What type of bowler are you?

[J Anderson]

Are you a serious bowler, or purely recreational?

I don't know any more. Just like I don't know if I'm right or left handed. I used to be strictly recreational, only one league, only one ball for thirty years, no tournaments, occasionally bowling with friends. Then I tried the sport league. Now I'm at the alley at least 3 days a week, have four balls for each hand, and actually dragged my wife to the alley Saturday to shoot some video of my practice before it started snowing.

I really enjoy the bowling more in the sport league.

The recreational league I enjoy for the company of friends that I've made over the last 37 years.

[ssclary]

I am quickly becoming serious, been bowling regularly for just over a year. I find myself working at trying to get better and better and raising my average. I am an extremist in everything I do, can never just invest a little, sometimes to a fault. I have to tell myself to take a couple days off every other week or so. I could go everyday and bowl, but that usually just makes me more crazy and as the wife says " your doing it again" meaning I am trying too hard and I end up pressing too much. I want to bowl every morning and every night each day. I am starting to think I should leave the handicap league behind and go scratch. Seems like all the better bowlers are there, the averages are 200 +/- 15. I think it would help my game improve as I would be the low guy and wouldn't be able to survive without getting better. I am capable of beating the majority of the bowlers in the handicap league straight up. In the end I want to be consistent and know when I show up that I can hang with the high rollers.

I enjoy bowling and really love the challenge of figuring out the lanes, balls, oil patterns and how to perform under pressure...

[75lockwood]

Am i a serious bowler? Yup i like to be competitive and constantly improve, but i never have a bad time bowling, if i'm doing poorly i try something crazy to try and get strikes, sometimes it works sometimes not but its always fun (and funny to watch)

[austin]

For myself, definitely both. When in the players area very much the fun sort of bowler laughing and joking with the other bowlers, but as soon as my foot hits the approach, it is all about business.

[Keithalw]

consider my self a little of both

[Brother_jd]

I love to have fun, but I am as serious as it comes.

[J Anderson]

I am quickly becoming serious, been bowling regularly for just over a year. I find myself working at trying to get better and better and raising my average. I am an extremist in everything I do, can never just invest a little, sometimes to a fault. I have to tell myself to take a couple days off every other week or so. I could go everyday and bowl, but that usually just makes me more crazy and as the wife says " your doing it again" meaning I am trying too hard and I end up pressing too much. I want to bowl every morning and every night each day. I am starting to think I should leave the handicap league behind and go scratch. Seems like all the better bowlers are there, the averages are 200 +/- 15. I think it would help my game improve as I would be the low guy and wouldn't be able to survive without getting better. I am capable of beating the majority of the bowlers in the handicap league straight up. In the end I want to be consistent and know when I show up that I can hang with the high rollers.

I enjoy bowling and really love the challenge of figuring out the lanes, balls, oil patterns and how to perform under pressure...

Sounds like you have the right attitude to enjoy bowling scratch.

Our scratch league loses a lot of bowlers to the other Monday night league in the fall. Some just can't take the shock of finding out they're not as good as they think they are. Others see that there's a much bigger potential payout in the other league.

[swingset]

I'm a very serious recreational bowler.

I take my own game serious and try to always improve but I generally don't care very much about my standings or even my team's standings. I'm a poor team-mate if that matters to you, I'll bowl my best but what everyone else does doesn't really factor in to my game. Even if I feel competitive towards someone else, I don't tend to let it show.

I can just as easily bowl with friends and completely screw off and enjoy it...but internally I want every shot to be a strike.

[billf]

In my opinion, the best teammates don't let the others game affect theirs. They just bowl their best while having a good time.

[crimsoneyes]

I find I'm too serious when i bowl league. I bowl way better on random days with friends even on awful conditions. If im bowling poorly i make even worse shots and get angrier. I'm slowly learning to breath after a bad shot and then go get another drink. My brother-in-law bowls a slightly higher average than me and as such feels that its his duty to correct any mistake I might make. He also tends to criticize me for bringing 3 balls to league since he only needs one. That is, until his taboo starts hooking uncontrollably and i do better than him. Im doing my best to remember that when bowling is no longer enjoyable for me I need to either quit bowling with certain people or quit all together. More likely the former.