League Play?

[vdubtx]

On the inside of my thumb right on the last crease of the thumb. Hurts like **** to bend it due to the cut now. I am guessing the edge of the hole is a little on the sharp side and not smooth enough. But to better describe it where the ball sits on your thumb at setup is where it cut my thumb.

Yeah a cut right on the crease at the base of the thumb is not fun. I would certainly have your shop work that hole out and smooth it. Shouldn't have ever been that sharp to cut in first place. Do you use a thumb slug or just a regular drilled hole?

[Ptnomore]

Did not get a chance to talk to the guys about leagues lastnight and boy was it a bad night of bowling. Bowled two games 137-144. ...

Definitely...don't wait to join a league. What I haven't seen anyone mention, is that you are more valuable to a team, with your lower average than with a higher one. Reason being is, you bring to the team two things...a higher handicap for the team, as well as the much higher likelyhood of you bowling WAY over your average, than the higher average guys. Typically, with a lower average, if you bowl under your average, it's not by much.

First two years I bowled in adult leagues (3 and 4 years ago) my team was repeat champions. We were accused of sandbagging, but we were legit. All relatively new to bowling, if not brand new, with low averages, and the desire to get better...and we did. But the higher average teams couldn't overcome our handicap to beat us at the end of the season, because by then, we were bowling much higher than our averages.

[zdawg]

Definitely...don't wait to join a league. What I haven't seen anyone mention, is that you are more valuable to a team, with your lower average than with a higher one. Reason being is, you bring to the team two things...a higher handicap for the team, as well as the much higher likelyhood of you bowling WAY over your average, than the higher average guys. Typically, with a lower average, if you bowl under your average, it's not by much.

First two years I bowled in adult leagues (3 and 4 years ago) my team was repeat champions. We were accused of sandbagging, but we were legit. All relatively new to bowling, if not brand new, with low averages, and the desire to get better...and we did. But the higher average teams couldn't overcome our handicap to beat us at the end of the season, because by then, we were bowling much higher than our averages.

Same thing is happening with my team right now, 4 beginners, 1 experienced bowler who hasn't bowled in about 5 years prior to this league starting. No intentional sandbagging, its just the nature of handicaps over a season.

[TotallyDefiant]

Yeah a cut right on the crease at the base of the thumb is not fun. I would certainly have your shop work that hole out and smooth it. Shouldn't have ever been that sharp to cut in first place. Do you use a thumb slug or just a regular drilled hole?

I use a thumb slug. I had them work on it a couple days after having it drilled. It was fine until I started working on keeping my hand behind and under the ball instead of on the side. Once I placed it underneath the ball is when it got me.

[Mike White]

If you have a AMF bowling center around you they are starting a 10 for 10 league all the time this may be a good place to start and get your feet wet. The league will be 10 weeks at $10 a week. You may be able to find one that will take you into the summer season where you would be able to find a better league.
As far as most of your leagues they are handicapped so consistency is more important then high scores in regards to being a team player.

That $10 for 10 doesn't include the $20 you will have to pay to get a sanction card.

If you find a league that starts on or after Aug 1, then your card will be for Aug 1 2014 thru July 31 2015.
This is good if you plan on joining another league in September 2014.


If you find a league that starts earlier, the card will effectively expire July 21 2014.
You will have to pay another $20 if you join another league in September 2014.

When in doubt ask what date ranges the $20 sanction fee covers.

I've heard of a few secretaries in leagues that start in July, will hold off submitting the sanction info to USBC until after Aug 1.
It's a little shady, but then again, the whole $20 thing can be considered a bit shady.

[mc_runner]

Sanctioning is actually an interesting point.

One league I'm in requires any bowler participating to sanction before they throw a shot - in which case you'd have to pay up as a sub. The other one I'm in, while it is a sanctioned league, does not require subs to sanction themselves. Also around here those $10 for 10 week short schedule practice leagues are almost never sanctioned. Best to check with the alley/league if you have a question though!

I'll throw in my 2c though - the $10 for 10 leagues are really good for getting a feel for the league type play. You can make some league contacts there and it's really low/no pressure - and you'll get an idea of what kind of average you'll start league with.

[J Anderson]

That $10 for 10 doesn't include the $20 you will have to pay to get a sanction card.

If you find a league that starts on or after Aug 1, then your card will be for Aug 1 2014 thru July 31 2015.
This is good if you plan on joining another league in September 2014.


If you find a league that starts earlier, the card will effectively expire July 21 2014.
You will have to pay another $20 if you join another league in September 2014.

When in doubt ask what date ranges the $20 sanction fee covers.

I've heard of a few secretaries in leagues that start in July, will hold off submitting the sanction info to USBC until after Aug 1.
It's a little shady, but then again, the whole $20 thing can be considered a bit shady.

I thought the summer sanction was supposed to be less since it only covers 3 or 4 months instead of a year.

It used to be a bargain, If you signed up for a summer league, the membership was good through the following summer. Then you were in sync with the regulars and would pay for September to September.

[vdubtx]

LINK Short Season new program

[TotallyDefiant]

Finally spoke with them about leagues lastnight. Told me I had to wait for Summer leagues to roll around and he would sign me up then. I started a new thread with my new personal best scores from last night.

[J Anderson]

Sanctioning is actually an interesting point.

One league I'm in requires any bowler participating to sanction before they throw a shot - in which case you'd have to pay up as a sub. The other one I'm in, while it is a sanctioned league, does not require subs to sanction themselves. Also around here those $10 for 10 week short schedule practice leagues are almost never sanctioned. Best to check with the alley/league if you have a question though!

I'll throw in my 2c though - the $10 for 10 leagues are really good for getting a feel for the league type play. You can make some league contacts there and it's really low/no pressure - and you'll get an idea of what kind of average you'll start league with.

I think that sanctioned leagues are required by USBC rules to have subs also be USBC members. I suspect that in many sanctioned leagues, only a few bowlers have actually looked at the USBC rules, and the league operates as the officers feel like doing until there is a problem.