Author Topic: Do higher average bowlers lose sight of how good they are? (Read 889 times)

Pinbuster · « **on:** September 14, 2004, 06:19:18 AM »

I bowl in two leagues one is a traveling scratch league and the other is a 3-person handicap league.

The 3-person league has been around a long time and has had pretty stable teams. The teams have been pretty strong in the past with all bowlersâ€™ averaging over 180 and over half above 200.

Because of various factors we are bowling in our 3 house in 3 years. When we moved this year we lost a couple of teams but gained a couple from the new house. The new teams are considerably weaker at this point than the older teams. One team consists of 3 bowlersâ€™ average 150 to 175 the other has a couple of first year bowlers bowling with their father in law with averages from 130 to 180.

The last few weeks they have gotten a taste of bowling against better bowlers and seem a little overwhelmed by it. It will be interesting to see how the year progresses.

My main observation is how I have become jaded to what we do week in and week out. Between the two leagues I bowl with many great bowlers and Iâ€™m use to seeing well thrown shots, with effective rolls, and most spares being picked up.

But this is not the norm that most bowlers are exposed too. And while we are not tour caliber players (I'm really just a hack) we sometimes lose sight of just how well we do perform at the game.

A K A · « **Reply #1 on:** September 14, 2004, 02:26:30 PM »

I think we do forget what it takes to go clean for 3 games for instance. I remember a time when I thought that would never happen, now if I have 2 opens I feel I didn't bowl well, when in the past that was a good night.

It's good to bowl in normal leagues, handicap, for one it gives the new bowlers something to shot for, it shows them what bowling can be like. Also it gives them a person to watch and ask questions to, I always make sure that I am approachable and try to help any chance that I am given. I look at it like I worked my way up, now it is my turn to try to help some of the ones that need it, there were bowlers that were there for me, now it's my turn to be the mentor.

I like to see the fire that the new bowlers have that so many of the long timers have lost.

ksucat · « **Reply #2 on:** September 14, 2004, 05:17:38 PM »

While honor scores and 200+ averages have become much more common, they are still in a very small percentage of the overall population. You are bowling in leagues against some PBA National & Regional winners, Team USA members, ABC Eagle winners, basically the cream of the crop.

After the number of years you've put in bowling shoulder to shoulder with greatness, the tendancy is to take this excellence for granted. This is the same reason that new bowlers should at least watch the best in their area. Eventually, when your turn comes to shoot that honor score, you are not overwhelmed by it because you've seen it done and realize this dream can truly happen.

mumzie · « **Reply #3 on:** September 14, 2004, 05:23:15 PM »

To answer your question - absolutely.
It was kinda brought home to me last week in my handicap league.
Although I usually outaverage the other women in the league by a fair amount, they have all known me for the past 6 years, and aren't easily impressed any more.

We have a couple of new teams this year. We bowled one of those teams last week.
The highest average on the team is 166 - from one of the men. The two women average 131 and 142.
I shot 170 something my first game. Both women turned to me and congratulated me on a really nice game. I thanked them, although not very enthusiastically.
A couple of minutes later, they told me "we just looked at your average. Now we understand why you weren't thrilled with that last game."

In my other two leagues, both scratch, I'm low with 200 something for the year. For the first two weeks of the Wednesday league, however, I'm high on the team, with +14 for 6 games. Sigh. Our team entering average was 843.
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If winning isn't important,
why do they keep score?
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Vince Lombardi

janderson · « **Reply #4 on:** September 14, 2004, 07:26:30 PM »

As with other things, when we keep our eye and passion on reaching our goals, we often don't look behind to see how much we've already achieved.
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Kill the back row (or maybe this should read "make your spares, dummy")

Author Topic: Do higher average bowlers lose sight of how good they are? (Read 889 times)

Pinbuster

Do higher average bowlers lose sight of how good they are?

A K A

Re: Do higher average bowlers lose sight of how good they are?

ksucat

Re: Do higher average bowlers lose sight of how good they are?

mumzie

Re: Do higher average bowlers lose sight of how good they are?

janderson

Re: Do higher average bowlers lose sight of how good they are?