How to Pick Up Spares in Bowling: The 3-6-9 System

How to pick up spares in bowling? Keep your eyes on the same target you use for strikes and move your feet instead: a common method is the 3-6-9 system, where you shift 3, 6 or 9 boards depending on which pin is left. Throw a straighter ball at corner pins, pick a key pin on multi-pin leaves, and repeat the same pre-shot routine every time.

This guide covers the 3-6-9 spare system, corner pins, splits and practice tips. Bowling on St. Patrick's Day league night? Browse our St. Patrick's Day bowling shirts.

How to pick up spares in bowling: step by step

1. Read the leave and find the key pin, the pin closest to you.
2. Keep your usual strike target on the lane (an arrow or a board).
3. Move your feet left or right on the approach based on the pin you need (see the 3-6-9 chart below).
4. Walk toward your target, not toward the pin, and release with the same rhythm as your strike shot.
5. For corner pins, reduce hook so the ball travels straighter.

AMF puts it simply: "Even a single open frame can shave 10–20 pins off your final score."

What is the 3-6-9 spare system?

The 3-6-9 rule "uses your feet as the adjustment tool, letting you keep your eyes on the same strike target" (AMF). For right-handed bowlers:

"Left-handers simply reverse the directions." AMF also suggests you customize the system to your own style, ball speed and rev rate.

How to pick up corner pins (7 and 10)

The 7 and 10 pins "are missed more often than any other shots," according to AMF. Two common fixes: "Some bowlers prefer a plastic spare ball because it travels straighter, while others flatten their wrist to reduce hook with their strike ball." Pick one approach and practice it until the corner pin shot feels routine.

How to hit a split in bowling

Not every split is makeable. AMF notes that the 7-10 split "is converted only rarely." Baby splits such as the 2-7 or 3-10 "are more manageable if you clip the inside edge of the front pin." On wide splits like the big four, the goal is to hit one pin thinly so it slides into its partner. If the conversion is unlikely, aim for the most pins you can count instead of a gutter or miss.

What is the hardest spare to pick up in bowling?

AMF calls it "the dreaded 7-10 split": the two pins sit in opposite back corners, so the ball must graze one pin and send it across into the other. Among single pins, the 7 and 10 corner pins are the ones most bowlers miss.

Practice tips to make more spares

• Treat spares as routine shots, with the same focus as a strike.
• Practice corner pins every session.
• Keep a repeatable rhythm: step, target, release.
• Watch how the lane oil changes as the night goes on and adjust.

New to scoring? Read how to keep score in bowling to see how much a spare is worth, and how to bowl a strike for your first-ball target.

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FAQ

What is the 3-6-9 spare method?

It is a spare system that keeps your strike target and moves your feet 3, 6 or 9 boards depending on the pin left. Right-handers move right for left-side pins and left for right-side pins; left-handers reverse it.

Should I use a spare ball?

Many bowlers use a plastic spare ball because it travels straighter, which helps on corner pins. Others flatten their wrist to reduce hook with their strike ball.

How do you pick up a 10 pin as a right-handed bowler?

With the 3-6-9 system, move your feet 9 boards left, keep your strike target and throw a straighter ball across the lane.

Can you pick up a 7-10 split?

It is possible but rare. Most bowlers aim to knock down one of the two pins to avoid an open frame with zero pins.