I have been bowling for several years and love the game. One of if not THE biggest thing I cannot stand is the guy that complains and whines when he hits the pocket and does not get a strike.
FIRST REASON being that he must think he is the only that it ever happens to. example----in league lastnight a guy threw the ball (a left hander) hit the pocket weak and left a 10 pin. He then proceeded to complain LOUDLY that it did not fall.
SECOND REASON-just because you hit the pocket does not mean you have earned a strike. There are several factors that result in leaving particular pins. If you hit up on the ball a touch more, or don't hit up on it as hard, you had a little more or a little less speed. There are many more, but those are just a few.
I firmly believe 98% of the balls that people do not strike on are caused by a variance (however little) in the many factors that are required in bowling. If I leave a 10 pin, I know that I had to of have something wrong. That does not mean I was robbed or the BOWLING GODS are against me.
Am I the only person that takes this same stand with supposed "taps"?
There are some that are a little less acceptable. 8 pins....good shots leave 8's-----BUT it can also be said that the ball didn't drive hard enough and shot the 5 pin straight back. 9 pins are hard as well---but it can be said that the ball just drove too hard.


opinions?

I agree 100% EXCALIBUR.  I hear the exact same thing all of the time.  Like you stated...it doesn't matter how perfect the shot looked there is always some reason, no matter how small, that caused a pin to be left standing.

I think a lot of it comes down to ignorance and not knowing any better...but the more and more I hear the complaining brings me to the conclusion that bowlers have to some of the biggest cry babies out there.

Bruce

"I hit the pocket all day and never carry a 10" (or 7 if your a lefty) is a common theme everywhere and I couldnt agree more that bowlers are for the most part a bunch of whiners (not all but most). Not everybody is perfect, not everybody is going to throw the same shot every time, hitting the same board, same speed, same revs, same angle every time.....but yet we still complain when we dont strike. I know I whine a bit, but try to think "Ok flat 7, not enough angle or too much speed". Next shot I make a slight adjustment, and if I say go from a flat 7 to a wrap 7, I make another minor adjustment. My buddy complains every week we bowled that he kept ripping the pocket and getting tapped. All of us on the team used to rip him cause he throws the ball about 14mph and has 3 revs. Then again, 90% of the 10 pins he leaves are flat. Then he will pull the ball, and strike going Brooklyn. We applaud the strike (hey as long as they fall right??), and he complains about himself making a bad shot. We tell him to make bad shots all day and carry the leftside, that way he wont leave any 10 pins. Then we laugh, drink more beer and leave more corner pins. If every pocket hit carried, everybody in league would shoot 300 a few times a year, 800's would be a nightly occurence in league, and 900 series would happen a few times a month. It would become a joke and then nobody would want to bowl anymore...
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If I could only pick up a 7 pin.....

Lol, especially on the Brunswick "anti-skid pindecks to reduce out of ranges."  The pins still end up out of range fairly often, it just makes them dead the rest of the time.
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I know Kung Fu!

I am the one, the one that will bring balance.  All the pins shall be destroyed!

If I struck every time I hit the pocket, you all would be watching me on TV. Reality...what a concept.

For the most part I don't complain about not striking on what I feel is a good ball.  For the most part I usually find it balanced out by striking on what isn't a very good ball.  Well, ok, sometimes I will whine with the occasional pocket 7-10, but that's life.  My coach says you only get 'robbed' on good shots.

What I gripe about, and I know it is something I shouldn't be even concerned with, is when people throwing garbage shots get breaks and carry that I would kill for. And of course, most of these offenders come back proud of their 'excellent' shots.  I know, I need to ignore that, but sometimes it does get tiresome.

Am I the only one that thinks this is getting old?

Lol, who is that? Ragnar? Clutch? Pchee? Stick to letting Mario ride you, Yoshi, there's more of a future in it . . .
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I know Kung Fu!

I am the one, the one that will bring balance. All the pins shall be destroyed!


huh huh, let Mario ride you.......oh wait sorry wrong web site....yeah its getting old. But on a funny note, how come the Americans always seem to win the Japan Cup every year??
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If I could only pick up a 7 pin.....