This is called the 3ish-6ish-9ish Method... I truly appreciate someone who is skilled at their craft, and they want to help others become better at the same, BUT.... Don't assume they understand or know what you are ""talking"" about. Not showing where you were placing your feet and your foot work, is just watching you bowl. I help with my daughters H.S. Bowling team. At one of their practices I stopped them to explain some of the simple nuances to the game. Mind you, these are AP/honor students at a Parochial school. All are very intelligent. The looks on the faces were priceless, at that moment I knew I had to stand on the approach and give them a visual.... I had too do a slow roll with a ball to show them how the ball exits the oil and the ball was hardly 10 revs and what the ball will do. When they practiced picking up spares... it took some time for their brain to wrap around; "Left foot here put the ball over the center triangle... then move a few boards this way...to 32... all new confusion... "Boards have number".... 🤨😐😂😂. These young ladies are not first timers.... but, it was the first time someone actually coached them.... Please understand. This is observational and constructive. I'm not taking pot shots... What you explained I'm sure more than 3/4 understood every word.. and was very concise. Ill bet there are 1000s if not 10s of thousands that search for "how to: pick up spares". I think many of them are desperate... and many need a little more hands on...
I completely suck at spare shooting, especially the 10 pin. Watching you though gave me some hope, so I subscribed to you too. You're an awesome teacher. Thanks Luis
I bowled 185 recently with not one spare made just strikes n opens. They were all simple 1/2 pins if I picked them up idk wut I could’ve bowled but easily would’ve broken 200
I think another very important thing to remember with sparing is to slow down - too often I try to “superman” my spare shots and throw them way to fast which messes with my aim/timing. You don’t have to throw your spare ball at 30kp/h!
Once again another incredible video Luis also last night I shot my first games with my new Rubicon UC3 and that ball is incredible hooks so much more than I thought
I got to tell you, Luis, I was watching a video not too long ago where you mentioned you were struggling and needed to keep your palm up. I was having the same issue and noted to do the same. Well, it came to fruition as I shot 244, 243, 298 for a 785 in my house/challenge league last night. Kudos to your knowledge of the game and little snippets here and there to help others in their game. Blessings.
I agree with this process for making spares. His emphasis on bowling straight over the 20 board for all spares is a more understandable method than a 3-6-9 (4-8-12) method that assumes you'll be bowling with a hook and changing your approach target board and eye target with each shot. The idea you can bowl a straight ball over (or around) the 20 board by standing on different boards that are not necessarily related to where you stand on your strike ball makes perfect sense. The idea you can stand on the 34 board to make your ten pin, but, not, necessarily the opposite six board (he'd rather stand on the 15 board) to make your 7 pin is sound reasoning. Either way he rolls a straight bowl from a point that makes him comfortable.
Great Lesson Luis! Probably one of the best spare lessons on RU-vid. I am right handed and throw a hook with a Tropical Surge (strike ball) over the 2nd diamond (10 board). I just bought an Ice Storm ball to shoot straight shots at my right pin spares like the 10 pin using your method I hardly ever miss my right hand spares, thank you. I do have a problem with my straight ball for the left hand spares. When I use my strike ball I hardly ever miss my left hand spares. I wanted to use a straight ball and your method on all my spares but it is not working out that way for me. What is your advice for me to continue?
i struggle with plastic ball for spares. something i have to work on more but my thrill that i have been using is workign great for my spares currently lols
How do you get the bowling center to cooperate with you by setting up the spares you want? I asked the guy at my center if he could arrange to just randomly set up one pin at a time so I could practice my single-pin spares. He said he couldn't do that.
@@LuisNapoles It did. I tried it out last night in league, and it helped a lot. I've been struggling with hitting left side spares consistently, and this video helped. it made me better with the 10 pin too! Thanks bro!
Luis I Thank U & Love ❤️ What U Do 4 Us Fans & Bowlers. U Educate Me & My Style Of Bowling. I Do Have A Question Or 2. I’m In The Nationals Coming Up. Is A Three Ball Arsenal Good To Start With & Which Types Of Ball Types Should I Consider? I’m Using Zenith Solid Reactive R, Nova, & My New Ball Phaze lll. Could U Tell Me What U Think Of My 3 Ball Arsenal? Thank U A Bunch
I recently switched from throwing mostly reactive for my spares to all plastic for the reason you said. The ten pin continues to be my worst single pin spare to convert. I drift right some on my approach which hurts me there. And yes the 3-6-10 sucks! Love how you got the 7-9 make on film. Do the pinsetters allow you to set whatever pins you want at that center?
