League bowler

[tigerbait6]

How do you deal with someone on your bowling team that can't bowl and you want to win?

[bowl1820]

How do you deal with someone on your bowling team that can't bowl and you want to win?


If you knew how they bowled at the start, you went into it with your eyes wide open. If not you make the best of it, Help that person if you can and You and the rest do the best you can to help hold them up and make up the difference.

Otherwise If your hardcore, you find someone else and replace them.

[chip82901]

How do you deal with someone on your bowling team that can't bowl and you want to win?

What do you mean they "can't" bowl? Like, they aren't as good as you'd like them to be, or they physically can't bowl? Honestly, I give everyone a fair chance. If your league is THAT competitive, finish out the season, be the a-hole, and either switch to a different team or be an even bigger a-hole and drop him from it. I guess if you really wanted to be an a-hole you could drop him during the middle of the season.

Personally, I'd consider trying to help the guy out with maybe a few tips here and there. Maybe set him up with some lessons and get some practice in. Help them become a better bowler. But that's just me. I've bowled personally with a kid that is handicapped due to a car accident at a young age for over 15 years now. Guy is partially paralyzed on his right side (he's left handed), doesn't let that get to him, still averages in the mid 160's, and is a hell of a dude to be around.

The decision is yours.

[fordman1]

Most important question is who is the Captain. They are the only one who has the power to drop someone. Then they must show cause. You can always just quit.

[tigerbait6]

Its a woman who plays with a straight ball who doesn't come regularly like she should. I play in a mix league. She is just there to through the motions, doesn't really care how she plays.

[bowl1820]

Its a woman who plays with a straight ball who doesn't come regularly like she should. I play in a mix league. She is just there to through the motions, doesn't really care how she plays.

If she feels you don't want her that may be why she doesn't care how she plays, You could try to encourage her more.

If your the captain, it's up to you to decide.

104a. Team Captain’s Authority
3. Be responsible for the conduct and attendance of the team in league play. It is within the captain’s
authority to permanently remove any player from the team. If requested, good and sufficient reason
for the removal must be furnished to the board.

104a/2 Can a captain remove a member of the team during the season?
Rule 104a, Item 3 states, it is within the captain’s authority to remove any bowler
permanently from a team. However, the captain must furnish good and sufficient reason
upon protest to the league board.
If bowlers are removed, and are not dismissed under Rule 115a, they are eligible to receive a
prorated share of the team prize money at the end of the season, based on the number of
games bowled and the amount of prize money won by the team. In addition, the bowlers
receive any special prizes for which they have qualified.

As for needing good and sufficient reason that's only if the board asks for it (which they probably would).

But if she doesn't come regularly like she should, that's your reason. (if you say it's just because she bowls bad, while they might understand that. You'll look like a ****.

Also you better have a replacement lined up, Bowling with just a vacancy for a extended period of time PO's a lot of people.

[Timmyb]

Its a woman who plays with a straight ball who doesn't come regularly like she should. I play in a mix league. She is just there to through the motions, doesn't really care how she plays.

This alone is your out. Keep your records if you want to use that to get rid of her. Just remember, you will be the a**hole, regardless of how this works out. If you're okay with that, then handle it.

[Timmyb]

Sorry, thought my bad word would get auto-edited....

[RobLV1]

This is a pretty sad thread. If it's that important for you to win, join a scratch or almost-scratch league where all of the bowlers are as competitive as you are. If you choose to bowl in a recreational league, go for the recreation and just have fun. Given the choice, in a recreational league, personally I'd rather bowl with the lady who doesn't take it seriously than with you.

[bubba809]

WOW! Rob just did a *Mic drop*


Personally, I am in a casual recreational league. We have a few averages below 100 and they are some of the funnest bowlers there.

[Amyers]

If the problem is absenteeism then that can be an issue especially if she doesn't contact you in time to get a sub. Just because someone bowls poorly in a handicap league doesn't really hurt the team. I'll take a consistent 120 bowler over the woman who averages 160 but is inconsistent in a handicap league. If your not happy with your current team members towards the end of the season put out feelers to some other teams the feel similar to what you do. I wouldn't say anything out poor performance other wise you'll be the one looking like an ***.

You may want to make sure your on the right league for what you expect. If you only want to bowl with higher tier bowlers you may want to look into scratch or high money leagues that tend to not have those types of bowlers.

[chip82901]

This is a pretty sad thread. If it's that important for you to win, join a scratch or almost-scratch league where all of the bowlers are as competitive as you are. If you choose to bowl in a recreational league, go for the recreation and just have fun. Given the choice, in a recreational league, personally I'd rather bowl with the lady who doesn't take it seriously than with you.

I think there may be an issue with this. Since this guy is kinda being an a-hole, I guess I can kinda be as well. According to bowl.com, this guy averages in the 170s. I dunno what kinda scratch stuff you bowl in Vegas Rob, but I know anything I've bowled scratch, you damn near gotta add another 60-70 pins on top of that to even be in the ballpark. Not trying to sound like too much of an a-hole myself, but sounds like not only this female needs some lessons, but maybe the OP needs some lessons as well.

