Sandbaggers........

[NewToBowling]

Truth be told most people aren't good enough to sandbag. They're just very inconsistent. The issue is smaller than people make it out to be.

[LOUVIT]

Truth be told most people aren't good enough to sandbag. They're just very inconsistent. The issue is smaller than people make it out to be.

I feel the same way..Is it worth it to average bad to wait 36 weeks for a little money...lol. If i was a 240 shooter I would probably be on tour and not sandbagging to win peanuts. also if you're that good you are bowling tournaments also..when I shot the first game today I felt great because the other team said there's 1 person making us look bad....lol remember this is an afternoon senior league with 20 teams. So a 180 or so average is pretty good. But old people always want to start trouble....bahahahahaha......

[zacks]

This is my first league in 25 years, after the first 2 weeks and I have a 139 average. Now I bowled in the summer in a practice league with most of these people and they seen me throw from 140 to 240. Today was the third week, after starting a thread with a video of me I learned I was not behind the ball at all and was pulling it etc.... today I found it easy to stay behind the ball and get it where I wanted it. I started with a 190 then a 165....so would you think I was sandbagging, a guy with no average shoots this in 3 weeks? Last game we were crushed and honestly I was tired and sweating and shot 120... I would think I was sandbagging.

this is an example oh how you can be accused of it and not at all doing it.

I would not think you were sandbagging, you're re-learning the game. You don't have a book average so all we have to go off of is three weeks of bowling (and I guess summer practice if it was with the same group). You shot a 475, which is good for your average, but in no way means you're bagging. If I was in your league and I didn't know you, I may casually ask if you were new to bowling or what your story was. I would never accuse anyone of sandbagging without proof, and it is very hard to have proof unless an individual flat out says they are sandbagging.

I just got one of my friends into bowling and have been working on his technique. His summer average was 135 and he almost broke 500 on week 2 of our winter league, shooting his first 200 game. The guys we were bowling could tell he was still figuring everything out and nothing was questioned. We crushed them anyway, he could have bowled his average and we still would have taken it by a good amount.

Now if someone with a 220 book average comes out with a 170 average after the first three weeks I would be suspicious, but all you can do is what is stated in the rules of your league. If I was bowling against this person, I may ask for the minimum 10 pin drop re-rate and leave it at that. Everyone goes through slumps, so I wouldn't jump to conclusions.

It's still early. Give it a few weeks and your average will climb as you get more comfortable.

[Tony]

You can't get rid of sandbaggers with out changing the rules that they don't like.
EP I am trying to educate bowlers not be a smart A$$.
Sitting on your hands gets nothing done.

It's good to make suggestions on steps to take to improve the leagues we play in, I am not trying to take away from that, we need to also keep in mind sometimes people just need to vent about things that bug them and get it out of their system.

I am a pretty vocal person and have made comments and motions at the league meetings, sometimes I can get something accomplished and sometimes not.

Some of the effort instead of fixing problems it action to prevent other people from implementing rules that I feel would not be good or are a reaction to one particular event.
We had a guy motion to change the scoring from 1 1 1 2 to 1 1 1 1 simply because in the championship they lost because while they squeezed out 2 games by a few pins each they lost the other game by 100 plus pins and they were pissed that series gave the other guys 2 pts and the championship. Well being a team sport me and others felt the scoring should remain the way it was but we had to expend some time talking to a few of the teams that didn't listen, care and urge them to vote to keep the scoring as is.

[LOUVIT]

I would not think you were sandbagging, you're re-learning the game. You don't have a book average so all we have to go off of is three weeks of bowling (and I guess summer practice if it was with the same group). You shot a 475, which is good for your average, but in no way means you're bagging. If I was in your league and I didn't know you, I may casually ask if you were new to bowling or what your story was. I would never accuse anyone of sandbagging without proof, and it is very hard to have proof unless an individual flat out says they are sandbagging.

I just got one of my friends into bowling and have been working on his technique. His summer average was 135 and he almost broke 500 on week 2 of our winter league, shooting his first 200 game. The guys we were bowling could tell he was still figuring everything out and nothing was questioned. We crushed them anyway, he could have bowled his average and we still would have taken it by a good amount.

Now if someone with a 220 book average comes out with a 170 average after the first three weeks I would be suspicious, but all you can do is what is stated in the rules of your league. If I was bowling against this person, I may ask for the minimum 10 pin drop re-rate and leave it at that. Everyone goes through slumps, so I wouldn't jump to conclusions.

It's still early. Give it a few weeks and your average will climb as you get more comfortable.

I see your point Zacks. But they have seen me shoot 200's and even a 235 also seen me shoot 120's but they won't remember them. I was a 190 shooter 40 years ago (when the game was hard..lol) and seen sandbaggers and laughed but as stated a guy shoots 170 and holds a 140 average don't scare me. I shot more action back in the day and leagues were for fun. I personally do not care what anyone does I just do not want to be accused. I know I will be and probably am now a 180 shooter at least. I have issues with my team to start with, seems I have to remind them that this is not a social meeting and to bowl when it's your turn but since I am the new guy I sit and shut up, so by the third game when everyone else is done I am too pissed to care. maybe after the 6th week or so I can speak up....I can't walk away from this league since it's the only people I know right now, Next season I will bowl a real night league if I improve the way I think I will. I am really not concerned with what they think just that the thread was here so I responded....lol

[Tony]

Truth be told most people aren't good enough to sandbag. They're just very inconsistent. The issue is smaller than people make it out to be.

The idea you have to be good to sandbag is not exactly true, it depends on the league scoring system, in some leagues where the bowlers bowl head to head against the guy on the other team for a point a game, when guy A has enough pins to win the game you will sometimes see him throw off the last couple of frames to "preserve" his handicap. If you played in a league with this scoring chances are you would notice a lot more than the occasional guy with a 200 book and 155 after the first 3 weeks type bagger.

[ep1977]

Truth be told most people aren't good enough to sandbag. They're just very inconsistent. The issue is smaller than people make it out to be.

I agree! The majority of sandbagging is done by bowlers with 215+ averages and that's not the majority.

[LOUVIT]

Does it really matter to someone that has an established average? If you have a 200 average from last year.. do you start over? This is a real question because I don't know. Ex...if someone averaged 200 end of last season and they shoot 150 for the first 3 weeks what is their average on the 4th week? I would think it's harder to change an established average than someone like me that is coming in with no average. Am I wrong?

[ep1977]

Does it really matter to someone that has an established average? If you have a 200 average from last year.. do you start over? This is a real question because I don't know. Ex...if someone averaged 200 end of last season and they shoot 150 for the first 3 weeks what is their average on the 4th week? I would think it's harder to change an established average than someone like me that is coming in with no average. Am I wrong?

Around here all leagues have the 10 pin drop rule. This means that the most your average can drop in a single season is 10 pins. If you averaged 200 last year that is your entering average this year and no matter how bad you bowl this year the lowest your average can go is to 190.

[zacks]

I am really not concerned with what they think just that the thread was here so I responded....lol

That's the attitude you have to take, you can't control other people's thoughts. Good luck.