How to Bowl Two-Handed: Spare the 10-Pin (Part 6)

One of bowling's greatest sources of frustration is the 10-pin. It's typically the hardest single-pin spare to pick up, and it often remains standing after what seemed like a perfect strike ball. But your score will be badly hurt if you can not spare it. This video will help you feel more confident sparing the 10-pin.

Please note that these tips are applied to the righties. You just need to flip it if you are a lefty.

00:25 Where is the “stupid” 10-pin?
01:02 Why do we miss the 10-pin?
01:22 Overcome the fear of missing the 10-pin
02:14 How to aim the 10-pin?
03:37 Using the right bowling ball to spare the 10-pin
05:01 Exceptionally difficult conditions to spare the 10-pin

[crashoutvergil]

Thank you for this. You just completed my game. Went down to the lanes just to practice this, hitting it 9 out of 10 times now. Thank you fr. Was a low 200 avg scratch before, can’t wait to see what this adds to it.

[brigham]

I play two-handed but when it comes to the ten-pin, I play the old one-handed way. I stand at the far left of the lane and throw across the middle arrow or just to the left of it. And yes, speed matters here as you stated in the video. If you throw too slow, the ball will likely go into the gutter, usually just inches away from hitting the ten-pin

[qvasar]

I've always just hooked the ball to the right by crossing over. its pretty reliable once you get enough practice

[ELevenhagen]

The diagram is great. Seriously made me understand better. 🤙

[jasonsmith]

For me, it is the 7-pin (Lefty). I actually bought my next spare ball (Black Widow Viz-A-Ball) at a 13lb weight (my previous spare ball was a T-Zone 15lb) just for the 7-pin. I got the lower weight because it allowed me to throw it much faster and give less of a chance of it hooking too much on the line I throw. I throw the spare ball between 15.5mph and 17mph and throw across lane for my 7-pin. This has raised my 7-pin pickups DRAMATICALLY where I make them 75% of the time as opposed to 50% of the time with the T-Zone that I only got about 14mph out of and it actually hooked much more in the dry. That lighter spare ball I use for everything left of the head pin...and changing to that smaller weight has made me FAR more accurate and raised my spare game up quite a bit. Since buying that ball, without changing anything else, I have thrown more clean games picking up spares than I ever have before..and this is because the ball stays true and is nice and slick.

[annoymusi]

really nice video. I just use spare ball and the 3-6-9 system, but now i can move more left and prevent missing

[christopherascherl]

I hook it with polyester spare ball with a core and forward roll (flatter wrist). It gives a small amount of hook with almost no continuation; I use a 3-step approach since I will be standing infront of the ball return on the right side and I want to keep everything consistent. I'm need to adjust where I'm standing from dead-center between the lanes to maximum 4 boards to the right and aiming from right edge of the 10 pin up to the gutter 4 feet in front of it based on lane conditions so you will need to throw a shot or two at the 10-pin during warm-ups. If the lane are not hooking much I will switch to my normal release as well.

[goobytron]

It’s my favorite spare. I used to hate it like everyone else. Make friends with it and have fun.
Strangely you won’t leave as many.

[mantid]

As a 2-handed bowler, the 7 pin is the hardest for me. Please do a video for the 7 pin lol. I bowl right handed and I feel so uncomfortable throwing the ball at the 7 pin, I miss it a lot.

[AtamanRuslanRFS]

I’m a two handed bowler. For the 10 pin I throw a backup ball. I don’t dare to throw a normal shot at it.

[politoskim]

do you walk straight at the approach or walk diagonally towards the 10? would love to copy your approach!

[happybowler]

I'd rather listen to your voice without background music. The background music distracts me. Another great video, keep it up bro!

[aleckpons]

Throw the ball straighter. Hit the hand more up the back. Should practice trying to roll a stronger ball straighter at the 10pin. If you can throw a stronger ball straightish, then using a plastic will be even straighter

[robertstenegard]

interesting. viewed this in company me with my young adepts and paused. This is old, this line is wrong. We release two handed iat opposite movement.. play it as a strike... they never miss.