Do you have a spare system? Tell us what works for you!

Missing 10-pin spares especially has been killing my games lately. Looking forward to trying out the center arrow approach you demonstrated so clearly!

Great advice, Shannon! Ten pins spares are so rewarding when u make them cuz it keeps your score moving. Nothing worse than missing it when you’re working on a string of strikes or need that spare in the 10th frame to win a game. I will definitely practice using the tips you gave us.

Excellent video I use this system since I was 8 years old and now I'm 63

This video has helped my game tremendously. I purchased a plastic ball and rarely miss ten/seven pins anymore during league.

Thank you Shannon, for the great bowling tip of using the middle arrow to work the spares. I am awful at picking up the spares, all over the lane. This video, I know will definitely improve my spare shooting. Thank you again for an excellent video.

I’m a not so heavy of a spinner type, and my father taught me to use a 3, 5, 7 board slide for spares. Works super easy for a regular bowler who isn’t cranking up the spin and may not have a spare ball. Whatever your strike ball setup is, keep that line up. Depending on the pin location away from the head pin, move 3, 5, or 7 boards away. If the pins are on the right side of the head pin, move left and vice versa. The 3 pin would be 3 boards to the left, 6 pin would be 5 boards, etc. This way you’re still throwing at the same reference mark as your strike ball. Granted, right handers may still have a hard time with the 10 pin, lefties with the 7 pin, but this works for most spares.

I used this idea today and it made a huge difference. I kept leaving the 10 pin, but finally had a method of aiming that worked. Picked up the 10 consistently (3 of 3) and feel much more confident in how to approach spares.

Great tips, I do alot of this, I just need to get consistent in my ball placement

Great system and video. Visual of the line thru the middle arrow helped.

Thank you for the advice! I have been struggling badly on my 10 pin and can’t wait to go to bowling to try this!

Thank you for posting this very helpful video! I am planning on giving this system a try next practice session.

This is great im going to start doing this! Thanks Shannon

Very well explained. You kept it simple. I am a retired educator after listening to you I understand what to do. This is good teaching.

I already bowled several games without an open frame after watching and applying this spare system. Very easy to follow tutorial. Pretty much basic geometry and the other execution. thank you, thank you.

Thank you Shannon! That's a great tip!!

Thank you so much for this awesomely simple spare system-brava, brava!

Great tip, I’m changing my system. Great place to start.

We all need to learn to roll a strait rolling shot, that we trust, so we don’t have to fit our hook in. Best tip that helped me rolling the ball strait with accuracy is to, at address, hold the ball with a loose wrist, and keep my thumb pointing parallel to the shot through the entire approach. At release, thumb pointing at the shot and fingers at 5 and 7 o’clock. The ball rolls end over end. Then if I use plastic, any unintended side spin won’t grab the lane. Lastly, use the middle for targeting to have the best angle, chances at keeping on the lane and to be in the oil pattern as long as possible to kill any reaction on the ball.

Best spare video ever. Thanks so much.

Huge tip for this new bowler, makes so much sense. Thank you!

Thanks. I never thought of the middle arrow as a guide.

Great tips! Thank you. 😊

Love this tip. Thanks

Thank you very much. Getting back into league bowling. Been 20 years.

Nicely done, yet again, Shannon! The only problem I have is the ten pin on the right lane. I'm on the hefty side and the fourth arrow is a bit too far left for me to keep the ball on line to the ten. I do quite well using the third arrow though. Same adjustment system as you recommend, work around the same target to find the best starting position. Simply reiterates an old saying, "Keep It Simple!" Thanks!

Please keep the tips coming

Great help!!!

Being old(school) loved the tips of shooting off the center arrow. I know that some of the R handed Pros shoot the 7 pin from left side of lane hard and straight right at the pin. I feel more secure using center of lane as this great video illustrates. This is real bonus having McKendree University coach and PWBA star Shannon O'Keefe coaching us!

