When sweeps leads to sandbagging…bad things happen...

[Aslan]

The bottom line solution is to become a good enough bowler to bowl in scratch leagues. But I figure you need an average of at least 193 to even have a chance of being competitive in those leagues...probably closer to 223. And I'm probably 1-5 years away (if ever) from getting to that level (193-223).

[billf]

Look into it. Our scratch league is 170 to sign up. This year 185 is the lowest average in the league. We've also had years where it was lowered to 165 just to get enough bowlers.
To put it in perspective 233-235 usually leads the association. The association (men's) average is 162 with a median of 158.
Last season we went to an easier pattern resulted in 18 300 games by 9 different bowlers and 3 800 series by two different bowlers. A huge increase of our ten year average of one 300 game per season and four 800 series in that ten year period.

[Aslan]

Look into it. Our scratch league is 170 to sign up. This year 185 is the lowest average in the league. We've also had years where it was lowered to 165 just to get enough bowlers.

I bowled in a scratch sport shot league for a season and a half. And I wasn't the WORST bowler...but I wasn't the caliber that should have been bowling in that league. I averaged 149 (sport patterns) and if I didn't show up the team got 150.

When I look at tournaments, scratch leagues, higher money leagues, USBC Open, or even PBA tournaments...I don't just look at whether I could theoretically participate. I look at it like, "What do I need, where does my game need to be, where I could "compete" with these bowlers?" Not "win", not "dominate"...because then you'd never take the next step.

But I sort of learned that in my first two ABTA tournaments.... I'm not going to necessarily win, nor even always place or cash...but I literally had no chance to compete with those folks...even getting massive handicap. Same think with the USBC Open. I'd love to do it in 2016...probably my last year on the west coast...I think it's at the National Bowling Stadium where I've always wanted to bowl....BUT....my stupid easy pattern Wednesday league bumped my average up to 193...I now have NO SHOT of even competing...not in the upper division against the best bowlers in the country. And if I got NO SHOT...then it's like running a 5k "just for the experience".

But it's also very dependent on the league itself. There's a lot of nice scratch leagues during the day, a lot of senior players...and if you look at the score sheets...I could see myself joining those. Probably more like what you're talking about. Scratch but sort of casual and fun. What I'm talking about when I say "scratch leagues" are those $10,000 leagues where all the best bowlers in the area are all in trying to get a payout. 193-223 minimum to even think about something like that.