Spare shooting is a fundamental aspect of bowling. Coaches have always touted its importance, but many bowlers struggle with ideas on how to practice spare shooting. It can become boring, so playing a game and keeping score can help spice things up and add that competitive element to the activity.
Here are a few “games” you can play in practice in order to have some fun while improving your spare shooting:
- Low Ball: Try to get the lowest score possible by getting no more than 1 pin on each shot. 20 is a perfect score. Zeroes count as a strike or spare.
- Spares then Strikes: Shoot your spare ball first, aiming for a corner pin, and then pick up what’s left. 111 is a perfect score.
- Tough Spare Cycle: Rather than endlessly shooting corner pins, change it up by adding two other pin combinations that are quite common: the washout and the 3-6-10 (righties) / 2-4-7 (lefties). Give yourself 5 points per converted spare.