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Author Topic: Shorter practice time  (Read 1857 times)

Pinbuster

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Shorter practice time
« on: November 16, 2004, 03:32:30 AM »
Around here they use to allow 10 minutes of practice before league would start. This time was regardless of how many bowlers were on a team.

I have noticed that several houses in the area have reduced the practice time to 8 minutes, even 5 person teams. Some bowlers don’t even get 4 shots under this scenario.

I can’t believe they are saving enough with that two minutes to make up for all the ill will they are generating.

Is anyone else experiencing shortened practice times?
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Pinbuster

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Re: Shorter practice time
« Reply #1 on: November 16, 2004, 11:45:52 AM »
While the pro’s do get adequate time to warm up in virtually all tournaments and leagues I have been in there is not enough time. Even ABC nationals doesn’t allow much time but at least now they let you have a couple of balls before doubles.

I can’t think of another sport where you are not either allowed time on the field of play or some facility is provided to properly warm up before competition. Especially not before a national championship, not golf, not tennis, not baseball, not football, not basketball, not soccer, not hockey, all give adequate time to warm up.

I guess even the tournament officials don’t consider bowling to be sport.



 
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FBM357

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Re: Shorter practice time
« Reply #2 on: November 16, 2004, 11:46:34 AM »
I know exactly what you mean!  One league gives us 10 mins of practice, the other gives us, what appears to be enough time to throw 3 balls on each lane.  Couple that with the fact I have to inform the peeps on my lanes that you throw 1 ball and that's all!  Most want to shoot a full rack and then a spare.  Also, with time limited, why are you extending courtesy to other lanes during practice?

Sorry for the rant, but I'm 'feeling' you on this one!
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Goof1073

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Re: Shorter practice time
« Reply #3 on: November 16, 2004, 11:47:30 AM »
Most of the team based leagues in my area are 4-Person teams.  In these house we are usually given what they call "10-minutes."  In all honestly this amount of time seems to range from 7 to 12 minutes depending on the person behind the desk.
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jimensminger

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Re: Shorter practice time
« Reply #4 on: November 16, 2004, 12:13:24 PM »
in a Brunswick house where I bowl a 4 person mixed league, they just installed all new scorers,..when practice starts the scorers start a 10 minute countdown,..then they turn off. So we get exactlly ten minutes. My other league is in a AMF house,5 person mixed,..the counter turns on the lanes and announces that we have ten minutes,..depending on how busy he is, and if he remembers what time we started we usually get between 10-12 minutes. In the scratch tournaments I bowl with 4 on a pair we normally get 15 minutes before the first squad starts, if there's two squads that day, we normally only get 10 minutes the second squad,..funny thing is that in the tournaments there are no lane courtesies,..get the ball and go,...but in league it's the courtesy thing,..in the tournaments most of us throw the ball and then foul, resetting a full rack for the next guy. In league everyone shoots their spares,..kinda funny.
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seadrive

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Re: Shorter practice time
« Reply #5 on: November 16, 2004, 12:26:00 PM »
quote:
In league everyone shoots their spares,..kinda funny.

Jim, most league bowlers need to practice shooting spares more than throwing strikes.

Once I'm happy that my "strike" ball is coming off my hand properly (i.e. right amount of tape in thumbhole), and I think I've got a pretty good line to the pocket, I throw the rest of my practice shots at corner pin spares.

BTW, no one has yet mentioned whether or not you practice with pins, or shadow bowl.  We shadow bowl for 10 minutes, everyone on each team (trios league) gets to throw around 10 balls.

More than enough to get warmed up.
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Pinbuster

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Re: Shorter practice time
« Reply #6 on: November 16, 2004, 12:48:31 PM »
Most of mine are in Brunswick houses where the ball returns don’t work unless the pinsetters are cycling, so we bowl at pins.

In fact even the AMF houses we travel too set pins during practice.  

Ten minutes in my trio would be enough but it has been cut to 8, I can live with that but it is close.

But the travel scratch is 5 person teams bowling second shift and it’s tough to get more than 4 or 5 shots before they turn the lights on even with 10 minutes.

I’ve gotten some glares in my trio league because I don’t pay much attention to lane courtesy during warm up, I’m trying to get reps to get loose.

At nationals during team practice we have each team stay on one lane for 5 minutes then switch. We throw one ball and go back to the end of the line. We’ve been able to get at least 6 shots a person in that way sometimes 8.
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MSC2471

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Re: Shorter practice time
« Reply #7 on: November 16, 2004, 11:18:32 PM »
One house I bowl in allows 10 minutes of practice, it is set up with the computer on a timer and when the 10 minutes have ended all the lanes shut off automatically. I usually can get in about 6 shots (3 per lane) with 10 people on a lane if things are flowing well enough. The other house has 10 minutes of practice and we decide when we've had enough practice to start bowling.

If I feel that's not enough practice for me I will usually get to the lanes at least 30 minutes before league and bowl a game...

