Converting Your Game - Spares Aren't for Sissies - technics by the pro's

Bowling Digest, June, 2001 by John Jowdy

Graduating from being a good player to a great one comes down to making spares--but as some great strike-ball players have demonstrated, that's easier said than done

YOU MIGHT NOT BELIEVE IT, but there was a time when Joe Bowler couldn't pick up a ball, roll it down a well-manicured lane at his local alley, convert strike after strike, and average 220 with precious little effort. Today's powerful strike balls might make for a sexier show, but they do little to lend value to a most important aspect of bowling: the spare game.

Ed Bourdase, one of the quality shotmakers on the PBA tour during the 1960s and '70s, once said, "Spares are for sissies." By virtue of his utter disdain for converting spares, the talented Californian won but three titles and was stamped as one of the greatest underachievers in PBA annals. Disregarding anything but full racks, Bourdase literally threw away titles. He had a particularly loathsome attitude toward 10-pin leaves on seemingly good pocket hits. His indifference toward spare conversions, mainly due to a weakness in his mental approach, undoubtedly prevented him from taking his place among the top performers of his generation.

Although Bourdase stood out among those who have dismissed the importance of spares, many other PBA members have similarly failed to get the most out of their games for the same reason. Every season for the past 10 years, I've chosen a team of PBA players who are "Miserable In Spare Situations" (MISS). The Jowdy All-Miss team features numerous PBA bowlers who are outstanding strike-shot artists but, due mostly to their inability to convert spares, fail to enter the winner's circle. As you can imagine, my All-Miss team stirs up quite a bit of controversy, particularly among those who have been selected. And as expected, All-Miss members' deflated egos make them become indignant and question their selection. Nevertheless, ball reps and observers close to the PBA scene say my choices are almost always right on the money.

Kelly Coffman, generally acknowledged as the possessor of the strongest strike ball on tour, twirled his high-powered missile for 12 years without a single title. He was particularly susceptible to 10-pin leaves, and although he was able to crack the top five on television finals, his inability to convert spares cost him many a victory in his career.

Eugene McCune, unquestionably one of the most talented players on tour, can hook a ball from one end of the lane to another; he also can throw the ball fast, medium, slow, straight, or back it up. Basically, he can do whatever he wants--except pick up spares. McCune throws at single-pin spares with tremendous speed, straight and hard (as suggested by leading instructors and bowling manuals), yet he is still among the worst spare shooters on tour. As a result, he is winless in his 14 years on tour.

Brian LeClaire, a 15-year pro, is a perennial All-Miss member. Like Coffman and McCune, he is outstanding in strike situations but is practically helpless at spare conversions. LeClaire's winless record on the PBA tour is a testament to his inability to convert key spares.

R.D. Miller Jr. has been a touring pro for only five years, but in this short span he's managed to make the All-Miss team four times. The Danville, Ill., native can strike with the best of them but is in a class by himself when it comes to missing spares. Needless to say, Miller has yet to come close to a PBA title.

Norm Titus showed signs of brilliance at times over the course of his seven-year careen On several occasions he'd lead a tournament during the early rounds, but with a penchant for missing seemingly easy spares he managed to eliminate himself from contention at crunch time. Titus withdrew from PBA competition in 1999 and, like many other All-Miss members, was winless during his career.

Lee Vanderhoef has been a PBA touring player for three years. His strike ball is as explosive as anyone's, but he is extremely vulnerable in spare situations. However, at age 22, Vanderhoef has an opportunity to concentrate on this phase of the game and possibly become a consistent winner in the future.

Joe Firpo spent 17 years on the pro circuit and had but one title to his credit, a doubles championship with Del Warren. Firpo had all the ingredients of a real champion: His stroke was strong, smooth, and effortless, and his balance was almost perfect. Firpo possessed a potent strike ball and showed flashes of greatness. In fact, he was a perennial finalist during his next-to-last year on tour and performed brilliantly year after year in the ABC Masters competition. Nevertheless, Firpo's inability to record a singles victory on the PBA tour can be attributed directly to his weak spare game.

Len Blakely, another perennial All-Miss member, also gave up the PBA tour after numerous winless seasons. Blakely bowled his way out of several championship opportunities, due primarily to spare deficiencies.

Even PBA champions aren't impervious to spare shooting-induced slumps. In fact, several titlists have given up the tour as a result of such woes.