A spare is bowling’s great equaliser. Strikes grab the attention, but the quickest way for a new bowler to lift their score is to knock down whatever pins are left after the first ball — the spare. Converting spares reliably is far more about aim and a repeatable routine than about raw power, which is exactly why it is such a good skill to learn early. This guide explains, in plain terms, how to pick up spares in ten-pin bowling: how to read what is standing, where to aim, the two main targeting systems, how to handle the dreaded splits, and the mistakes that cost most beginners their spares.
Key Points
- A spare means knocking down all ten pins across both rolls of a frame; it scores 10 plus your next single roll.
- Aim for the key pin — the standing pin nearest you — and the rest of the cluster usually follows.
- Play corner pins (7 and 10) by throwing across the lane, not down the edge.
- The 3-6-9 system keeps your strike target and moves your feet: right-handers move left for right-side pins, right for left-side pins.
- A straight-rolling plastic spare ball removes guesswork about hook and is ideal for corner pins.
- Don’t change your speed on single pins, and treat big splits like the 7-10 as damage control.
What is a spare in ten-pin bowling?
A spare is when you knock down all ten pins across both rolls of a single frame, having left at least one pin standing after the first ball. You mark it on the scoresheet with a slash (/). It differs from a strike, where all ten fall on the very first roll. The distinction matters because of scoring: a spare is worth 10 pins plus the number of pins you knock down with the next single roll, so a well-timed spare followed by a good first ball can add serious points. If you are still getting to grips with the maths, our guide to how to score in ten-pin bowling walks through strikes, spares and the tenth frame in detail.
The pins left standing after your first ball are called the leave. Everything in this guide is about converting that leave — whether it is a single corner pin or an awkward cluster — into a spare.
Why spares matter more than strikes for most bowlers
For almost every recreational and league bowler, clean spare shooting raises your average faster than chasing strikes. The reason is consistency. Strikes depend on hitting the pocket at a good angle with enough speed and roll, which is hard to repeat. A single-pin spare, by contrast, is a large, forgiving target: physics studies put the margin of error on a single-pin spare at roughly 13 inches (about 34 cm) of lateral room before the ball misses. If you convert most of your spares, a game of all nine-pin-first-ball-then-spare still scores 190 — higher than many bowlers manage while swinging for strikes and leaving open frames.
An open frame — a frame where you fail to clear all ten pins across both rolls — is the score-killer. Picking up spares is simply the habit of not leaving open frames. Treat it as the foundation of your game and the strikes become a bonus rather than a necessity.
The one rule that makes every spare easier: find the key pin
The single most useful principle in spare shooting is to aim for the key pin — the pin standing closest to you (nearest the foul line) in whatever leave you are facing. If you line up to hit the key pin cleanly, the ball and the falling pins usually sweep through the rest of the cluster behind it.
For a single pin, the key pin is obviously that pin. For a line of pins directly behind one another (a “sleeper” or “double wood”, such as the 2-8 or 3-9), the front pin is the key pin and the ball drives straight through. For a spread of pins, pick the one nearest you and aim through it toward the others. There is one exception worth memorising: if you leave the 1 pin (head pin) or the 5 pin standing in the centre, you make no sideways adjustment at all — you simply throw your normal strike ball at it.
How to pick up corner pins: the 7 and the 10
Corner pins are the spares you will face most often, and they are where beginners lose the most frames. A right-handed bowler most commonly leaves the 10 pin (far back right); a left-hander most commonly leaves the 7 pin (far back left). The key to both is the same: change your angle so you throw across the lane toward the pin, rather than trying to steer the ball down the edge where the gutter is waiting.
Shooting the 10 pin (right-handers)
Move your feet well to the left on the approach — a common starting point is sliding with your foot around board 35 — and aim out over the third-to-fourth arrow, throwing diagonally toward the 10 pin in the right rear corner. Open your shoulders slightly to face the pin and keep that angle all the way to the line. The cross-lane angle gives you a bigger margin than hugging the right edge.
Shooting the 7 pin
This is the mirror image. Stand to the right of centre, slide foot around board 15, and aim over the third-to-fourth arrow throwing diagonally toward the 7 pin in the left rear corner. Left-handers simply reverse the two positions — they stand left for their natural 7 pin and swing across for the 10.
