L atelier du bowling

The 5-4-3 System

Spares are the foundation of a good game: if you miss a spare you are effectively handicapping yourself, giving your opponent free pins. But, unless you string strikes together, a spare-game will limit you to being a 180 average player.

To raise your average over the 180 mark you need to put two or more strikes together. You know that sometimes a pocket ball doesn't strike: depending on your style and the lane condition.

All the lines on the diagram are hitting the pocket, but not all of them will have the same strike rate. The 5-4-3 system lets you jump around the lane with confidence so you can find the optimum strike line and carry the strikes to break into the 200 averages.
Too much angle runs the risk of leaving splits or 3-6-10 combinations: moving to an inside line can reduce the angle of entry.

Alternatively, if you don't have enough angle of entry your ball hits like a wet marshmallow (leaving five pins or 2-10's). Moving to an outside line creates more angle.

The 5-4-3 system is more complex than most spare systems but, with practise, will give you the confidence to play all parts of the lane and increase your time "in the zone".

Summary

By moving your feet in five board jumps and your target by three boards you can use the whole lane to find the best angle to carry the strikes you need.