There are many reasons. I will name a few. Squeezing the ball because your thumb is loose. Rotating your elbow forward. The ball rolling out or hitting too much oil in the back end.

Key to strike...never squeeze the ball. If your thumb feels loose, adjust with tape. You must watch where the ball finishes. What I mean is where the ball ends up in the pit. If it finishes through the ninepin (for right-handers) that is pretty well guaranteed to be a ten pin when you hit the pocket flush. It’s usually caused by the ball rolling out of it's aggressive reaction. Which brings me to the two key points to strike. The point of entry and break point. It is very important to make sure you have the right angle so that the ball doesn’t hit behind the head pin.

Most bowlers don’t pay attention to where the ball ends up in the pit. This is one of the major keys in bowling. This tells you why the ten pin still stands (for right handers). Anytime the ball finishes straight through the nine pin 99% of the time you will leave the tenpin. Two reasons...the ball probably rolled out or caught too much oil in the back end.

The best move is to move one board left on the approach and don’t change your target. What that does is it will give you more head oil and because the angle is changed you will come out to the dry area a little bit earlier and wider, which will give a chance to hit with either more power or slightly lighter on the head pin. This will give you two chances in taking out the tenpin without having to worry about throwing a split on the nose.

Another way of fixing taking out the ten pin is a little bit harder for some people, but works very well. Try to loft the ball 8 to 16 inches more on the lane, without moving on the approach. This will make the ball finish a little bit later and stronger.

If you don’t get the result, then my third choice is to move one board right on the approach, but this way there is always a small chance you may it too high.

P.S.: There is one exception...just purely a bad break when the ten pin doesn’t fall. You must understand when that is. This brings me back to watch where your ball ends up in the pit.

Most people who leave a ten pin don’t do anything about it right away except complain. What they should do is make the move that I just suggested above. You have nothing to lose and alot to gain. You are not going to miss the headpin and will have a better chance to strike.

Note: I agree with February's Coach, Mike Lefave...spares are the most important thing in bowling.

With Jack's 235 League Average, 18 Perfect Games and nine 800 Triples, there's no doubt he is among Canada's elite athletes. Jack has competed at the Bowling World Cup International Finals four times and was the first bowler ever to bowl a perfect game at the world championships in 1994. If once wasn't enough, he duplicated the feat again in 1995. Besides tackling the international world, Jack has competed on the Pins Game here in Canada 10 times and has claimed it's title as well. Jack will be representing Canada in Denmark this year as a member of Team Canada.

Jack's positive attitude and willingness to share his knowledge has made him an international icon, respected across the globe.