Game version
Pin-pick game: pick a spare leave and aim for it. The pair keeps one total of spares made and tries to top its own last session.
Partner Calls the Spare
A partner names a spare and you set your feet and target before rolling.
By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026
Set up
Your partner names a single pin.
Core: Three. Beat your own best spares.
- Ages
- 11 and up
- Time
- 15 min
- Players
- You and a partner
- Space
- Gym or court
- Bring
- Bowling ball, lane, partner
- Level · skill
- Developing · Spares
The steps
How it works
- Your partner names a single pin.
- Say your 3-6-9 move out loud.
- Roll at it.
- Do 12 calls and count makes.
Coaching point
Say it, set it, roll it.
Safety: Never step past the foul line; the lane is oily and slippery. Wait for the pinsetter to finish before you bowl, and never go down the lane.
Make it fun
Play it, don't drill it
Challenge
Pick a leave: Less (two pins), Core (three), More (a split you choose). Beat your own best spares.
Story
You are a detective cleaning up the last pins one by one.
My best
Beat your own count
Beat your own best spares. Only your own number counts: today against last time.
Practice makes progress
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