Matt
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Rev_O

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Re: Shorter practice time
« Reply #8 on: November 16, 2004, 11:35:51 PM »
our leagues have 1 minute of practice per bowlers on the pair

10 bowlers=10 minutes
8 bowlers= 8 minutes
6 bowlers= 6 minutes

etc
etc
etc

it works out pretty well. you usually get 3 full racks per lane.
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stanski

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Re: Shorter practice time
« Reply #9 on: November 17, 2004, 12:13:16 AM »
I can't stand how short most practice sessions are. Am I the only person in the world that takes half a game or more just to get warmed up, not to mention finding a shot? I've been to tournaments where i've gotten to throw 3 frames. For me, my wrist isn't even warmed up after 3 frames.

I have no idea how to solve this problem and dependency on practice. It seems like for the first half of every first game I struggle so much. If practice were just long enough for me to throw 8 frames, I would be fine, but in most of the leagues I have been in and almost all tournaments, this is just not the case.

On another note, the lanes are usually empty before league starts anyways, no one is going to bowl on them, no one is bowling on them, so whats the point in not giving an extra 5 minutes? I guess it could cause more damage to the lanes and would most definately eat into profits slightly. Nonetheless, it is so frustrating trying to put a good game together in a tournament when you only had 3 frames to warm up, probably the first 2 I can't even throw at full speed.
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TwoFourEightNineNine

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Re: Shorter practice time
« Reply #10 on: November 17, 2004, 01:07:52 AM »
How long does it take for you guys to find a line? It shouldn't take this long! What do you want... an hour?

1. For warming up... warm up before the lights go on. Don't warm up as you throw balls. Stretch and warm up before the lights go on. This especially goes for you older/bigger guys who take longer to warm up a bit. Warming up/Stretching is good for all! If this takes 20-30 minutes, then do it for 20-30 minutes before league starts. You're the one that wants to win, right? Do what you need to do to win!

2. With you all warmed up before the lights go on, it shouldn't take you more than 10 minutes to find a line. As you wait your turn, you watch others... you see how long/short/tight/dry the oil pattern plays. When you practice, based on your observations of what the lane is playing like for others, you "guesstimate" what the reaction will be like for yourself. For example, if I know that balls are hooking around the 40' line on the lane, chances are I will try playing 2nd arrow area first. Then, I will fine-tune the reaction from there... usually I can get this done within the 10-minute mark... even when there are 10 guys on a pair.

Be proactive about your bowling game guys. The game doesn't start when the lights go on. I think it starts way before it- like your stretching, visualization, etc.

If there are shortcomings, let them be - but you have to be creative so you can be one step ahead of the field. It's not up to Mr. Proprietor or League Manager to help you. It's up to you... yes... you.
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LuckyLefty

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Re: Shorter practice time
« Reply #11 on: November 17, 2004, 02:13:34 AM »
This one stupid rule alone has won me a TON of money!!!

I don't get mad I get even!

You see as a switcher like stanski if I don't get at least 1/2 game and more like  1 full game in I'm just not going to do my best.  

So in league I'm never warmed up unless I find a seperate lane and bowl a game first(a real hassle at a lot of houses on busy league nights).  Often we really only get 5 minutes even for 10 men on a pair.

My average one year to come out in the 180s not exact but close 139 198 206.

Something like that!!

When I go to tourney's always 10 minutes.  Thank you very much!

REgards,

Luckylefty
PS.So the determiner of skill is how fast you can warm up not true final skill level.  Stupid!
PPS I tell anyone who will hear me, thank you for the short warm up time!
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It takes Courage to have Faith, and Faith to have Courage.

James M. McCurley, New Orleans, Louisiana

J_Mac

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Re: Shorter practice time
« Reply #12 on: November 17, 2004, 03:07:55 AM »
quote:
quote:
about 45mins before league I will rolla few lines on the pair that my team is assigned to bowl on.


Unethical, and unsportsmanlike.  The front counter person who allows you to do so should (and in my house, WOULD) be fired.
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Oh boo hoo you poor house hack...  It's neither unethical or unsportsmanlike!  I do it all the time and so do over half the teams on some of our better mens leagues as well.  A couple of guys aren't going to be able to change the shot as much as 10 guys will trying to find a line that works in practice and refining that line in the first few frames of game one.
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It's kind of hard to read the lanes if you don't know their language...
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LuckyLefty

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Re: Shorter practice time
« Reply #13 on: November 17, 2004, 03:21:58 AM »
He's probably more than right on this.

I actually think but don't feel like looking it up that the ABC does not allow one to bowl on their league pair until practice starts.

In the classic leagues I've been in that didn't have a previous league bowlers alway check the pair they are on and MUST practice on another pair before official warm ups start!

REgards,

Luckylefty
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It takes Courage to have Faith, and Faith to have Courage.

James M. McCurley, New Orleans, Louisiana

J_Mac

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Re: Shorter practice time
« Reply #14 on: November 17, 2004, 03:31:03 AM »
Here LL, I'll save you the trouble of looking it up...

https://www.bowlingmembership.com/PDF/Rules/0405_whatistheanswer.pdf

Question # 16 deals with this very question.
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It's kind of hard to read the lanes if you don't know their language...
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