Joining an Existing League

[StormTex]

I'll be joining a league/team tonight that is already 8 weeks in,they are short one person, any idea of the possibility I may drag this team down, if any, joining with no established average and overall low scores? I'm sure I have the potential to be most improved and hope that helps, I just don't want to be a liability to an established team and plan to give them the option of kicking me off
Appreciate you thoughts

[JasonNJ]

If you don't have an established average then whatever you bowl tonight will be your average for the first 3 weeks, after that your average will be calculated each week.

I say don't worry about it and have fun, if you stink then your team has a better handicap. =P

[bowl1820]

The first night might be up in the air because your establishing, But just stay consistent and improve. Assuming it's a handicap league, you and the team should be okay.

[J Anderson]

I'll be joining a league/team tonight that is already 8 weeks in,they are short one person, any idea of the possibility I may drag this team down, if any, joining with no established average and overall low scores? I'm sure I have the potential to be most improved and hope that helps, I just don't want to be a liability to an established team and plan to give them the option of kicking me off
Appreciate you thoughts

In my opinion new bowlers are almost always an asset to the team they join. Since you will be establishing an average tonight you will automatically hit your average for the night. It sounds like you're relatively new to bowling so you should improve as the season goes on and will probably be over your average more often than your teammates.

The only time I see them as a liability is if they do not mesh well with their team. For example, if the other bowlers always ready to bowl as soon as it's their turn, and you're always at the bar or snack bar, or three lanes away talking to a friend, your tardiness might irritate them to the point where it affects their bowling.

[LOUVIT]

If you're honest with the team and they accept it just do your best and have fun. You may also learn more if they are better bowlers. A team mate will always help you.

[J Anderson]

If you're honest with the team and they accept it just do your best and have fun. You may also learn more if they are better bowlers. A team mate will always help you.

You mean a good teammate will always try to help you.
My wife's first experience in a league was one in which teammates would either say things like "don't pull it" or "throw it straight" without giving her any clue as to how to do it. Then if they lost, there was one who would point to her score and say, "That's why we lost.

[LOUVIT]

You mean a good teammate will always try to help you.
My wife's first experience in a league was one in which teammates would either say things like "don't pull it" or "throw it straight" without giving her any clue as to how to do it. Then if they lost, there was one who would point to her score and say, "That's why we lost.

that's just hard to hear.....

[NewToBowling]

You mean a good teammate will always try to help you.
My wife's first experience in a league was one in which teammates would either say things like "don't pull it" or "throw it straight" without giving her any clue as to how to do it. Then if they lost, there was one who would point to her score and say, "That's why we lost.

That would be a tough team to play with. Unless it's a high end money league that is top heavy (in that case why accept open bowlers, team should already have their stacked team), goal should be for everyone to enjoy themselves and learn and get better at bowling.

[JasonNJ]

You mean a good teammate will always try to help you.
My wife's first experience in a league was one in which teammates would either say things like "don't pull it" or "throw it straight" without giving her any clue as to how to do it. Then if they lost, there was one who would point to her score and say, "That's why we lost.

That sounds like no fun at all. I did give 2 of my teammates some grief one week which I kind of regret. They both missed easy single pin spares in the 10th and we lost the game by 4 so I was a little upset.

[fordman1]

There is an awful lot of people assuming the new bowler gets to establish an average the 1st night. That is one rule that can be abused very easily. Good luck bowling in your new league and just do the best you can.

[StormTex]

Thanks for the advice, not sure how the handicap worked, last league I was in was 24 years ago,
My goal is to have fun and improve, 300 is on my bucket list and hoping to get there in a year or 2
high game is a 278 and a couple of 700 series back in the day but my how ball technology has changed.
I'm a team player and get along with everyone so I hope they'll see that in me
I'll post how it went tomorrow
Thanks again

[StormTex]

Went well, was accepted to the team, turns out its 1/2 way in so 15 weeks left which is a good start for me to get back into the game, tough getting used to the slow pace but nice folks and laid back
I sucked though and set a low average but no where but up to go now
thanks for all the advice and Merry Christmas to all!