This was needed so much! Converting spares are really hard for me and would like to button that down and convert them more than I am now. Sadly when I have a good shot the pesky 7 and 10 pins are the bane of my existence. Cant wait for my second ball so I can practice with a proper setup than using a house ball

Excellent explanation and demonstration. Simple, short and sweet. Thank you.

Great video. For years I have shot spares off of my strike line (using my strike ball for all but the ten pin) and employing variant of the 3-6-9 rule. But every now and then I would find myself getting into trouble and was looking to find a system that would take the lane conditions out of play for the spares.

I like your voice and simple theory. Thank you for your Easy-to-understand explanation. 10P(F35) 7P(F22) 3*6P(F36) 2*4*5P(F26)

Thanks, Shannon.

VERY GOOD INFO THANK YOU

Thank god I needed this

Great advice

Thank you this is just wlhat i needed

Great tip. Time to go get to work

If and when I can bowl again this will be the first thing I do!!

That's brilliant

Im gonna try this

Thanks!

I sometimes get the tenpin but most of the time I miss most of the time and also the 7 pin and 365 spare here

for any shape that doesnt have one of these pins: 3,6,9,10 its easiest to just throw the strike ball with the same hook you need to get to the pocket, but maybe slightly modified. rolling it slower to make it go further left. I like to throw a backup ball with an extremely light plastic ball (9lbs) for any pattern that shapes right. Plastic balls can actually have nasty hooks/rolls on them if you throw them at 5-8 mph. So I can roll that thing straight up the 2nd arrow in from the left with a backup curve extremely slowly to hit those right hand pins. Having this skill is also greatly beneficial to many multi-pin splits that most right handers find difficult. I have hit many 4+10, 8+10, 5+10, 1+2+4+10, etc with this backup ball curve with ease while it takes huge talent and a little bit of luck to do it with a standard straight throw. The extremely light ball allows me to bounce the ball off of a pin to deflect it into another pin, and it also minimizes wrist strain from the backup curve motion. However, it does not provide any help for that pesky 7+10, you still need a miracle for that, so plowing straight at one of them aiming for the side to hope it bounces off the wall still seems to be the best option.

Great tips for spares ! I’m def going to incorporate this into my practice session !

My 10 pin shooting is my bane, when it goes cold it's ice cold. Can cost me 30 to 50 pins a night.

Thanks for the advice, only a question in 10 shot do you shot straight always? Or hook a little bit. Thanks !!!!❤hello From Bogotá, Colombia.

Great vid, Shannon! I do have a few questions: First, I noticed that although you spoke of using the middle/4th arrow as your visual target, on both your 10 pin and 7 pin shots, your ball appeared to be slightly left of the 4th arrow (10pin) and slightly right of the 4th arrow (7 pin). Since you obviously converted both of those spares, would you agree that the goal is not to nail the 4th arrow dead center all the time, but that it's more of a reference point? Second, I noticed that on your 7 pin conversion, while you definitely converted it, your ball hit more of the right side of the pin. When we are attempting to convert spares and solidifying our spare shooting system and skills, and especially when we are using a plastic or rubber spare ball (in my case, lol!), should we care how flush we hit the object pin, and tweak our system until we can hit it flush, or does that not matter, because after all, we hit it and that means our targeting system works? Third, although you didn't mention it, as the bowler determines which board to stand on for which spare, should the bowler make a note of those board numbers for future and faster reference, or should the bowler simply repeat the process of visually drawing a line from object pin through 4th arrow to wherever the bowler feels comfortable standing--as you demonstrated--on each and every shot? Thanks again, Joe

This makes sense. The 10 pin is my kryptonite and this looks simple and easy to practice. Gonna give it a shot.

Nice video! Whether you shoot them straight or use something like 3-6-9, I think the important thing is to have a system, not just “wing it”. Also, and this is more of an advanced thing as you know, but ideally you want to hit the corner pins on the inside (as you did, of course!)...outside and you risk falling into the gutter.

Great tip! Thanks you!!! 🙏🏼😊🙏🏼

Watching this on a Tuesday 3 years later.

