negative attitudes on your team (LONG rant)

[scottymoney]

It's not you. There is just something about having a wall at one side that is.destracting.

I have thrown my best games on the end of the alleys. I guess for some it makes a difference, but me I like the end, maybe the fact nobody is to my one side is less of a distraction. Not sure why.


As far as bowlers getting better in their 30's and 40's, I think it is true. I am 30 now, but combining knowledge that I am finally putting together with forgetting about throwing the ball so hard has helped. In your teens and 20's you think differently. You think about throwing it as hard as you can and not so much about angles and carry and how revs and speed need to match.

Bowling is so much more of a mental game than a physical one, and until you realize it you will struggle to put a consistent game together. I have a couple guys who are a bit younger than me that struggle and I tell them they need to make a few changes, but they don't listen. One day hopefully the light will go off and they will get it, and maybe they will say that "hey Scott was right".

[unclemantis]

I have thrown my best games on the end of the alleys. I guess for some it makes a difference, but me I like the end, maybe the fact nobody is to my one side is less of a distraction. Not sure why.


As far as bowlers getting better in their 30's and 40's, I think it is true. I am 30 now, but combining knowledge that I am finally putting together with forgetting about throwing the ball so hard has helped. In your teens and 20's you think differently. You think about throwing it as hard as you can and not so much about angles and carry and how revs and speed need to match.

Bowling is so much more of a mental game than a physical one, and until you realize it you will struggle to put a consistent game together. I have a couple guys who are a bit younger than me that struggle and I tell them they need to make a few changes, but they don't listen. One day hopefully the light will go off and they will get it, and maybe they will say that "hey Scott was right".

I am currently using an Android app called Strike Out Stats. After each shot I enter the pins I knocked down. I can also enter what house i bowled at as well as the ball used and the lane i bowled on and the oil pattern. it is really a nice app!

[RoccoRock]

You talk about negative attitude, I have a teammate who had the worst attitude I've ever seen. Worst part, he's a good friend, and I can't kick him off the team. I have a scratch bowler, a guy who could have joined the PBA tour if he wanted, all ready to go to take his place on my team. The guy who is on the team, he had quit during league night more than once. He was having a bad night a few months ago, and during the second game I approached him. He was losing his match, which is worth one point, but we had a shot to win the game, which would have been worth 4 points. I said to him "I know your not doing well, but I need you. I need you to get every pin you can, because we are only down by less than 10 pins." He said to me "I don't care about the team, I want to win my game." I was stunned. That made up my mind, if he's on the team next season, I will not be. Even though at times I suck, I try to help my team if I can. Last week, we were in trouble, we had lost both games, and most of the matches. In the last game, the opposing team only had the anchor left, and we had our 3 and 4 (me) left. I was having an awful night, I mean historically bad. I was all set that in the 10th I was going to take my spare ball, and fire it dead straight at 25mph. Then our 3 bowler stepped up, and struck out the 10th. That meant the game was on the line in the 10th. So what did I do, being the good teammate I am? I scrapped my plan, took out the ball i had the most confidence in, did what I know I am good at, and threw 2 great shots. X, and a shaking 10 pins, which unfortunately I missed. The opposing anchor is the best bowler in the league, and he needed 9/ X to win by one pin. He did exactly that. However I was able to hold my head high because I didn't quit on my team, no matter how mad I was. I did my best when my team needed me, that's all I ask of my fellow teammates. If they can't give that to me, good luck to them as I bowl on another team

[billf]

I bowl anchor and am team captain on two of my leagues. Any time I get a split (other than a baby) I ask if they want me to go for pin count or go for the conversion. I then go with the consensus.
The first time I asked on a 7-10 a couple of guys on the other team started laughing and talking trash. I should have just shot the 7 for count but it upset my teammates. To a man they said go for it. The other teams anchor bet me $50 I wouldn't make it. 28.6 mph later we won by 12 pins and I was $50 richer. I'm 3 for 8 this season on 7-10 splits during league.

[unclemantis]

I bowl anchor and am team captain on two of my leagues. Any time I get a split (other than a baby) I ask if they want me to go for pin count or go for the conversion. I then go with the consensus.
The first time I asked on a 7-10 a couple of guys on the other team started laughing and talking trash. I should have just shot the 7 for count but it upset my teammates. To a man they said go for it. The other teams anchor bet me $50 I wouldn't make it. 28.6 mph later we won by 12 pins and I was $50 richer. I'm 3 for 8 this season on 7-10 splits during league.

Congratulations Bill!

[billf]

Thank you. I actually practice this split during the summer months are part of my spare shooting practice.

[unclemantis]

Thank you. I actually practice this split during the summer months are part of my spare shooting practice.

7-10 conversion is very impressive

[WolfGirl1980]

I actually have a bit of a problem staying positive if I'm playing bad, though I'm not very loud about it I'm fairly certain it shows on my face and I tend to become a lot more quiet (and I'm not the big talker on the team to begin with). Having said that, I never get angry at other people if they're not playing good and I don't really care if we win, because we play with a fairly low average team in a scratch league.

I am the same way although recently I been trying very hard to stay positive, I'm just not a very talkative person until you get to know me especially during bowling cause I am really in my head focusing on my next shot and what I got to do to make that shot successful. Sometimes I am aware of whats going on around me. I usually pay attention to the score board if we winning losing who is up what we doing a lot to keep track of and a lot of things all going on all at once and I get confused easily, unless I stay focused. But I do have a guy in my league who punches the ball return on my team when he misses his spare and when he does get a strike he shows off doing this hawk thing kinda like the crane technique from the Karate Kid, and he also after the end of the season was over told the team captain Edna that him and his wife was gonna bowl on her team next year kicking me and mom off Edna's team but Edna stuck up for us and said she that me and my mom were going to bowl next fall/winter and he can bowl if he wanted to but there was no room for his wife so and the main thing about it is he didn't even bother to ask Edna he just came out and said to her me and my wife are gonna bowl on your team next fall like a demand or something except he wasn't team captain and we got another anchor if he don't wanna bowl with us next year because we don't have room for his wife my dad will bowl with us cause I think he gonna put his other knee off till later cause he has a worn out knee, its bone on bone, he has no cartilage left in it, he needs a knee replacement he had one in one knee now he needs the other knee done. But that what happening in my league anyway.

Sara

[bowlerRob2]

I love your story (the original post) because it mirrors my fall season almost exactly. Except the team I was "thrown on" did not consist of bowlers who were that good. My reasons for joining the league were about the same as yours: To get back into the game, get an established sanctioned average, and get back into the local league scene. The best tip I can give you is bamboozle with people on the other teams as much as possible. Each week you meet a different team until you cycle through them so why not strike conversations with them? You can also figure out the "league politics" this way and that can help you meet friends and like minded individuals whom you might want to team up with later on (or next Fall).

[classygranny]

What do you do when the "bowling jerk" is your husband? He gets so frustrated at himself and tends to be a bit vocal (sometimes in language not becoming) and calls himself names, etc. He never really takes it out on anyone else, but it's frustrating to me knowing that other bowlers think he's a "jerk". Funny thing, it's only in bowling that I see this side of him....never, ever in any other situation. I try and push the "positive thinking", the deep breath, shake-it-off, but sometimes just staying quite seems to be best for myself. I wish I had someway of making him realize that he is only making himself look bad and probably not helping his bowling at all.