What is the Triax spare system
The Triax spare system gives you left side mark and a right side mark to aim at, and a board to stand on for each spare. You throw a straight ball at either your right side mark or left side mark depending on the pin.
It takes a little getting used to, but once your two marks are dialed in many bowlers find this to be a very repeatable and effective system.
How the Triax system works
You stand on the board for your target pin, which is the pin closest to you still standing. For example, a right hander aiming at the 10 pin would stand on board 35 and move by 3 boards for the 6 pin.
Your target is one of two marks at the arrows. Right side spares (the 3, 6, 9 and 10) get your right side mark. Left side spares (the 2, 4, 7 and 8) get your left side mark. Advanced Bowling Tracker defaults right handers to board 18 for the right mark and board 22 for the left mark, but you may want to learn what works best for you.
Anchor boards
| Leave | Stand on | Throw straight at |
|---|---|---|
| 10 pin | Board 35 | Your right side mark (starts at 18) |
| 6 pin | Board 32 | Your right side mark (starts at 18) |
| 3 pin or 9 pin | Board 29 | Your right side mark (starts at 18) |
| 2 pin or 8 pin | Board 21 | Your left side mark (starts at 22) |
| 4 pin | Board 18 | Your left side mark (starts at 22) |
| 7 pin | Board 15 | Your left side mark (starts at 22) |
| 1 or 5 pin | Your strike stance | Your strike target |
The 8 plays like the 2 and the 9 like the 3. Throw your strike shot for the 1 and 5.
Left handers count boards from the left gutter, so the pins swap sides and the marks swap with them.
| Leave | Stand on | Throw straight at |
|---|---|---|
| 7 pin | Board 35 | Your left side mark (starts at 18) |
| 4 pin | Board 32 | Your left side mark (starts at 18) |
| 2 pin or 8 pin | Board 29 | Your left side mark (starts at 18) |
| 3 pin or 9 pin | Board 21 | Your right side mark (starts at 22) |
| 6 pin | Board 18 | Your right side mark (starts at 22) |
| 10 pin | Board 15 | Your right side mark (starts at 22) |
| 1 or 5 pin | Your strike stance | Your strike target |
The 8 plays like the 2 and the 9 like the 3. Throw your strike shot for the 1 and 5.
The head pin and the 5 pin get your strike shot. Everything else has a board.
Finding your marks
The suggested marks are just a starting point. Here's a technique for how to find yours in a practice session:
- Stand on board 35 (the 10 pin board for a right hander) and throw straight at the 10 pin until you convert it a few times. Watch the board the ball crosses at the arrows. Use that board as your right side mark.
- Stand on board 15 and do the same at the 7 pin. The board the ball crosses at the arrows is your left side mark.
- Write both numbers down. Most bowlers land within a board or two of 18 and 22.
Once you know them, every spare is a straight line from the anchor board through the mark to the pin. That is the whole system.
Lane diagrams
Leaves with their own play
Triax handles a handful of common leaves, and the app knows them.
| Leave | Play |
|---|---|
| 3-6-9-10 | Stand on board 32 (the 6 pin board) and hook the ball at your 6 pin mark |
| 2-8 or 2-4-8 | Throw a Brooklyn strike shot |
| 4-5-7 | Half a board left of your Brooklyn line |
| 5-6-10 | Half a board right of your Brooklyn line |
Left handers mirror these: the 2-4-7-8 is the hook shot, the 3-9 and 3-6-9 get the Brooklyn shot.
The 3-6-9-10 is the one to remember. A straight ball at the 3 from board 29 will struggle to clear both the 9 pin and the 10 pin, so Triax stands on the 6 pin board and hooks at the 6 pin mark instead.
The 2-8 and the 2-4-8 get a Brooklyn strike shot, your normal strike ball into the left side of the head pin. The 4-5-7 and the 5-6-10 are half a board off that Brooklyn line. The app checks for all of these before it looks at whether a leave is a split, so the 4-5-7 and 5-6-10 get their own play even though they are splits.
Everything else
Play the front pin. On a 2-4-5 the 2 is in front, so board 21 at the left mark. On a 3-6-10 the 3 is in front, so board 29 at the right mark.
Splits without a play of their own: pick one pin and play it straight. The app picks one and says which.
Turning it on in the app
Triax is free within Advanced Bowling Tracker. Here's how you can set it up:
Option 1: Open Settings, then Game Options, then tap Spare System. The chooser also opens from the Targeting Reminders sheet at the start of a session.
Option 2: While recording in game, tap the Targeting Reminder icon (next to the ball selector) and select the Triax Spare System.
During a game
On Apple Watch, once you record your first shot the screen will remind you of your spare targets. To turn guidance off, open the chooser and tap Turn Off Spare Guidance.
FAQ
Do I need a plastic ball for Triax?
Unless you can flatten out your shot, you'll probably do your best with a spare ball. The Triax assumes your ball is traveling in a straight line from your mark to the pin. A reactive ball is more likely to have some natural movement on it once it gets past the oil.
Why does Triax use two marks for targeting?
A right hander shooting the 10 pin may stand far to the left and throw across the lane. Shooting the 7, they may stand far right and throw across from the other side. Those two lines may cross the arrows in different places, so one mark for each side keeps every spare a straight shot. The Middle Arrow system uses a single target and moves the feet more; Triax moves the feet less and uses two targets to compensate.
What if my marks are not 18 and 22?
They may not be. You'll want to dial it in and find the marks that work for your game.
Can I mix Triax with other spare systems?
Find whatever system or hybrid works for you. The most important thing is to maximize your spare conversion rate over time. But stick with one system at a time to start and see what works best for you and your game.