Re-Racking?

[BowlingNewbie]

Hello all!

Just curious, but I'm just wondering why the pro's re-rack. Is it just so they get more time? Or do the machines just mess up slightly and they are pretty picky because what is at stake?

Thanks for the input!

[mike_thomas93]

It's usually just to give them extra time to execute their next shot. It also depends on the situation that is up hand, such as getting the shots they need to keep themselves in the game, making their opponents perform in the 10th frame just to give themselves better chances to win, or just to shut out their opponents with reasonable count. Or even if they were on their way to a perfect game, like Mika Koivuniemi did in the Tournament of Champions a few years ago after he got the 11th strike. He took a re-rack before delivering his 12th shot, just to take his time without rushing. Mika's one of those pros that re-rack very frequently ;p Also, just like you see some of the bowlers balk, it can be from any kind of distraction such as a little bit of noise coming from the audience, or even bugs flying around all over the place. lol hope this helps a little bit (:

[J Anderson]

I suspect that most pros will say that most of the time they re-rack because one or more pins are slightly off spot. Some watch as the the pins are set and if one wobbles as the pinsetter returns, they will ask for a reset on the assumption that it must be off spot. This is not to say that they don't take an occasional re-rack to give themselves time to get their nerves under control.

Sometimes they will even take a re-rack to make their opponent sit longer between shots. A player like Norm Duke, if he knows that he can't shut out his opponent might fiddle with tape in the thumb hole after the first ball in the tenth, and call for a re-rack after the second.

[mike_thomas93]

Yeah that too. Oopsie forgot about that too

[dnhoffman]

I've never understood re-racking

[J Anderson]

I've never understood re-racking

Some times a re-rack is necessary, say you look at the pins and the 4 pin is missing, you need to re-rack. The same when a pin falls over as the pinsetter goes back up.

Other times a re-rack gives you a better chance for a strike. If one or more pins are off spot a strike is less likely to occur. I don't pretend to have good enough eyesight to see if a pin that's over 60' away is exactly where it should be, so I only reset when I have to. Heck, sometimes I don't even notice that a pin is missing.

The other reasons for re-racking mentioned in earlier are just part of the gamesmanship that goes on at the higher levels of the sport.

[mike_thomas93]

Now why in the world could I not elucidate it like that? I missed all of that. I feel ashamed smh p

[BowlingNewbie]

That all makes perfect sense. Thanks for all of the input everybody!

[Tihomir]

It's a nice thing to do if you're nervous or got a huge break, also sometimes it's needed. In tournaments I re-rack either if a pin is not on spot, or to collect myself to make the best shot possible.