League night transition

[ep1977]

I keep reading about all the scratch leagues and wonder are they capped? Like no one over 210 etc? If that is the kind of scratch league you might as well have a H\C league. Around here most leagues are H\C but we do have a few scratch leagues but they are open no cap and usually not enough pot money to keep them going. Bowlers go to where they can make the most money. My league has no avg. limit except on teams. 1050 is max. If you have 3 230 bowlers you must have a couple of 180 and under. It is H\C 90% from 1100.

I've never seen a league around here with a cap. That doesn't mean there are none I just haven't seen them.

[1VegasBowler]

Every house here has a league with a cap somewhere in the mix.

[billf]

Our scratch league has no high end cap. Minimum to sign up is 180. The top twelve averages are captains and draft their teams every year. Usually about 75 sign up but only have room for 60

[baker]

Our scratch league has no high end cap. Minimum to sign up is 180. The top twelve averages are captains and draft their teams every year. Usually about 75 sign up but only have room for 60

I'd love a draft scratch league, we have a couple teams that are stacked and a couple that really aren't competitive, but it's pretty even.

Quick update, read the transition much better making parallel moves left. The biggest difference was observing other people's lines/reactions and having better focus.

[Hot_pocket]

I find it doubtful that anyone is purposefully messing with your shot unless you are a 220+ bowler. Under that why bother. Just go out and out bowl them.

Everyone has to decide what works best for them. Moving in or out balling up or down has more to do with your physical game and what balls you own than opinions of people who have never seen you bowl.

Iv'e never done it but, if someone is shooting lights why not mess up their line? Ive seen 190 bowlers shoot high, hell had a 150 avg bowler shoot 30-50 pins over average, on the same night, against me last year. average wouldn't dictate if you should get in there line, how they are bowling will.

[ep1977]

There's a bowler in my league that is a 220+ average and can play more left with success than anyone else in the league. During warm-ups he uses a really dull ball and hits it with a coarse abrolon pad after every shot and shoots all warm up shots down the 2nd arrow trying to destroy the line that most bowlers use. By the second game his opponents are going high on every shot.

[RobLV1]

I guess his opponents should learn to adjust!

[bowl1820]

There's a bowler in my league that is a 220+ average and can play more left with success than anyone else in the league. During warm-ups he uses a really dull ball and hits it with a coarse abrolon pad after every shot and shoots all warm up shots down the 2nd arrow trying to destroy the line that most bowlers use. By the second game his opponents are going high on every shot.

He might not be trying to destroy their line, he might be trying to build some area for himself. If any of his teammates play there though, he's not helping them much.

But if you want to use a little gamesmanship, if you know your bowling him next time. Bring a old ball that's sanded as rough as a corncob and start firing it down his normal line. Even if you don't destroy the line, it might just freak him out enough to start making mistakes or take the hint to stop.

That or just have your team all line up on the left during warmup and start blasting his line. You can mess him up maybe and you'll leave more oil on your normal line for later.

[billf]

OK this is funny but embarassing.
About two or three years ago my job on my scratch league was to ruin the line of a bowler of the captain's choosing. One of the other captains told him "I hope you try that to me." Being as he is a lefty my captain thought he was just being smart. So the next time we played him I was told to mess up his line. 180 grit ball straight down the left side all practice long. This guy goes out to his truck and comes back with another ball. Nobody had ever seen him throw anything other than what was in the return for at least four years. He never moved more than a board. He jumps 20 right, swings the snot out of it and shot triplicate 279s. Obviously we don't do that with him anymore.

[fordman1]

Sounds like the practice time is too long. Give everyone 2 ball on each lane and start scoring.