When I was a teenager I learned that spares are very important and every pin matters in the long run. I was taught to always shoot at a spare using the key pin.Most of the successful tour champions go straight. WRW jr,Duke,Voss, Bohn,T.Jones,Belmo,EJ etc. Double and triple wood spares the key pin is the farthest forward. Here is the explanation of my DW Spare shooting system.Using angle for right side spares you would stand on the left side of the approach and vise versa for 7 pin side spares. You have 13 boards to cover a single pin( except the 7 and 10 where its approx 9 boards) You don't have to be perfect just make the physical shot at the target to hit the pin using a straight line and a spare ball preferably! SO,If you shoot a tenpin and hit it straight on center then for any pin towards you you move your eyes left one board from your ten pin target..So lets say, and I will use my favorite target and stance positions for this example, I shoot a tenpin standing on board 34 and target board 19 and make it right on. If I were to leave a 6 pin my feet stay the same and my eyes would go to board 20. If I leave a 9 pin since its on the back row 2ft behind the the 3 pin I would imagine I left a 1 and 3 and move my eyes 3 left to board 22.If I leave a 3-6-9 the key pin is the 6 but I move my eyes 2 left to board 21 as you want to cover the 3 pin. A baby split is the same as a 3-6-10..simple
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For the left side if I hit the 7 pin right on using my favorite position standing on board 11 looking at board 19 all I have to do is move my eyes go to 18 for a 4 pin and 17 for a 2 pin. A 2-4-5 bucket is the same as a 2 pin as is the 1-2-4-10 washout,2-8,2-4 etc....this system basically works on all lane patterns using straight lines. You take the LANE PATTERN OUT OF PLAY! If the lanes are really hooking like on a short pattern the initial target can be moved to the right 2 boards for 10 pin side spares and also to the right for seven pin spares by 2 boards as the main target .If the lanes are wet/tight/longer then the initial target moves left from the initial target to accommodate the oil or longer patterns( reducing hook). No matter you angle to hit the 10 or seven dead on then you have your target .Your eyes then move accordingly for each pin towards you.Easy stuff trusting your eyes and your game. Practice matters !! Good luck and always shoot spares with angle but straight at them with no hook! DW
