Ever deal with (or are YOU) a very "sensitive" bowler??

[Aslan]

Earlier in the league season, I got annoyed with a female bowler on the other team that pretended to cough loudly during my backswing. But I didn't say anything. It's not my style, I'm new to the league, and part of the reason I was upset was plain and simple I made a bad shot (gutter).

fast forward

So friday night, we're bowling against a "more serious" team. One of their bowlers has a weird slow motion style approach and after I threw my first shot, he stepped up to the approach and was fiddling with his foot placement. I was having "issues" with my thumb-hole, so as soon as my ball came back I looked over and saw that he was still getting "ready" and I reached up and grabbed my ball off the return so I could mess with the thumbhole while he was bowling.

Well, he didn't like that. So he stepped off the approach and told me to "go ahead". I apologized and tried to explain that I didn't think he was ready and I was having issues with the thumbhole...but he didn't seem to be in the mood to listen...so I just went up and finished.

When i got back to the table, some of the bowlers who have been in that league with him for awhile said he has done that many times before and that he's actually been warned by the league multiple times to improve his "attitude" because apparently he's gotten into it with more than one person who he feels has gotten too close to his "area" while he was getting ready to bowl.

After the series was over, I went up to him to again try to explain that I didn't mean to disturb him and it was unintentional and "my bad". He still didn't seem to happy with me and tried to say normally he wouldn't care but he was working on a 4-bagger.

So in conclusion...I realize I made a mistake. I should have waited for the ball or once off the approach, waited for him to bowl and THEN go up and get my ball. So, it was MY mistake and he had every right to not like it. But the other side of it is...you can CHOOSE how you want to react. He CHOSE to get annoyed and he had an awful night...he's a near 200 average bowler and he shot in the 160s-180s. Just like back when that lady coughed in my backswing...I got rattled, and I had a really BAD night of bowling. It would have been better had I just said, "oh well...gotta bowl with distractions...lets have a good night from here on out."

[Mudpuppy]

You run into all kinds - that is half the fun. Especially on the mixed "fun" leagues. It amazes me how many times people ask me bowling advice and I am more than willing to help anyone but then they want to argue with me and then start saying well I don't take it serious it's just for fun. Then why did you ask me??!?!?! They literally walk in shoes full of snow or water or whatever, stumble to the lanes, track water everywhere, spill popcorn and beer, put on their rental shoes, slog back to grab a house ball that they throw straight and if they had a 50 caliber and were 3" from a barn they couldn't hit it. Then they wonder why they are sticking on the lanes and they ask me stupid questions like why are you wearing shoe protectors? And because my parole officer / anger management counselor told me to quit beating people up I tolerate it. Then at the end of the night they ask bowling questions like how do you bowl like that, etc. I am going to paint up a coffee mug that says "Hot Steaming Cup of STFU" and start handing them out to these people. That should get their attention. One self-proclaimed pro on the league is such a richard - he WILL NOT bowl when they are calling mystery numbers and he ALWAYS has to bowl last in a tight game. He has the personality of a piece of paper. He is so annoying. But I have fun with it. They are calling mystery numbers, he will disgustedly walk off the approach and slam his ball down. I am the anchor so I will excessively clean my ball, take my time and let this all play out. Then I will say go ahead to him and he gets all pissed off, lol. I feel like pulling the shooter macgivan and saying "here's a free lesson from the pros" as I rip off a strike but we might end up in a hockey type brawl if I did (and his team mate is in fact an former NHL goalie).

Honestly I purposely bowl with any and all distractions. I invite them. Fall on the approach, walk up on me, call mystery numbers loudly in a bad voice, cough in my backswing, call me names, throw a split next to me. I don't care. If you practice bowling with distractions enough you get used to anything - unless of course one of aslan's hot chicks pops her top next to you.

[Aslan]

The funniest thing about that night was....AFTER I already caused him to start having a bad night...he got messed up because right when he went to throw the snack bar called out someone's name. Then during game 2/3...the stupid alley put casual bowlers next to us...so the rest of his night he was just pissed off.

I'm like mudpuppy...I like the noise and distractions. I'd hate to up there bowling and have total silence...that would rattle the hell out of me. Now...someone running up next to you and/or falling...THATs distracting. I've had people slip and fall on the lane next to me 2-3 times and there's something about having an object you're not expecting in your peripheral vision that completely pulls you out of your "zone".

[dpatrickv]

I couldn't care less for the most part. As long as you don't go up and throw your ball while I'm throwing then I really don't care.


Then again, that's kind of my outlook on life. I couldn't care less what people do with their life, or how they do something, as long as it doesn't affect me and my family.

[GeoLes]

you can CHOOSE how you want to react. He CHOSE to get annoyed ."


To quote the TV commercial..."Who do you think we are? Quicken Books?"

Mature tolerance is not currently in vogue these days. Far easier to flame when offended. You did well to try to apologize even though it was not accepted. You did fine. The fault was his by having a "BA" (bad attitude)

[circlecity]

I agree that you shouldn't mess with the ball return or get to close to somebody that uses the whole approach. That being said, you said you were sorry about it and that should have been the end of it. It sounds like the guy just was having a bad night and was cranky taking it out on you.

[CaptainXeroid]

I've found that when I'm bowling poorly, I'm more sensitive to silly things like coughing, people grabbing bowling balls, and water bottles clicking. It's almost like I'm looking for a scapegoat for the next bad shot, and I'd guess that's true of a lot of bowling malcontents.:mad: When the headpin messengers out the 10 and the bucket crumbles, it's easy to tune out the minor stuff.

