Written by: Panagiotis Vardakis, EBF Level 3, USBC Bronze, and National Coaching School Cat C coach
Ask most bowlers what wins tournaments, and the answer is usually simple: strikes. But ask champions the same question, and you will often hear a completely different answer: spares.
Spares are where confidence grows.
With pins covering
roughly four boards and a bowling ball spanning about nine boards, the margin
for error is huge - around 22 boards in theory, which is more than half the
lane.
That is why spare shooting depends more on mindset and
pressure management than on mechanics alone.
After many years of coaching and competing, this is the truth I have learned: spares are driven more by feeling than by strict technique or formula.
Yes, technique matters.
Yes, a spare ball helps.
Yes, lines and angles exist.
But in my experience, spare shooting is a 70–30 game:
70 percent mindset and feeling,
30 percent physical execution.
Let’s take a closer look at the method I teach my athletes.
Don’t Start With “Where.” Start With “How It Feels”
Most bowlers approach spares by asking technical questions: Where do I stand? Where do I look? Which board is this?
I turn those questions around. The first thing I ask instead is simple: Where do you feel comfortable shooting from?
Before boards and arrows come into play, your body needs to feel aligned with the line of play. Comfort and balance must come first. The order should always be:
-
Feel the line
-
Let your body naturally match and align with it
-
Then mark your standing and target points and make proper adjustments
Every pin (yes, every single pin) can be converted in more than one way. There
is no single “correct” solution. There is only the solution that feels
repeatable to you.
Ask yourself: where do you feel comfortable shooting from?
The “New Lane” Mindset Trick
This is the mindset drill that often changes everything.
When an athlete steps up to a spare, whether it is a single pin or a combination, I give them one instruction: connect the ball and the pin in your mind. Then, create a new lane between them.
Imagine that lane as:
- Ten boards wide
- The ball in the center
- The pin in the center
Now visualize that lane in any way that makes you feel calm and secure. It can be ice, water, a road, grass, light, or even a tunnel. The image itself does not matter. The feeling does.
The key is what happens next. Everything outside that lane fades away. There are no gutters. No crowd noise. No score. No tension in the muscles. Only the lane you created in your head.
If the ball stays inside that lane, the spare will be converted.
Narrow the Lane = Narrow the Focus
As the lane becomes smaller, something powerful happens.
- Your vision sharpens.
- Your mind quiets.
- Your body commits.
You are no longer simply aiming at a pin. You are moving through space with intention. This is not mechanics. This is presence. This is bowling with clarity.
Final Thought
Yes, proper technique matters. Yes, using a spare ball helps keep the line straight, or using a hook ball if you have the control to do so. But understand this first - spares are a mental process before they are a physical one.
When you feel the line, when you see your lane, and when everything else fades away, you no longer hope to make the spare. You expect to.
And that expectation is the difference between bowlers who simply survive frames and bowlers who truly own them.
About the Author Panagiotis Vardakis
Panagiotis Vardakis is an experienced bowling coach and educator whose
involvement in the sport spans more than two decades. His work combines technical coaching, long-term player development, and
equipment knowledge, supported by his experience as a professional coach and
pro shop specialist.
Throughout his coaching career, he has guided athletes to national and
international success across European competitions, coaching players from
Greece, the United Kingdom, Malta, Slovakia, Cyprus, and Bulgaria.
A significant part of his work is dedicated to youth development, where he focuses on structured training environments that support both athletic progress and personal growth.
Vardakis is currently involved in youth-oriented projects through BYC in Slovakia and continues to work with athletes, clubs, and organizations through coaching programs, clinics, and educational initiatives across Europe.
For coaching-related questions or inquiries, Coach Vardakis can be contacted via email at p.vardakis@gmail.com or visit www.byc.sk
