We are at the end of another bowling season and I find myself asking what went wrong, what was good and what could be better in the future. Upon reflection I have a few questions about bowling for high scores because I’m in a pot or just bowl for an avg and a team win.

Which has the greater impact in a  game?

Which has a greater impact at the end of a season?

Does getting in the pots have an adverse effect sometimes?

My season goals were:
to not shoot a game under 170.
Not to shoot under 540 for series
Avg 195 or better.

I shot 16 games less than 170. 8 more were 180.
 I shot 3 series under 540. 1 was a 483
I did avg 201.



Many of my low games were terrible. 2 of which were under 150. Most of my low games coincided with a loss of a game. When I get in the pots ( I always get in survivor and doubles), I find my attention more focused on getting strings of strikes. This makes me adjust more than I need to.  I will be on a good pace to shoot 190 –210 but I know that I need to shoot 220 to make the cut in survivor and 250 to have a shot at doubles.

So the trouble starts. I change balls, lines, releases and another wise above avg game can be a 180. the real trouble is if I not caring by the 3rd frame. I start over adjusting. Although I have learned that if I’m patient and stay clean then string I will do fine. But if I open in frames 1 thru 3 I know I have to have at least a 4 bagger to win a pot.

I really wonder if  I would have averaged higher by just taking a different approach by not worrying about pots. Would I have made my goals of 170 or better? How many more games would have won if I shot 190 instead of 170?

Overall I don’t think I hurt my team. We won first, third and are going for first tonight. If we win we will also have the most wins overall.

I really re-thinking my process because roll offs will be total pin fall ( with cap) so now going 259 230 160 maybe better than going 201 205 210.

Of course we all try our best but what influence your adjustments? What are good enough, 205? 245? If you’re on a 210 pace, do you worry about getting a 230?

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"deserves got nothing to do with it."
-- William Munny

I'm having a hard time not reading into your question.  To me it seems like you are asking if you just shouldn't get into pots as you feel they may have influenced your scores due to bad decisions brought on by the pressure of scoring well to make money??

Regardless of being in pots or not isn't it any given bowlers objective to shoot the highest scores they can every given game / set regardless of the situation (leaving out practice)?  I can somewhat understand your thoughts of pots forcing you into harsh decisions, but honestly pressure of any kind can do things like this to you.  Maybe you are the anchor on your team and you feel self pressure to bowl well to carry your team.  Maybe you are in a tournament and you know it's a high scoring environment so you make quick ball changes when your carry goes away.  Honestly there are so many different things that can effect your bowling that the small pressure of pots shouldn't effect you drastically unless you aren't used to dealing with pressure or you dwell on various things to much.  There are a whole lot of mental games that happen while we bowl and no matter what the outside interferences may be, we as bowlers have to stay focused on the job at hand.  

I also feel that bowlers sometimes used pressure or whatever as excuses.  When you don't perform well there is one simple reason...you either didn't match up well on the given game / set or your executed poorly.  Either way put the blame on yourself, as no matter what the shot is there will always be people who get ligned up and have figured something out.  Heck...look at the 858 out at nationales!!!  He figured something out, well for that set anyways.