As summer is nearly upon us all, I would like to discuss an area of the game that can be worked on and improved during this time. It is an aspect of the sport that may not be viewed or understood with as much importance as it deservedly should—making spares. Strikes can win games, yet the inability to make spares can lose those same games. If spares were not important, they would not exist in the sport.

Today’s bowling balls consist of strong surfaces, weight blocks, and layouts. Combine these with less-than-difficult league lane conditions, centers with strong back-ends coupled with dry outsides and a lot of oil in the middle of the lane, and the results are powerful strike balls.

First and foremost, there is nothing wrong with having a powerful strike ball. However, this is only one part of the sport. Another aspect I believe equally important is the ability to make spares on a consistent basis. If you were to ask the better bowlers on the PBA/PWBA tours, both on the national and regional levels, as well as the better scratch bowlers in your association, I am confident they will tell you spare making is an invaluable facet of their game.

A number of reasons may explain why spares are not converted or not viewed as important. These consist of knowing how to make them, practicing converting them, or a misunderstanding of their value.

In comparing a game of bowling with strikes and no spares to one with strikes and a successful conversion of all spares, the difference in score may surprise many.

For example, if you get the first five strikes in a game and then a nine count and spare in each of the final five frames, along with nine on the fill ball, your score would be 234. Compare that to converting only two of the spares, which would result in a score of 204—those 30 pins make quite a difference! That is a lot to give up, especially in close games.

Also note that making none of the spares results in a score of 183, a 50-pin difference. These numbers clearly demonstrate the relevance of making spares.

Spares should be viewed here in the same manner as in one of my earlier articles about taking bowling one shot at a time. Spare shooting is no different and has the same value in regards to how to treat it as when you attempt to convert spares in that they are equally important. No one is going to throw strikes all the time, but those who can make spares and get their share of strikes always seem to be successful no matter where they bowl.

There are certain avenues you can take to help you make spares more consistently: (1) Consult your IBPSIA pro shop operator who may have videos or literature that can assist you; (2) Seek a certified instructor; or (3) Ask some of the better bowlers whom you consider good spare shooters where you bowl. By trying one or more of these avenues, you can gain insight into spare conversion techniques.

Although not the entire answer, the following are some ideas I believe will help.

First, determine which spares you have most trouble with, and address them when you practice. For example, certain bowlers (right- and/or left-handed) have a harder time with right-side spares (the 3-, 6-, 9-, or 10-pin and combinations of them), and others have trouble on the left side (2-, 4-, 7-, or 8-pin and combinations of them). Once determined, address how you miss them. Do you pull the left or get it out too far to the right?

Next, devote a few practice sessions to nothing but spare shooting. During these sessions, focus on your mark and make a firm, aggressive follow-through.

The following are some tips and techniques for different types of spares:

Single corner pins — When shooting these, whether it is the 4-, 6-, 7-, or 10-pin, use a non-reactive resin ball. Either a plastic or shiny older urethane ball can allow for a straighter trajectory to the pin and also not be as sensitive to the varying amounts of conditioner on the lane as the ball moves towards the pin. Reactive-resin balls will grab the friction areas of the lane and sometimes can move away from the pin you are trying to make. Alternatively, they will skid on the heavier conditioned parts of the lane and go right by the spare.

Of note, some bowlers have developed ways to make single pins with their reactive-resin balls, but they have practiced this quite a bit. For most bowlers, I advocate using a non-reactive ball when shooting these corner pins. This method will help you minimize the friction factor while allowing you to keep a somewhat similar hand position and release with your strike ball.

If you use a reactive-resin ball, there are ways to cut down the movement of the ball, such as putting your thumb in first then the fingers, or putting only your ring finger in the ball along with your thumb while leaving the middle finger out.

You also can adjust your hand position when using a reactive-resin ball to create more length before the ball’s "hooking" motion occurs. However, this is a technique I would suggest only for more advanced bowlers who have practiced or comprehend the concept thoroughly.

Multiple pin combinations — This is an area that comes into play more often for beginner or intermediate level bowlers or those who bowl on a variety of conditions where two, three, and four pin spare combinations occur more frequently. It is important to know which is the key pin to hit, thus ensuring the best chance of conversion.

For example, with the 4-7 or 6-10 spare combinations, the key pin is the 4 and 6, respectively. If you do not hit them, there is little chance of conversion. On the other hand, hitting them can assure a higher degree of probability in making the spare. Basically, you can knock the 4 into the 7 or 6 into the 10, but the opposite is a problem.

Another example is the "bucket" (2-4-5-8 or 3-5-6-9), where you have four pins in a diamond shape. The key pin in both leaves is the one closest to you, the 2- and 3-pin, respectively. Hitting these pins gives you a good chance at making these spares, but missing them guarantees little.

Spares where there is a "sleeper" pin can be played in a different manner in that hooking the ball into the lead pin can provide better results. This is due to the need for the ball not to deflect away from the pin in the back.

For example, if you’re right-handed and leave the 2-8 combination, hitting the 2-pin just slightly on the right side can ensure getting the pin in the back. If you shoot this spare left-handed, you would want to hit the lead pin on the left side, thus allowing the ball to get the back pin.

This concept also holds true for the same combination on the right side of the lane, the 3-9. You would want to do the opposite that you did for the 2-8, depending on which hand you use.

There are so many other spare combinations I could cover, but the best way to make them more often is to seek knowledge and assistance so that a thorough understanding of the task at hand can be accomplished.

If you watch the PBA pros on television, take note of how they shoot spares. Most of them go straighter at the pins because they bowl on so many conditions and move lanes after every game of qualifying and match play. That makes it difficult to know where most of the lane oil is, and thus attempting to hook the ball into the spare can become a guessing game.

A simple fact is that the best bowlers in the world, including the PBA’s all-time leading money winner who recently was voted by his fellow professionals as the best spare shooter, the No. 1-ranked Walter Ray Williams Jr., are excellent spare shooters, and they go more direct at their spares. You may be comfortable shooting spares a certain way in centers you are familiar with, but venturing to places where you have never competed can provide different reactions and results. Knowing how to shoot spares with a straighter trajectory can serve as a backup plan if the tendency to try it the usual way does not work.

Spares do not have to be a constant problem. Yes, there will be days and nights when you do not make them all. We are human, not perfect, and are subject to making mistakes. The goal is to be more consistent and minimize the amount of miscues and errors. By knowing what went wrong and why, you will be well on your way to higher scores and staying with, or perhaps in front of, the competition. On tough lane conditions where throwing strikes is not easy, spares can save the day and keep you competitive.

What I have outlined in this article is not the only way to shoot spares, nor does it cover all the areas. It should be used as a reference tool to allow you to have a better understanding of an area of the sport that some of us have the tendency to overlook.

A good way to approach spare shooting is to practice and see what works best and/or is most comfortable. Shooting spares absolutely straight is not the point I've tried to make; shooting them in a more direct manner, however, can decrease errors and lead to improved consistency.

Until next time, take bowling one shot at a time, make the best shot you can each time, as each one has value, and keep thinking.

Lewis Twine Jr., NCABA's 1992 scratch all events champion, is a USA Bowling Silver Level certified coach who conducts instructional sessions at AMF Waldorf.