Spare Shooting: The Most Important Angles

Spare shooting is about angles. Every pin left standing sits in a specific spot on the pin deck, and the line you choose determines how much room for error you have. This guide explains the most important spare-shooting angles: how the pins are numbered, how the 3-6-9 system moves your feet, how to approach the cross-lane corner pins and why many bowlers use a separate ball for spares.

Why spares matter for your score

A spare scores 10 pins plus the pins from your next ball. An open frame scores only the pins you knocked down. Each spare you convert therefore adds a bonus to your score, and each spare you miss gives that bonus away. Converting spares consistently is one of the most reliable ways to raise your average, even if your strike percentage stays the same.

Know the pin positions

The pins are numbered 1 to 10 from front to back and from left to right:

• Row 1: the 1-pin (head pin)
• Row 2: the 2-pin (left) and 3-pin (right)
• Row 3: the 4-pin (left), 5-pin (centre) and 6-pin (right)
• Row 4: the 7-pin (left corner), 8-pin, 9-pin and 10-pin (right corner)

For every spare, the first question is where the remaining pin stands: on the left side, in the centre or on the right side of the deck. That determines which way you move and how steep your angle needs to be.

Spare-shooting angles with the 3-6-9 system

The 3-6-9 system is a simple framework for spare angles. You keep the target you use for your strike ball and move only your feet on the approach, in the direction opposite the pin. Because you roll the ball over the same target from a different board, it crosses the lane on a different angle.

The classic moves for a right-handed bowler on the left side of the deck:

• 2-pin: move 3 boards to the right
• 4-pin: move 6 boards to the right
• 7-pin: move 9 boards to the right

Pins near the centre, such as the 5-pin or 8-pin, are usually picked up close to your strike line with small adjustments. For pins on the right side, you move left instead. The further right the pin, the steeper the angle across the lane, which is why many bowlers use a separate cross-lane line for the 3-, 6- and 10-pins rather than a fixed number of boards.

Treat the numbers as a starting point. Ball speed, the ball you use and the lane conditions all affect where the ball actually goes. The system is explained step by step in the 3-6-9 spare system, and counting boards and arrows in the targeting guide.

Left-handed bowlers

Left-handers mirror the system: move left for pins on the left side and right for pins on the right side. The numbers stay the same.

Cross-lane spares: the corner pins

For most bowlers, the hardest single-pin spare is the corner pin on the side opposite their bowling hand: the 10-pin for right-handers and the 7-pin for left-handers. The ball has to travel diagonally across the lane and reaches the pin close to the gutter, so there is little room for error.

The 10-pin for right-handers

1. Start on the left side of the approach. A common reference is to place your slide foot around board 35, counted from the right.
2. Pick a target on the lane, for example between the third and fourth arrows, and keep your eyes on it.
3. Align your body with the line so that shoulders, hips and feet face the intended path.
4. Walk straight along that line without drifting toward the centre of the approach.
5. Roll a ball that hooks as little as possible and follow through toward your target.

A detailed routine is described in how to pick up the 10-pin spare.

The 7-pin for left-handers

Left-handers mirror the method: start on the right side of the approach, count boards and arrows from the left, align the body with a straight line into the left corner and use a ball that rolls as straight as possible.

Common cross-lane mistakes

• Too much hook: a strike ball released with full rotation can curve away from the corner pin.
• Drifting: walking toward the centre of the approach reduces the angle.
• Slowing the arm: a slower, hesitant swing changes ball speed and makes the ball react differently than planned.
• Changing starting positions: without a fixed starting board, you cannot build a repeatable line.

A plastic ball for spares

A reactive strike ball is designed to hook. On a cross-lane spare, that hook works against you. A spare ball with a polyester (plastic) cover reacts much less to the lane surface and the oil pattern, so it rolls close to the line you aim for.

• Straighter path: little hook, even when the oil on the lane changes.
• Simpler aiming: you aim at the pin line without calculating how much the ball will curve.

For pins on your strike side, such as the 2-, 4- or 7-pin for a right-hander, many bowlers use their strike ball with an adjusted line. For cross-lane spares, a plastic ball is the more predictable choice. The differences between the two ball types are explained in reactive resin vs polyester bowling balls.

A spare-shooting routine

1. Identify the pin: check which pin or pins are left.
2. Choose your move: decide on your starting board, using the 3-6-9 system or your cross-lane reference.
3. Choose your ball: plastic for cross-lane spares, your strike ball for spares on your strike side if it works for you.
4. Set your feet: place your feet on the planned board and check before you start.
5. Commit to the shot: keep your eyes on the target and follow through.

A short, repeatable pre-shot routine helps you focus on the target instead of the result. Our article on concentration and the mental game covers this in more detail.

Practice drills for spare shooting

Shoot at spares on purpose

In practice, aim your first ball deliberately off the pocket, for example at the 2-pin or 3-pin, to leave yourself spares. You get far more spare attempts per game than in normal play.

Corner-pin practice

If the bowling center's practice mode allows it, alternate between the 7-pin and the 10-pin. Note your starting board, target and the direction of each miss.

Around the deck

Work through the single pins one after another, from the 2-pin to the 10-pin, so you become familiar with every angle on the lane.

A consistent approach for consistent spares

Every spare angle depends on a repeatable approach, including your last step: the slide into the foul line. If your slide foot stops at a different point on every shot, your line changes with it. That is one reason why your own bowling shoes make sense once you practise regularly. BOWLIO bowling shoes have a genuine leather upper and a full-length leather sole under both shoes, which makes them suitable for left- and right-handed bowlers.

For the basics, from the first approach to lane etiquette, read our beginner's guide to bowling.