I'm right-handed, and I've had an extremely difficult time shooting at left-side spares with plastic. I'm very uncomfortable when my feet are to the right of my target. I used to try to stand on 10 and shoot 20 at the arrows to get the 7, for example, and I would very often whiff the shot right. So I've had to move both my feet and my target left; now I stand on 28 and shoot 25 for the 7, which has gotten me better results, but it definitely has less room for error than throwing across the lane. Also, nice 7-9 conversion! That was ridiculous.
I use the 3-6-9 spare shooting technique. It's a very simple, and effective way to make spares. I use my strike ball, for spares, and throw hooks for them as well.
Great video. I wish our bowling center could set up certain spares. I just get the rack. I still practice spares though. I have the hardest time with the 4 pin an the 3-6-10. There are days where i never miss a spare and other days where I can't buy one. You are right, they are crucial. Like these technical videos! Keep 'em coming.
Great question so every single person will tell you a different way they target with their feet. For me if I say I’m standing 36 the inside of my left foot is on 36
Great video my man. I’m totally a follower. I appreciate your integrity in shooting the washout five times make or miss. That was solid! 👊🏾 I look forward to the next video and I’m learning a lot. Keep it coming. Would you do me a favor and make a video of spares again where you’re looking at the 3-10 and the 2-7? Those are my most hated spares and I don’t get them often enough to practice.
i recently bought a dedicated ball for sparing i'm still only using it for the right side spares though as my accuracy at hooking into the left spares isn't worth sacrificing until my right spares have caught up. my issue is that the storm catch has just enough hook to it to pull itself off of straight. it's usbc approved but storm didn't list it on their website so i can't find any specs on that ball. it's priced to match a mix, but i don't see why storm would create a new line of mix equivalents even if they are international balls. i might need to try again and find an actual plastic ball.
I like the 7,8,9,10 practice set up. Currently, I use the Marshall Kent 2,3,7,10 set up to practice not only single pins, but most of the typical combinations.
last night shot 610 (meh average for that league) missed a 10 pin, 1,2,10 washout. and a 4 pin. but if i had missed anymore there goes my 600 lol. 27/30
My dad and I used to play low game when I was a kid, still play it today with my kids. That one and "around the world" where you have to hit the 1, then the 2, then the 3 and so on until you make it all the way through the rack. Winner usually gets a candy bar or something.
I only use my spare ball at the 7 and 4-7 (lefty) and hook at pretty much everything else. But I want to start getting into the habit of shooting straight at spares for the tougher conditions.
You have confirmed basically how I line up for my spares but my aim tends to get a little wonky at times. I like that last drill I wii have to try it. Thanks again Lou
Hello Luis. Great Videos! I have a question, Upon your approach where are your EYES? I have been having issues with eye placement and I think its screwing up my ball delivery? Thanks in advance!
Yes to more Educational Vids Lou! Loved this vid and you proved you are more than just a strike king. ;) Most bowlers simply don't practice, or put emphasis on the need to be an excellent spare shooter, so their avg suffers. As a Classic Full Roller spare shooting is in my DNA as it was in the Full Rollers of the past. My first game last year on Nationals Team Pattern was a clean game of only spares.
This is a fantastic video! I have watched dozens of spare shooting videos, and this is my favorite yet. I’m a new bowler as of last August, joining my first league. I would love to see where your feet start when you’re shooting the spares. That’s the only thing that would help me just a tiny bit more. Any chance of that?
Spare systmes have been around for many decades, so it comes down to what feels easier for each player. You said you throw it to the 4th arrow, but you really throw it closer to 23 most times. I was surprised you didnt know that. Unless you meant to say you jist aim at 4th arrow. Because often we aim at a number to hit another.
I throw a 5 year old ball, (snap lock), and plastic. For 10 pin. I attribute my 220+ avg the last 10 years to spare shooting. I see many guys throw way more strikes than me, and they hit hard, but split/open way too much,and my avg beats them
Awesome video, really changed the way I think about shooting spares with my spare ball. Do you use your normal release and rpm with your spare as you would with a reactive ball? How reliable would it be to use just a urethane ball instead of a spare ball, I imagine you would have to tame the hook of the urethane more than a spare ball? I definitely got stuff to go practice! Is it safe to say most places should have a feature where you can just practice spares?
