Should I have a spare ball?
Emily Ross
Published Jan 19, 2026
Since picking up your spares is a surefire way to make a big improvement to your score, adding a dedicated spare ball is a good way to better convert your spares, especially those on the side of your bowling hand. But other bowlers would argue that a spare ball isn't completely necessary.
Should I use a spare ball for bowling?
If you want to be good at bowling, it's crucial to be able to pick up spares consistently. To do so, you'll need a ball that you can count on to react the way you want it to, regardless of lane conditions. By perfecting your spare game, you can keep your scores relatively high even if you don't make every strike.
What is the purpose of a spare ball?
The benefit of a spare ball
Bowlers don't just carry around an extra ball for the exercise. The majority of serious bowlers will roll their first shot with some spin. The spare ball, then, is used for a more precise second throw that does not hook away from any pins that are still left in the alley.
Is a strike or spare better?
Is a spare equal to a strike? Technically, a spare and a strike are both worth ten points to start — the number of pins knocked down in the individual frame where the strike or spare occurred. However, a spare is not equal to a strike because of the difference in bonus points awarded.
Should your spare ball be lighter?
The ball's design is to try and reduce the amount of friction (hook) and dynamics (core) so the ball goes where you throw it. Because of the ball's design, it wouldn't make sense to make it lighter since going back and forth from 15 pounds to 14 pounds and back can lead to inconsistencies in your release.
39 related questions foundWhats a good weight for a spare ball?
Typically, adult male beginner players tend to choose balls from 14 to 16 pounds while adult female beginner players choose balls from 10 to 14 pounds. Young bowlers should choose balls in the 6 to 14 pound range.
Is 180 a good bowling score?
An expert bowler should shoot for an average bowling score of 180-205 per game. An average of 200 a game is a sign that you might be able to hang with professional bowlers in regional and legit PBA Tour tournaments. Averaging 180-205 per game takes a lot of skill, even more work, and a healthy dose of luck.
Do you get double points after a spare?
A player who bowls a spare in the tenth (final) frame is awarded one extra ball to allow for the bonus points.
What is a perfect score in bowling?
In bowling, a perfect game (in 10 pin at least) is 300 points – strikes in each of the first nine frames, and three in the tenth. If you're bowling way below that, you may feel like you have a lot of practice before you see a higher bowling score.
What is 5 strikes in a row called?
Two strikes in a row are called a double, three strikes in a row are called a Turkey, while four and five strikes in a row are called four/five-bagger(s) and so on and so forth. A strike is commonly indicated with an “X”.
What makes a bowling ball a spare ball?
That's where a spare bowling ball comes in. Usually made of polyester/plastic, a spare bowling ball reacts much less to lane conditions than a high-performance bowling ball. Therefore, it's easier to keep on the lane for longer and with much greater straight-line accuracy.
Are plastic bowling balls good?
Plastic balls are good when a bowler needs the ball to go straight up-the boards of the lane, for spare shooting, or perhaps even for extremely dry lane conditions. Plastic balls favor slow ball speed players for both strike and spare ball deliveries.
What's the difference between a strike ball and a spare ball?
Knocking all the ten pins for the first time is called a "strike," which is done with the hook ball, and then the striker uses the spare ball, which is mostly made of plastic or polyester to knock down all the pins, which is called "spare."
How common is a 300 in bowling?
Similar to making an ace, the more proficient you are at bowling, the better your chance of a 300 game. The odds for a PBA bowler rolling a 300 are 460 to 1, while it's 11,500 to 1 for the average bowler.
What is the hardest score to get in bowling?
"The most difficult bowling score to get is absolutely 292, which can only be scored with 11 consecutive strikes and then a two on the last ball ... With ten standing, two is absolutely the toughest pin count to get with one ball."
What is a good score for a beginner bowler?
A typical beginner score at first is around 50-70 and a good leisure bowler's average is normally in the 130s-150s. A good bowler usually gets around 200 in a single game. A winner in a professional bowling game/tournament usually gets between 260 and 280.
What does the S mean in bowling?
An “O” around a number indicates the pins that were left standing after the first roll were in a “split” formation, though you can also use an “S” before the number to indicate a split formation. The numbers. Most of the scoring done in a game of bowling involves adding the number of pins knocked down in each frame.
What is three spares in a row called?
This is sometimes mocked as throwing a strike one ball too late. Since throwing three strikes in a row is referred to as a "turkey," three spares in a row is sometimes called a “chicken” and in rural areas three spares in a row is called a “sparrow”.
How do you get 300 in bowling?
In bowling games that use 10 pins, such as ten-pin bowling, candlepin bowling, and duckpin bowling, the highest possible score is 300, achieved by bowling 12 strikes in a row in a traditional single game: one strike in each of the first nine frames, and three more in the tenth frame.
What is AVG in bowling?
: the ratio in cricket obtained by dividing the number of runs scored by the number of wickets taken by a bowler.
Has anyone ever bowled a 900 series?
Cody Schmitt celebrated his once-in-a-lifetime moment by getting back to work. The 26-year-old Elkhart Lake native wasn't just a typical league bowler at Anchor Lanes when he rolled the 38th perfect 900 series verified by the United States Bowling Congress, accomplished Nov. 16 in his Tuesday night league.
What average Do Pro bowlers have?
The pro bowlers in their leagues will most times average anywhere from 230-250. Unlike golf, where fans can see five inch rough at the US Open, a pro drop a 40-foot putt or a pro hit a five-iron 210 yards, it can be difficult for a spectator to understand the difficult lane conditions that the pro's bowl on.
Are spare balls plastic?
Plastic or spare bowling balls are intended to roll straight and have provide no hooking potential. These balls shells typically are plastic or polyester.
What weight bowling ball do most pros use?
Most pro bowlers use 16-pound balls, although more than you think use 15-pounders. Another method is to add one or two pounds to the weight of the house ball you normally use. A heavier ball drilled specifically to your hand will seem to weigh about the same as a house ball two pounds lighter. .
Is the purple hammer a good spare ball?
The Purple Hammer is one of the best urethane balls of all time. Very smooth and very controllable on every single pattern I have thrown it on. I will admit that I wasn't a big fan of urethane prior to punching up this ball, but once I did, I needed three more. It won't over react and it won't under react.