Could you ever win????

[5280 Hooker]

I'm recently new to bowling (started in Jan 2015)....and I have bowled some scratch tournaments and handicapped tournaments. I have an average of 190 on my house league shot.......Here's where the dilemma begins!

On a scratch tourney....I have no chance of beating the local pro's who averages 235 or higher!!!!!

On a handicapped tourney.....My average is too high to get any pins that matter. In fact, the last two handicapped events were dominated by women who carry a 105 average...got 100 pins and bowled 235's and higher...lol!


Can an average bowler ever win?????

[ep1977]

In my opinion you have a better chance to get on fire and win a scratch tourney than a handicap tourney. With a 190 average I assume you can occasionally bowl in the 250's.

[AlexNC]

If your tournament does brackets on the side you can have some luck depending on how things are placed.

[Aslan]

Well....if it's $52.80, thats pretty cheap...but $5280 is ridiculous....so I'm thinking "Hooker" means something else in Colorado.

Again, gotta agree with AlexNC on this one. On Wednesdays I carry a 200 average (no, I'm not that good and also not asian) and have started not to get in the side pot anymore and instead do 4 brackets. The reason is exactly what you said. The guys winning side pots are scoring in the 260s-290s...but in brackets...you can often dodge them and then play against them when they have a lower game.

As to tournaments, I've given them up for the most part exactly for the reason you stated. Since tournaments use your highest average...and I averaged 190 once...I would have no shot as a 170s bowler in a handicap tournament. And I've looked at scratch tournaments...and even the non-pro/amateur ones...I'm thinking you'd need to be averaging in the 220s on a moderately difficult house shot to be competitive.

So...I'll join you in your misery...at least for a few years waiting for my average to come back down to reality.

[NewToBowling]

5280 refers to elevation in Denver. It's a very common number used here in Mile High City

[Aslan]

5280 refers to elevation in Denver. It's a very common number used here in Mile High City

Well. That explains the '5280' part.

I'm assuming the other part is probably working your way through college and/or "needing the money" so we'll chalk this mystery up as solved.

[Amyers]

Averaging 190-200 kind of sucks. I've been there for a while myself you don't get enough handicap to help but you're correct in your idea that it's not really high enough to compete with the best bowlers. Someone mentioned 250's and yes I occasionally get one but it's once in a blue moon and usually followed by a 175. lol.

[NewToBowling]

I'm currently at 183 in my league and for the last 2-3 weeks that has been my around what I have been averaging. At least I've been consistent. No real high games and no real low games.

Before I would have 240 game with a 160 in there

[Tampabaybob]

I recently shot a house tournament, an EBT tourney, and it's been several years since I shot one. I gave them up because of two reasons. In the scratch division, the 220 and up bowlers show up and if you don't put up big numbers as stated above, you've just donated to their fund. On the handicap side, I've seen too many "170" bowler come in and shoot 670 or higher scratch with a huge handicap. Literally, these are guys, by watching them bowl, are not 170 average shooters. (Can you say sandbaggers?) It's the reason I stopped shooting these tournaments before. A 190- 200 average bowler can possibly, with the right shot out on the lane put up some good numbers in the handicap division. But not the 170 guys and girls. So it'll be a cold day, when I shoot another. By the way I've carried over a deuce average for over 30 years. Not afraid to shoot anyone head to head but the tournaments can get ridiculous.

[LOUVIT]

in the 70's we messed with 160 to 170 shooters saying I'll give you 50-60 pins you give me a pin a frame.....lol how many 200 shooters don't get 9 most every frame.... remember in the 70's averaging 190 was pro. just look at this game I shot today if I got a pin a frame....I'm too lazy to add it up close to 230 I'd guess. This was wit ha brand new ball.
..I also think there are still sand baggers out there that are 220 shooters but if the game is out of the wood they will miss to keep their average down....( the 9th frame was a washout)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/louvit/new%20Track%206%20%20%202016_zpsinaainiw.jpg

[jimgilmore]

there are 190 bowlers and their are 190 + bowler. Some throw a strike or 2 a game and make their spares. Then their those whom bowl according to that number on the bottom of the frame whom mark till they are winning. Then they will just mark to stay ahead only.