Because corner pins sit on the very edge of the lane, many coaches recommend throwing them with a non-hooking ball; more on that below.
The 3-6-9 spare system explained
The 3-6-9 system is the most widely taught targeting method, and it is beginner-friendly because you keep your usual strike target on the lane and only move your feet. The name comes from the board counts you shift across to reach each pin. It only works if your strike ball consistently finds the pocket, so get your strike line dialled in first.
For a right-handed bowler, pins on the right side of the lane require you to move your feet to the left, and pins on the left side require you to move to the right. You then keep aiming at the same spot you use for strikes. The standard moves, measured from your strike stance, are:
| Pin left standing | Which way to move your feet | How far (boards) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 or 9 pin | Left | 3 boards |
| 6 pin | Left | 6 boards |
| 10 pin | Left | 9 boards |
| 2 or 8 pin | Right | 3 boards |
| 4 pin | Right | 6 boards |
| 7 pin | Right | 9 boards |
| 1 or 5 pin (centre) | No move — normal strike shot | 0 |
Left-handers reverse the directions. The numbers are a reliable starting point rather than a law of physics: oilier or drier lanes change how much the ball drifts, so adjust a board either way if you are consistently high or wide. For multi-pin leaves, apply the move for the key pin and the rest tends to follow.
The straight-ball method: using a plastic spare ball
Many league bowlers who throw a hook keep a second, non-hooking ball purely for spares. A plastic (sometimes called polyester) ball travels in a near-straight line, which removes the biggest variable in spare shooting: how much your strike ball will curve on a given lane. You simply point it straight at the pin. Our guide to the types of bowling balls explained covers why plastic reacts so differently from a reactive-resin strike ball.
The straight method is especially valuable for corner pins. A hooking ball thrown at the 10 pin has to be started out near the gutter and curve back, which leaves almost no room for error; a straight plastic ball can be thrown firmly across the lane with a comfortable margin. If you are still developing your release, it is worth understanding how curve is generated in the first place — see how to throw a hook in ten-pin bowling — so you can tell when to use it and when to switch it off.
Spare Methods Compared
| Method | How it works | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Key-pin aiming | Target the pin nearest you and drive through the cluster | All leaves; the core principle | Picking the back pin by mistake |
| 3-6-9 system | Keep your strike target, move your feet 3/6/9 boards | Beginners with a reliable pocket shot | Only works if your strike line is consistent |
| Straight plastic ball | Point a non-hooking ball straight at the pin | Corner pins; bowlers who throw a hook | Needs a second ball in your bag |
| 2-4-6 (move the target) | Keep your feet, shift your aim point on the lane | Tight spots where feet can’t move (near the ball return) | Harder to learn than 3-6-9 |
How to handle multi-pin spares and sleepers
Multi-pin leaves look intimidating but usually reduce to the key-pin rule. A few common ones worth knowing:
- Sleeper / double wood (e.g. 2-8, 3-9, 1-5): two pins directly in line, one hidden behind the other. Aim to hit the front pin flush, driving the ball straight through both. Hitting it even slightly off-centre leaves the back pin standing.
- Bucket (2-4-5-8 for right-handers, 3-5-6-9 for left-handers): a diamond of four pins. Aim at the front pin — the 2 (or 3) — and the ball carries the cluster.
- Three in a row (e.g. 1-2-4 or 1-3-6): treat the pin nearest you as the key pin and send the ball through the line.
The principle never changes: identify the pin closest to you, set your angle to strike it cleanly, and trust the chain reaction. The ten-pin bowling terms glossary has the full set of nicknames if you want to put names to the leaves you keep facing.
How to play splits, and which ones you can actually make
A split is a leave where the head pin is already down and the remaining pins have a gap between them, so a single ball cannot easily clear them all. Splits are the hardest spares, and being honest about the odds will save you frustration. Among professionals, the 4-6-7-9-10 “Greek Church” converts only around 0.2% of the time and the 4-6-7-10 “Big Four” around 1%, so for a beginner these are essentially about damage control — knock down what you can rather than going for a miracle.