The other day, I was open bowling trying to work on some timing issues. The folks next to me had a 10 year old girl in their group who ran up to grab a ball and bowl while I was getting set. In years past I might have thrown a fit, but on this day, I chuckled and set my ball down. Her parents were mortified, very apologetic to me and coached her not to do that again. I told them it wasn't a big deal and that it was good of them to instruct their kids.

I don't think you did anything wrong. Some folks are just crybabies.:D

[zdawg]

I typically err on the side of caution, so I generally won't touch my ball until the person who is on the approach has completed their release and the ball is on its way. For me personally, I don't line up all the way back at the beginning of the approach, so I can't even see anybody that is messing with the return, and noise doesn't bother me as our alley is never "quiet" so it all blends into background noise to me - now if somebody decided to yell my name as I'm releasing the ball (I've had a teammate do that) it does have an effect, LOL. Unfortunately the first time he did it I released it late yet somehow got a strike so for a while he decided that it was a good idea to do that as he was "helping" me.

I haven't dealt with any hypersensitive bowlers, but plenty that are having lousy nights and are not so quietly cursing themselves after a bad shot (I think most bowlers have been there).

[YODA]

I bowl better in loud noises. Maybe from bowling so much with my children and wild buddies. I prefer some noise. My cousin bowls with headphones playing music becaue he said he needs the noise to be able to bowl his best. He has a few 300 rings, so it must work for him.

[tccstudent]

We got a few that are overly sensitive. Sometimes I just wanna come in and act like Peter Griffin and throw a tantrum like he would just to give them a piece of their own medicine

[Aslan]

I typically err on the side of caution, so I generally won't touch my ball until the person who is on the approach has completed their release and the ball is on its way.

It was stupid (on my part) and I tried to be as apologetic as I could be. I think one thing that made it difficult with that particular bowler is he has a weird approach. It's almost a 6-7 step approach where he sorta starts…then stops…then starts again….then walks real slow. It's a very weird approach so it's hard to tell when he's starting and when he's just moving his feet around.

But either way…I was in the wrong and it was a lesson learned. I just thought it was odd because I've never had a bowler react so badly like that.

[zdawg]

It was stupid (on my part) and I tried to be as apologetic as I could be. I think one thing that made it difficult with that particular bowler is he has a weird approach. It's almost a 6-7 step approach where he sorta starts…then stops…then starts again….then walks real slow. It's a very weird approach so it's hard to tell when he's starting and when he's just moving his feet around.

But either way…I was in the wrong and it was a lesson learned. I just thought it was odd because I've never had a bowler react so badly like that.

I wasn't trying to say you were in the wrong at all, the fact that you apologized even showed that you know your etiquette and clearly felt bad that the guy seemed to be affected by it. He was clearly having a bad night and you gave him a quick outlet to try to lay some of the blame on, or vent...either way I'm sure I'll encounter one of those types sooner or later - hopefully I treat it the same way you did.

[sprocket]

I personally might have been getting a little annoying last night. I stopped in the middle of my approach twice and kept waiting for two lane courtesy. Since I was bowling lead-off I also tended to wait for my team to catch up rather than bowl when our third or fourth bowler was up on the other lane. Just kind of superstitious when things were going well and I didn't want to miss and then blame it on some distraction. I am going to work harder on blocking out what is going on around me. We finished first anyway and I bowled 804 so I think others will forgive me.

[Aslan]

We finished first anyway and I bowled 804 so I think others will forgive me.
It seems like the better the bowler, the more "persnickety" they are about stuff like that. So now that you're in the 800 club...you'll probably be a total ***!! ;)

[Pauley]

I haven't had a run in with one myself yet, but have seen some bickering and it is usually the same few people that seem to be upset. For me not too much bothers me, growing up playing competitive golf definitely helped me learn how perform in a bubble and block stuff out. The one thing that I do not tolerate in golf or bowling is a hot head that disrepects the course/center. If you want to get mad because you think you are much better than you actually are thats fine, but don't do anything that could damage something like throwing clubs in golf or kicking/slammimg the ball return. I can ignore someone throwing a tantrum, but if they do something that could cause damage I am usually first in line to remind them someone works very hard and spends a ton of money to keep this place in good shape so sit down and cool off. It seems very rare their response is "your right, I'm sorry", but I don't shy away from that conversation usually...

[Aslan]

I've thrown my club in golf. But if I break it. it's mine...as long as I don't throw it AT somebody or the golf cart.

But yeah, it's amazing how some people in leagues think if they make a bad shot it's okay to kick the ball return. In a league I was in earlier in the year, there seemed to be one scratch league bowler on the other side of the alley that literally did that EVERY bad shot. I was 10-15 lanes away and every so often would hear a "bang". I never could tell who it was from where I was at...but c'mon. How old are we?

[Pauley]

I hear you Aslan, pretty sure the ball return was not the reason for their bad shot... if you want to hit something punch or kick yourself, save the crying and tantrums for the kids birthday parties at the other end of the house...

[Ptnomore]

Yep. Sounds like the "Tourette's League" that I'm involved with. I just don't get it.

[barcar]

We have a few guys in our league that barely even look to either side before walking on the approach and grabbing their gear and getting set, even though you are already starting your approach. Or we have guys that throw their shot and don't leave the return area, so I usually just step off and let them finish the frame.
I try and roll with it, but I have a guy on my team that slams his gear down and walks off in a huff, as earlier stated it takes all kinds.