[ALazySavage]

I'm going to make a few assumptions/comments that may or may not be correct, but I think they are good for this conversation:


I'm going to assume this isn't a serious league, being that the bowler in question is a 160 bowler.
Either you brought this person along in the league (so you had an idea of what could happen) or you had this person assigned to your team [or you joined this team] (in both cases if you are this worried about your teammate you need to grow your own team)
Reading the description about the bowler you gave, attendance was not the first concern; it was that they throw a straight ball and are not that good. If this wasn't the case your comment would of mentioned attendance first and may or may not have mentioned ability.


Obviously it will not look good when you kick the bowler off of the team, but that is your team's choice. Sounds like you are bowling a mom and pop handicap league which likely means there isn't a huge prize fund that you are fighting for so it may not be worth the effort. Also, I would highly recommend comparing this bowler's attendance to the rest of the league; in the instance it isn't horrific compared to the rest of the league they may not understand.

[RobLV1]

I think there may be an issue with this. Since this guy is kinda being an a-hole, I guess I can kinda be as well. According to bowl.com, this guy averages in the 170s. I dunno what kinda scratch stuff you bowl in Vegas Rob, but I know anything I've bowled scratch, you damn near gotta add another 60-70 pins on top of that to even be in the ballpark. Not trying to sound like too much of an a-hole myself, but sounds like not only this female needs some lessons, but maybe the OP needs some lessons as well.

Since my spine decided to start disintegrating, I too average in the 170's, mostly throwing a plastic spare ball because of my lack of ball speed. Because of my inability to average, I quit bowling in scratch and almost scratch leagues. I now bowl exclusively in two recreational leagues. If the bowler who put up the post is averaging in the 170's, then he should be the one looking to take some lessons to get him to the point where he can bowl with bowlers who want to win as bad as he does. In the meantime, he needs to mellow out and let the recreational bowlers have the fun that they're looking for.

[chip82901]

Since my spine decided to start disintegrating, I too average in the 170's, mostly throwing a plastic spare ball because of my lack of ball speed. Because of my inability to average, I quit bowling in scratch and almost scratch leagues. I now bowl exclusively in two recreational leagues. If the bowler who put up the post is averaging in the 170's, then he should be the one looking to take some lessons to get him to the point where he can bowl with bowlers who want to win as bad as he does. In the meantime, he needs to mellow out and let the recreational bowlers have the fun that they're looking for.

I agree with that completely. Sorry to hear about the back man. I have battled some knee issues myself in the last 8 years or so that hasn't let me play to my best abilities. I'm in the upper 190's in the toughest house in WY right now, but 7-8 years ago I was in the mid 2 teens in the same house. I still average well outside of my home center when I bowl tournaments though and would much rather bowl scratch tourneys.

[classygranny]

Wow...so glad the OP is not my teammate. I've been battling a bad case of lateral epicondylitis in my right elbow since May/June. At the beginning of fall/winter league, I asked all my league teams if they were ok with me bowling left handed - assuming I might average 100. Everyone of my teammates on my 3 leagues were and still are, very supportive of my mediocre (at best) bowling with averages in the 78-85 range. I am just not coordinated with my left hand apparently.

My teammates are always encouraging no matter how I bowl, and are always supportive and telling me how they admire my passion to participate rather than being benched until my right elbow is rehabbed enough to handle bowling.

Perhaps with more encouragement, support and perhaps a few tips, this bowler might feel more like part of the team rather than an outcast and then might "want" to perform better as a teammate. There are always two sides to every story.

[Eddy]

As far as how the woman bowls, that's just the way it is. But I can understand the OP's frustration if she is not there on a regular basis. I'm going to take the other side and say the OP is not an a**** like some of you assume, but just frustrated. Lighten up guys, it's not like you know him.

[Amyers]

As far as how the woman bowls, that's just the way it is. But I can understand the OP's frustration if she is not there on a regular basis. I'm going to take the other side and say the OP is not an a**** like some of you assume, but just frustrated. Lighten up guys, it's not like you know him.

There may be some truth here. I've bowled with the teammates that were more interested in the woman three lanes over or refilling their beer pitcher than bowling and it sucks. I would suggest rather than trying to remove the teammate spend your time trying to make friends with the other bowlers around you so you can find a team that fits what your looking for better next season

[1VegasBowler]

2 years ago, I had a situation where 2 of my teammates were only interested in socializing and getting high 5's for every frame no matter what they did. It was annoying as all get out.

BUT, by the same token, I committed to bowling for the entire season and I wasn't going to quit. I just moved on after the season was over.

I love competition and challenge, and I'm wired to do the best I can every time out. I want to be not only the best, but to be respected as a bowler as well.

Even at the age of 55 with a few ailments, I'm trying to get better every time I hit the lanes, whether it's during practice or any kind of competition.

As a staffer for many different companies, I try my best for personal goals and for the companies I represent as well, whether it's the entire Brunswick family, Lane Side Reviews, Creating the Difference, Vise or as a Director on the Southern Nevada USBC.