[J Anderson]

There is an awful lot of people assuming the new bowler gets to establish an average the 1st night. That is one rule that can be abused very easily. Good luck bowling in your new league and just do the best you can.

Here is the USBC Rule on establishing an average for a new bowler.
118c. League Entering Average
Entering averages are determined by league rules. A bowler who does not have an entering average,
or until they meet the requirement(s) defined by league rule(s), average is determined by dividing the
total number of pins by the total number of games bowled the first league session. (See Rule 100g
for handicap.)
It's pretty clear that unless unless the league specifies a number games greater than the number bowled in one session, a new bowler's average will be established the first day. I know of no leagues where the bowlers would be patient enough to wait two or three weeks to find out whether they won or lost the week that they bowled a team with a newbie.

[fordman1]

Not sure who you were aiming that at J but in my league new bowlers that don't have a book average in the last 3 years come in at 195 for 3 weeks. Then they get the new average after 9 games. Most of the new bowlers in mixed leagues use women-120 and men-170 or 180.
Just making a point that many leagues have rules for new bowlers.

[J Anderson]

Not sure who you were aiming that at J but in my league new bowlers that don't have a book average in the last 3 years come in at 195 for 3 weeks. Then they get the new average after 9 games. Most of the new bowlers in mixed leagues use women-120 and men-170 or 180.
Just making a point that many leagues have rules for new bowlers.

Most of the leagues that I have been active in just use the basic USBC rule. since they were either scratch or social leagues there was very little incentive to sandbag. Like someone's really going to sandbag to win another trophy to take up room and gather dust.

Now that you mention the fixed assigned averages for new bowlers, I recall that the serious money leagues around here assign an average of 165 for women and 185 for men who join without an established USBC average. They also use the maximum 10 pin drop rule, so basically a team has to be desperate to add a rookie.

[fordman1]

Never seen the 10 pin drop rules used for a team. We use it for bowlers with established averages. Either last years in the league or highest in the last 3 years for new comers. We also use a 21 game cushion for everyone with an average. A 200 average bowlers on the 1st night has 21 games bowled and 4200 pins. you add onto this total until the actually have 21 games then the original pins and games are dropped.

[Tony]

Here is the USBC Rule on establishing an average for a new bowler.
118c. League Entering Average
Entering averages are determined by league rules. A bowler who does not have an entering average,
or until they meet the requirement(s) defined by league rule(s), average is determined by dividing the
total number of pins by the total number of games bowled the first league session. (See Rule 100g
for handicap.)
It's pretty clear that unless unless the league specifies a number games greater than the number bowled in one session, a new bowler's average will be established the first day. I know of no leagues where the bowlers would be patient enough to wait two or three weeks to find out whether they won or lost the week that they bowled a team with a newbie.

This is how one of the leagues I bowl in work, when we have used a sub without an established average he gets one the first night. In another league I'm in they assign an average and like a book avg it is used for the first 9 games when a new average in established.

[J Anderson]

Never seen the 10 pin drop rules used for a team. We use it for bowlers with established averages. Either last years in the league or highest in the last 3 years for new comers. We also use a 21 game cushion for everyone with an average. A 200 average bowlers on the 1st night has 21 games bowled and 4200 pins. you add onto this total until the actually have 21 games then the original pins and games are dropped.

The league that I'm talking about uses the rule for individual bowlers and it works the way you explained it for your league for returning bowlers from the previous season or people who are new to the league but have an average from a certified league. Someone who is either completely new to USBC league bowling or is coming back after a break of more than 2 or 3 years gets the assigned average of either 165 or 185. At the third or fourth week the league starts using the new season's averages. Say you're a new guy in the league during the first 3 or 4 weeks you averaged 150. Because you initial average was the assigned 185 your handicap is going to be based on 175 even though your average is only 150. Your team is going to be at a 25 pin times the handicap percentage disadvantage until your average starts to improve. That's why I said that a team would have to be desperate to add a new, no previous average bowler to the roster.

[fordman1]

Right John I agree it is best to do what the league prefers. I would recommend the 21 game cushion for leagues that have a tendency to have a few sandbaggers. If for bowlers who always start off hot or cold it keeps things closer their ability.