I've been wondering about this for a while, now, and am convinced, that when better bowlers bowl with beginners, it hurts the better bowler's scoring potential.

Here's why I say what I do:
I consider myself one of the "better" bowlers. I'm bowling 4 leagues a week this year, in 3 different houses.
2 of the leagues are scratch leagues, and I'm bowling OK in both.
1 league is a handicap league, but for the most part is made up of "better" recreational bowlers. The beginners are only on a couple of teams. I'm bowling well in that league.
The last league is a new one for me this year. Held in a house where I have always bowled well in tournaments in the past, I said yes when my hubby and son wanted me to bowl. This league is almost ALL beginners. There are a few (around 5-6 out of 26 teams) who can reasonably hit the same place on the lane twice in a row. I am bowling HORRIBLY in this league. I usually start out ok, then my scores fall dismally. For example - 256-137 one week. 226-175 another. I am convinced that all those people throwing all over the lane (but predominately down the middle) with plastic house balls, are messing with my shot, and causing me to flounder. I have bowled well a couple of weeks, but one of those weeks was when we were pre bowling, on the same shot, but unopposed. The other was when we were bowling with a team with two reasonably decent bowlers.

Now - I'm not whining here. I knew when I signed up that it was going to be exactly what it is - a beer league with a bowling problem...
Let's not even talk about things like lane courtesy, spills, etc...

However - how sensitive have oiling patterns gotten that some clown with a house ball can screw up the shot for everyone?

Edited on 11/17/2003 4:04 PM