Bowling Techniques to Make Spares

In bowling, the two best methods to earn scores is either by a strike, where all 10 pins are knocked down in one roll, and a spare, where the balance of pins not knocked down in the first roll are knocked down in the second roll. "Picking up spares" is the best method for improving overall bowling scores.

  1. Practice

    • Start learning to pick up spares by practicing your game. Roll all your shots with the same method that you use to hit strikes, keeping your shoulders parallel to the foul line. Spare shots are frequently neglected. Practice thinking more about spare shots as you try to make them. This will help you understand your game more so that you can make adjustments to hit the more than 1,000 spare combination shots possible.

    Positioning

    • Start from the strike position (down the center) and move left or right to adjust your position to aim for your target. Use the arrows and dots along the foul line to gauge where to set your ball down.

    Aim

    • Always aim for the key pin on a spare. The key pin is the pin nearest you and will be decisive in making a spare. In cases of splits where the pins sit side-by-side, aim the ball directly down the center of the two, so that the ball touches the side of both. Walk toward the target as you prepare your roll. However, if your spare is on the left-hand side of the lane, bowl across the third arrow on the right side. Do the reverse if the spare is on the right. Do not square your shoulders at the foul line when bowling across the lane.

    Rely on the Other Pins

    • The best technique for picking up spares is using the other pins to knock each other out. The ball will not hit all of the pins, especially if the pins are in a diagonal row or if the pins are too far apart. You will have to aim for clipping the key pin on the side so that it hits at least one of the other pins and the ball either deflects to hit lone pins or shoots straight through to hit the last pin.