Phil Regan Bowling Lessons presents
Better Bowling
Phil Regan
United States Bowling Congress
Silver Level Certified Coach
Member of the Professional Bowlers Association
Serving Northern California
Defeating the Enemy
Or, How to Convert That Pesky Corner Pin
I'm talking about the dreaded 10-pin, of course. (I'm addressing right-handers here. I'll talk to lefties in a few paragraphs.)
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For some people, the 10 is just another ho-hum, easy spare opportunity. But for others, it's the leave that can cause the strong to weep. It sits down there, 62 feet, 10.25 inches from the foul line, taunting you.
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I'm convinced that people tend to miss the 10 because of a fear of failure. When they attempt to convert it, they either tug the ball to the left, away from the pin, or they over-throw the ball and toss it into the gutter ten feet in front of the pin.
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There's a secret to converting the 10-pin: Don't aim for it. Instead, aim for the pin that sits in front of it: the invisible 6-pin. Simply roll a hard polyester or a really hard old, rubber ball over the third arrow from the right, straight at where the 6 normally stands. Your ball will cover the 10 as you "hit" the 6.
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For left-handers, your scary corner pin is the 7. No problem: Aim for the 4-pin.
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Whether you're after the 10-pin or the 7-pin, the idea here is to take anxiety out of the picture. By aiming for a pin that's closer to you and fairly far away from the gutter, you take anxiety out of the equation and drastically increase your chances of success.