Urethane won't hook much if you throw it hard-ish and through oil. Especially if you don't forcibly rotate the thing. You can always just polish something like a pitch black/purple hammer to like 4k and it'll be close to plastic but still move a little bit
I throw my plastic spare ball the exact same as my strike ball. I’m not sure if all places offer that technology! If they have newer computers then I imagine yes
Sometimes in the league I bowl in on Sundays right after another League so the lanes are basically toasted the 4-7 I will throw my sanded faball blue pearl hammer and it will hit the 4pin and get it to you bounce off the wall and slap the 7 out.then with the 1-3-6-7 hit the 1-3-6 the once goes off the right wall and takes out the 7 talk about lefty luck.
Unfortunately, my bowling center doesn’t yet have the pin setting. So I’ll have to settle with what we’ve got. 🤷🏽♂️ Also, I’m a 2-hand bowler. Does any spare ball matter? If so, which would you recommend? Awesome informative videos btw. 🙌🏽 learning a lot.
Idk why but plastic is not for me. I've tried it several times and I always do worse. It's Honestly harder to use a spare ball than just a regular ball. I can also roll the ball with no rotation or hook one across the lane so maybe that's why. I just feel more confident and versatile when using a ball that will actually hook or go relatively straight
I thought it was funny, when shooting 10 pins, first shot - 23 at the arrows (middle arros is 20) "Perfect Spare", second shot - 19 at the arrows "aww, missed that one". Second shot was actually closer to target than the first XD. The rest of the shots were all right around board 22. But this proves the point, you need to find an area where you are comfortable shooting the spares that gives you the most room to miss, and also the most likely shot you can repeat accurately.
Thanks Luis. I was a 210 house bowler in my 30s and 40s and used the 3, 6, 9 system with no problems. However, because of job and family commitments, I did not bowl for 26 years. Now that I am near retirement, I have taken up the game once more. I have found the 3, 6, 9 system no longer works well with the current lane conditions and reactive balls. I will buy a plastic ball and give your strategy a shot. I am still striking frequently, but currently I am only spraring about 50% of the time (very frustrating). Thanks again.
I like the spare ball because I don't have to change my throwing motion. I bowl it like i am trying to hook it so there is less chance to change my normal shots. If all that make sense to you.
Question, do u angle your body towards ur target to shoot the 10 pin or r do u line ur shoulders up with the front line. I tend to have problems with that…thanks
I really like this. You are making me rethink my concept of spare shooting. I am right handed. I would shoot my right side spares at fifteen and aim my left side spares at twenty-five. Your system is easier and the room for area is greater. Thank you! ... Perhaps what should be next is a "lilly" challenge.
I used to use a plastic ball for all my spares left of the head pin. But i forgot it is one night in league. I used my purple tank.. ended up bowling way over my average that night. So now i just use that for all my spare shots .
Great video about spare shooting which has been killing me and my score. I try to practice at least once a week. I do like the educational videos since I just got back into bowling last year after 30 years.
First 10 pin - 23 board. Second 10 pin 19 board. Third 10 pin - 20 board. And you make all 3 of them. When I hit the 20 board my plastic spare ball hooks at the end and I miss the 10 pin. Would a conventional grip make any difference in picking up the 10 pin?
When you're shooting your 4-7's, it looks like you're sliding on board 20.5 or 21. Are you saying your *right* foot is on 15 when you line up? Or do you have a 5-board drift? As a right-hander, I stand on 20 with my *left* foot and shoot over 20 to pick up my 7 pins.
Great content again mate. Please keep doing educational videos, it’s so helpful. People are genuinely lucky to have you sharing this kind of info in this format. In my first ever lesson with an accredited coach, this is exactly what I was taught for shooting these spares. 👍
Luis, thanks again for another great instructional video. I just recently picked up a new plastic ball for shooting spares. My question is: do you recommend walking straight to the line like you would do on your first ball, or drifting more in the direction of your target since the plastic ball is going straight?
Bro this was a very good & helpful video. I'm a righty but it seems like my hardest spare is the single 7 pin. For the most part when it comes to the 7 I'm in my head but I tend to over compensate and throw the ball to soft so I miss to the left channel. Also, I'm not comfortable enough to use my spare ball and go straight but the 10 is not really a prob. Help!! your feedback is most needed. The 7 pin is costing me money!!!!
