Bringing Out People's Best?

[Bunny]

So, basically every team I bowl against in leagues, one or more of them have the highest game of their life. Yay for them. But it does get a little old. I'm not exaggerating.

Last night a guy from the other team actually tells me that for some reason he always bowls his best against me and of course had his highest game ever last night. Great. Happy for you.

I don't take it as a negative towards me but wondering why this phenomenon keeps happening. I've tried purposefully not paying attention, it didn't work. Of course, I want people's best but I am getting a little tired of lifetime high games everytime!

Your thoughts...

[Doogie]

I think that situations like this happen. There are a couple of teams that we bowl against that for whatever reason when we bowl them we all bowl really well. I would imagine that over a longer period of time these things will even out. You just have to hang on and wait for the string of people bowling not as well against you to start.

[bowlerRob2]

It sounds like he was hitting on you subtly... err not so subtly. Maybe he is trying to impress you? "Beats chest.. me Tarzan" type of thing?

[vdubtx]

Happens all the time. Guys will be talking during practice and what not and say, "You know I haven't had a 600 series in x number of weeks, can't seem to get out of my slump" of course the guy that is averaging 175 will break out and shoot a 670 series against us. LOL. Every week it seems to happen.

[Bunny]

It sounds like he was hitting on you subtly... err not so subtly. Maybe he is trying to impress you? "Beats chest.. me Tarzan" type of thing?

LOL! He did get quite excited when my bag acidently brushed up against his rear.

[e-tank]

teams that i have a good time with i always bowl better against. Relaxed bowling > tense bowling

[sprocket]

If you want to bowl well then the best thing to think about while bowling is anything but bowling.

[bowl1820]

Well,

Some teams you relax against, this either helps you or helps them.

When it helps you, it's because your relaxed and you bowl better. But if you relax too much, think it's a easy win, you slack off and the other team beats you.


Some teams try harder against tougher opponents or ones they see as tougher opponents.

Sometimes it's how the two teams bowl, you'll actually break down the lanes into a easier shot for the other team or they they can make the lanes harder for you to play by how they move or deplete the oil.

[J Anderson]

I can sympathize with you. I've been on teams where it seemed like every week for the whole season our opponents would be at the top of their games.

When I bowled on my dad's team, any time we bowled Lou Reardon's team, Lou would have a better than normal night. My theory was that since Dad and Lou were the last of the original bowlers from when the league started in 1941, when ever Lou bowled our team it made him feel about 40 years younger.

[Hampe]

Yea Bunny, I know exactly what you mean. Our team has had stretches where every week two or more of the other players would have their highest game/series of the season against us. I think it has a bit to do with luck and also a bit of confirmation bias. You only notice when other teams are bowling way over their average.....the stretches of the season where that doesn't happen, where teams just bowl their average or lower, aren't as noticeable/memorable.