Baby split (2-7 or 3-10)
These are the makeable ones. The two pins are close enough that you can slide the ball between and off them. For a right-hander’s 3-10, move left on the approach and throw as if aiming at the (missing) 6 pin, so the ball passes between the two standing pins and takes them both. The 2-7 is the mirror for the other side.
Washout (1-2-4-10 or 1-3-6-7)
A washout still has the head pin, so it is technically not a true split, and it is convertible. For the 1-2-4-10, shoot from the left and aim at the centre of the 2 pin: the ball clears the 2 and 4 while the head pin is knocked sideways into the far 10.
The big splits (7-10, Big Four, Greek Church)
The 7-10 — two corner pins as far apart as the lane allows — is the famous one, converted only by clipping one pin so thinly it flies across and knocks the other over. It is a low-percentage shot for anyone. For wide splits like the 6-7-10, stand centrally and roll firmly at the pin you can drive into its neighbour (slide the 6 into the 7 while the ball takes the 10). Expect to miss most of the time; the goal is simply to maximise pinfall.
Common mistakes when shooting spares
Most missed spares come from a handful of avoidable habits rather than a lack of talent:
- Using the same line for every shot. Throwing your strike line at a corner pin almost guarantees a gutter ball or a thin hit. Move your feet for the leave.
- Playing corner pins down the edge. Trying to keep the ball tight to the gutter leaves no margin. Throw across the lane for a bigger target.
- Easing up on single pins. Slowing the ball lets a hook grab and curve past the pin. Commit to the same firm speed.
- Aiming at the wrong pin in a cluster. Always target the key pin nearest you, not the pin at the back.
- Drifting across the approach. If your feet wander toward your swing side, your careful angle is lost before you release. Walk straight to your target.
- Going for broke on big splits. On a 7-10 or Greek Church, trying to make the impossible conversion often knocks down fewer pins than a sensible shot at one side.
How to practise your spare game
Deliberate practice beats hoping spares turn up. The classic drill is to roll your first ball, then — whatever is left — genuinely try to convert it, logging which leaves you miss most. Rank your top single-pin and multi-pin leaves and work on the worst offenders first; most bowlers find the off-hand corner pin (the 10 for right-handers) is their weakest spot. A quiet off-peak session at one of the country’s lanes is ideal for this — our rundown of the best bowling alleys in New Zealand can help you find somewhere with the lanes and hours to practise. Over a few weeks, the corner-pin angles and the 3-6-9 moves become automatic, and your open frames quietly disappear.
Sources
- United States Bowling Congress (USBC) — Spare-Shooting Clinic
- United States Bowling Congress (USBC) — Making Hard Spares
- National Bowling Academy — Level Up with Better Spare Shooting
- AMF — Techniques to Make Your Spares in Bowling
- Snopes — Science Reveals the Toughest Splits in Bowling (Blatt analysis)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the easiest way for a beginner to pick up spares?
Start with the key-pin rule: aim at the standing pin closest to you and throw across the lane rather than down the edge. Then learn the 3-6-9 system, which lets you keep your normal strike target and simply move your feet left or right depending on which pins are left. These two ideas cover the large majority of spares you will face.
Should I use a different ball for spares?
If you throw a hook with a reactive ball, a plastic (polyester) ball that travels nearly straight makes spares far more predictable, especially corner pins, because it removes the guesswork about how much the ball will curve. If you already throw a mostly straight ball, you do not need a second ball — just adjust your feet and aim.
Why do I keep missing the 10 pin (or the 7 pin)?
The usual cause is trying to play the corner pin down the edge of the lane, leaving no room for error. Instead, move your feet to the opposite side of the approach and throw diagonally across the lane toward the pin, keeping your shoulders open to the target and your speed firm so a hook does not drag the ball off line.
Can you actually convert a 7-10 split?
Rarely. The 7-10 leaves two pins at opposite back corners, and even professionals make it only around 1% of the time by clipping one pin so it slides across into the other. As a beginner, treat big splits as damage control: roll firmly at whichever side you can drive into its neighbour and accept that you will miss most of them.
What is the difference between a spare and a split?
A spare is any frame where you clear all ten pins across your two rolls after leaving something standing on the first ball. A split is a type of leave — the head pin is already down and the remaining pins have a gap between them — which makes it one of the harder spares to convert. Every split you clear counts as a spare; not every spare involves a split.
