The 3-6-9 Spare System

Spare are crucial: at the highest level you simply cannot miss spares while, if you are new to the sport, making more spares is the simplest way to raise your average to the 180 level.

The 3-6-9 is probably the most widely known and easiest system to learn and use. By moving your feet three, six or nine boards (thus the "3-6-9" name) from the spot you stood to shoot your strike you can easily convert all but the hardest spares. That's all there is to it. Read on to find out how it can work for you.

Different players may have a different "line" but can still use this system, based off their own lines. The strike line will be different from the corner-pin line, too. For simplicity the diagrams here show the two starting lines (in yellow) using the 2nd or 3rd arrows.

To use the 3-6-9 you keep the same target and move your feet more to the left or the right. The lines drawn clearly show how moving more to the right results in the ball hitting pins left of your original line. Similarly, moving left with your feet makes your ball end up further to the right.

Now, all you have to do is decide how far to move your feet. That's simple: you move in blocks of three boards. Each three board move with your feet will cause your ball to hit the next pin down the line.