This is far and away the best that I've even seen Shannon O'Keefe look. In competitions she not only has her hair drawn back, but it seems that she always goes with heavy eye makeup that gives her a sort of "Wicked Witch of the West" look. Another factor is that during competition she is very intense and there's almost a permanent scowl or frown to her face. I've never see her as she is here, relaxed, hair down, and wearing light make-up. She looks YEARS younger and 300% more pleasant to look at. Oh, and BTW, nice video and very sound advice, lol.

You are so fine! Thank you!

@1:49 I'm Learning How to do that too.

Shannon, Thanks for the tips from a lousy spare shooter. As a lefty, I shoot the 7 pin as you describe but still have problems. Do you walk straight on the approach or walk toward your target (4th arrow) ? Thank you.

I noticed on the 10 pin you still put a little hand in it. I just started using a spare ball and it was suggested to keep my hand under the ball and follow through upwards. It doesn’t feel right. I think I’m going to try to finesse it a little like you did. I feel like I have better touch that way. Thanks for the tip! I owe you one.

How do you shoot at the 3-9?

I'm going to give it try, but it's harder for me doing left side

I'm gonna try this . I can't tell you how many games I've messed up because of missed 7 or 10 spares.

Practicing the 7 and 10 pins like this was something Dick Weber told me to do 50 years ago.

Hi Shannon thanks for the great tip! I would like to know on which board do you start the approach towards the ten pin? It wasn't clear in the video.

Is a brace needed?

well with my urethane I am really great at picking up the 9 pins, some epic fails on the 10, I am getting my plastic ball drilled next week, done with hooking spears, ooo soo easy the pros claim. I was at a tournament once with a long pattern and nothing hooked, I went on practiced and got an ally ball for my spears.

Wut is da contraption on ur hand used for?

Will this technique work with hooking the ball too using your strike ball or just for the plastic dead spare ball?

I use a Brunswick Rhino and a wrist support for staying behind the ball. I shoot most spares straight but have a problem throwing perfectly straight without some spin that curves just enough to miss. Any tips other than getting a second ball? PaulL

For any spare other than a 7 pin or a 10 pin, do you use plastic or your strike ball? Thank you.

As a 10 pin challenged individual. I have resorted to using backup ball on 10 pin….. no it doesn’t work. Looks like all I needed to do was aim at the center arrow.

Do you recommend a plastic straight ball for all spares for the typical league bowler?

Nice pick up on that spare😅

Good advice here. You mention drawing a line but how does it translate to where you should stand on the approach?

I see a lot of bowlers that refuse to bowl straight when attempting spares -- they use their regular hook technique. It always looks like a lot of extra effort being exerted. It makes my thumb and wrist hurt just watching.

I'm pretty good at sparing them up most of the time. 10 pin no problem, 7 pin pure luck. My husband is the opposite reverse. We're in a bowling league

So, you throw a curved ball when throwing your "Strike" ball but you throw a straight ball when you go for the strike.

In a nutshell - use center arrow and just move feet .? Thanks - my spare game been bad

Sure would like to try this out. However our Governor in Michigan will not allow bowling alleys to open.

I suck at 10 pins because my hook But I spare a 7 ALL DAY. How do I get it down the lane with going into the gutter 😕

When I try this my ball usually goes in the gutter I even went to buy a plastic ball smh I avg 178 mainly because I can't constantly hit the dang 10 pin

Is she the world's cutest bowler or what 🥰

Probably the dumbest question ever, but when you are doing your approach shooting across at an angle to pick up the spares, do you approach the foul line straight on and throw at an angle, or is your entire approach at an angle. I couldn’t tell from the video.

So your system is pretty much just "aim for the pin... roll it over the center dot, but still pretty much just aim for the pin." Good system...

Another tip watch where your foot is getting put out

i need a lesson on how to ignore people walking into my field of view while throwing.

This girl is to be married. Explaining complex things in a simple way is not for everyone.

I let my eyes aim at the pin and the rest of my body does the rest.

7i I

Step 1: Have a spare ball Step 2: See step 1

Why do u put black masking tape on your hand and knees

So throw a plastic not reactive...;)