A spare is clearing all ten pins using both balls of a frame (e.g. 7 then 3), marked with a slash (/) on the scoresheet. A spare scores 10 plus the bonus of your next single roll. Consistent spare conversion is the foundation of a reliable bowling score — the adage ‘striking is for show, sparing is for dough’ reflects that a bowler who reliably converts spares scores consistently in the 170s-190s even without many strikes. Spare shooting, especially of difficult splits and single-pin spares, is a core skill that coaches prioritise over chasing strikes.
Key points
- All ten pins across two balls
- Scored as 10 + next one roll
- Foundation of a consistent score
- 'Striking is for show, sparing is for dough'
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