shot but it seems like 70% of the time I throw a 10 pin the left side of the approach always seems to have crud on the lane and I stick during my slide and it often times will mess up my release causing me to miss my shots. It's like the staff will clean the center and right side of the approach but they fail to clean the approach on the far left causing me to stick. And when I stick.. my accuracy goes down by 50% or more which causes me to miss the 10 pin. This is also why I won't throw a strike shot regardless of how much my ball hooks from any further than board 25 to 30 ish. Because if I go any further left (picture my left foot sliding in line with the left gutter as many Pros will do) then I stick and my accuracy goes out the window. It enrages me!

I just throw reverse when necessary. Or my spare ball straight works too

I wish I could see where your feet are lined up for each spare shot. I am a beginner and I get lost with the quick explanations.

That Kegal Torch thing is pretty cool, although I don't know what bowling alley would let you use it. Also, it seems your demonstration at 0:54 is a little misleading. There is not an entire balls width of usable lane to the left of the 7 pin or to the right of the 10.