The 2-4-5 Bowling Spare

When it comes to the Bowling Spare, for years, teachers of bowling have taught the theory of "giving the ball all the alley possible," that is, shooting left-side leaves from the right side, and vice versa.

In nearly all cases, this system is still best. The 2-4-5 Bowling Spare leave, however, is different, and the way I play it may surprise a lot of bowlers.

The 2-4-5 Bowling Spare leave usually results when a ball coming into the 1-3 pocket doesn't quite finish, and a very light pocket hit is recorded. The main purpose in shooting at the spare is to prevent a cherry pick or chop.

If I were to shoot this spare in the conventional manner (from the right side), I could fall easily into such an error, for the ball is likely to strike the 2-pin full and to carry through, picking up only the 4-pin, and leaving the 5-pin still standing.

So, instead of widening the angle, I try to cover the spare as much as possible. The 2-pin is the key pin here, and it can be hit from either side.

In order to give myself the best possible angle at which to count, I move to the left side of the approach, knowing that this permits my hook to come in on the 2-pin at the best covering angle.

This procedure should be used on such leaves as the 2-5 Bowling Spare, the 2-5-8 Bowling Spare, and the 2-4-5-8 Bowling Spare, the latter known as the "dinner bucket."

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