SPARE SHOOTING DIAGRAMS

At our recent practices, we've been working a lot on our spare shooting.  Much of that has involved moving the place we stand on the approach to change the angle of the shot. The rationale behind this method may not have been clear so I'll use some diagrams for clarification.

On the lane diagrams above, I drew straight lines from the pins, across the targeting arrows and back to the approach to demonstrate how moving a few boards on the approach will change the angle of the shot.

The lane diagram on the left uses the center arrow (on the 20th board) while the diagram on the right uses the third arrow (on the 15th board). In either case, you can see how moving three or four boards on the approach while using the same targeting arrow will change the direction of the shot.

It should be noted that the colored lines do not show where you would set your feet. They represent the position of your right shoulder as you walk toward the foul line and the path the ball would take on the lane after you release it. This is assuming you point your bellybutton toward the pin, don't drift on the approach, and roll the ball as straight as a laser toward the pin. With enough practice to make it a habit, you will be able to line up and hit these spares without giving it much thought.

You might find this lane diagram useful if you have trouble remembering the number designations for each board. Since all of us bowl right-handed, I will do all of the counting from a right-hander's perspective (starting from the right).

There is a total of 39 boards on a lane. The 1st board is the one closest to the right gutter. The 39th board is the once closest to the left gutter. The dots on the approach and the targeting arrows on the lane are five boards apart. Thus, you will find dots and arrows on the 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th, 30th, and 35th boards. The pins are also set on the same boards that have the dots and arrows.

The 1st (far right) dot is on the 5th board. The 1st (far right) arrow and the 10-pin are also on the 5th board.

The 2nd dot, 2nd arrow, and 6-pin are on the 10th board.

The 3rd dot, 3rd arrow, the 3-pin, and the 9-pin are on the 15th board.

The 4th (center) dot, 4th (center) arrow, 1-pin, and 5-pin are on the 20th (center) board.

The 5th dot, 5th arrow, 2-pin, and 8-pin are on the 25th board.

The 6th dot, 6th arrow, and 4-pin are on the 30th board.

The 7th (far left) dot, 7th (far left) arrow, and 7-pin are on the 35th board.

There are some bowling centers that don't have dots on the 5th and 35th boards of the approach. It's rare but be mindful of it. If you assume the far right and far left dots are always on the 5th and 35th boards, it can throw you off target. Since we're capable of counting by fives, we can always improvise.