I wanted to get everyone's take on an issue that just about every bowler has to deal with or see on a typical league night:

Please tell me what the deal is with people kicking or slamming ball returns, chairs, tables, or monitors after throwing a bad shot? 

I totally understand that everyone wants to do well, and competitive urges can take over during league play.  However with that being said, for some time now I have continued to see people get angry after throwing shots (some even after striking), and beat the hell out of the bowling center equipment.  Kicking ball returns, slamming their fists into tables or montiors, kicking monitors, slamming balls back into the rack, etc., etc...

Let's be real, 99% of those in leagues are not making their living bowling.  They either own their own businesses, or work for someone.  And the funny thing about it is that if they actually damage anything, they probably could not even afford to replace any of the stuff they break.  In my opinion, rather than making the person look competitive or driven, it makes them look like complete idiots.

There is definitely no problem with showing emotion or being fired up, but taking it out on the machines and tables is just plain foolish.  And to top it off, many times it leads to people getting into it with each other due to their behavior which I have seen escalate into fights.

Just my thoughts.

I think actions like this is completely ridiculous, if you want to get frustrated and beat on something no one made you throw that bad shot but yourself. If people would beat on themself instead of a ball return table etc. I seen a guy last year bash a mo niter after not throwing a strike, but what the owner did was priceless. He just simply and calmly walked up and place a bill down for $800 to replace the monitor, smiled and walked away. That was priceless.

One of the silliest parts of it is that typically the guys will use the hand they bowl with the hit something.

Hard to disagree with the posts on this thread. I admit to having kicked a chair several years ago. Unfortunately, my wife was also bowling and has never let me forget that stupid event. Fortunately, the chair kicking was the worst thing that I have done.

Really is a shame.  This has been going on since day one with bowling, I have been bowling almost 40 years and have seen it consistently every where I bowl.  I even recall someone breaking their bowling hand by punching the cement block wall while bowling on the end pair of lanes...sad indeed.

Good for the owner. There really is only a handful of things that should be auto never allowed back in any place let alone a bowling center, and destroying property is one of them.

Need to add a like function for this site . . I like this. 

Immaturity and total lack of class.  That simple.

I, too, feel that hitting bowling center equipment, or slamming around your own equipment, is not acceptable behavior for anyone in a bowling alley. It is not only childish, but damages equipment, costs $$$ if you break something, and makes you look like an idiot. 

I instituted a rule for the guys on my Monday team that every time they hit something it was going to cost them $5 for the first offense of the night. Second offense cost $10, third offense $20, and so on. The money would be used for something at the end of the season. I collected $50 the first two weeks, and have not collected any the last three weeks. I think it's working.