Left Handers And The 7 Pin Bowling Spare

bowlingball.com, Originally Posted: 8/2/2013; Updated: 4/9/2023

OK, for those of you left handed players who must interpret tips given for right handed bowlers all the time, here’s a tip just for you for converting the 7 pin spare.
You right handed bowlers can reverse this technique when converting the 10 pin spare.
Walk your straight path to the foul line, after you adjust your feet positioning on the approach to the far right side of the approach. That’s right, walk a straight line so you slide at the line on the same board where you aligned yourself initially on the approach.
Now here is the trick - keep your shoulders open about one inch and your left hip open the same amount relative to your right hip. Pre-set your hips and shoulders open one inch before you begin walking.
If you open your hips slightly, your shoulders must follow. Open your hips so your torso faces the 7 pin but discipline yourself to walk your straight line path to the foul line. You will be able to easily deliver your bowling ball on the proper swing delivery-path toward the 7 pin spare.
Many bowlers think it is difficult to open the shoulders slightly and still walk the straight line with their footwork. Not true.
With a little work, you can easily train yourself to open your shoulders and hips about one inch so your swing can track to deliver the ball to the 7 pin accurately.
Visualize a great pro bowler you have seen on TV with a high backswing where the hips and shoulders open perhaps a full 90 degrees relative to the foul line before rotating shut to deliver the bowling ball.
This left handed pro bowler walks to the right slightly while swinging and delivering the bowling ball to the left angle delivery path and while opening the hips and shoulders much more than one inch.

If the pro bowler can open the shoulders a full 90 degrees and control the walking path to the foul line, you should be able to open your shoulders only an inch and maintain that shoulder alignment as you walk a straight line path to the foul line and deliver your ball.
You can use this alignment technique for strike deliveries as well. Especially when the lanes hook and you must trust your forward swing delivery path to send your ball from right to left to prevent early hook.
With a little effort and time spent on a practice lane, you can improve your 7 pin spare conversion rate if you align your swing and shoulders to freely deliver the ball down the intended delivery path.
Bowl two games of practice delivering your ball toward the 7 pin. You should get a minimum of 20 deliveries unless you pull the shot and get a strike.
Give this technique a try if you are struggling with the 7 pin.