How long did it take you get a 200+ avg?

[nathan]

I'm trying to set some realistic goals for myself. If I keep doing what I'm doing, I'll have at least a 160 league average. I hope by this time next year, I can have a 180 avg with regular 200 games. I've a few already, so I know I can do it, I just need to work on consistency...and everything else.
Next would be a 200+ avg by spring 2012. Then I'll try a PBAX or sport league or something.

I'm just curious how long it usually takes to achieve this. Am I setting my expectations too high or are these reasonable goals?

[Drano]

it took me a little over a year after i started my first league

My first league ever I averaged 121, then next season I averaged 154, then 157 the next, then 181 then it was in the 190s, now I'm holding a 200+ average in my two house shot leagues.

Started bowling in Sept. of '08.



--but I wasn't just bowling in the leagues, i was coming down 3-4 times a week at least, to practice

[Phil]

i have only been bowling seriously for about 2 months and i am averaging in the 185 to 190 range, granted these are not league scores, because i can't afford leagues..... 17 bucks a week adds up for only 3 games a week, when i can bowl like 15 games in a day for 10 bucks.... (from 2-5 its all you can bowl for 10) so i think its just like anything else... the more you practice the better you get

[JAnderson]

Nathan - how old are you (roughly) and how much time do you have to practice? Do you own your own equipment? Do you have access to a coach?

[nathan]

I'm 24, I bowl about 10 games on Saturday and have a league on Tuesday night. I'd bowl more often if I had time. I have a Columbia 300 Jazz (15lb.) and I just got a Brunswick Wild Thing as part of a Pro-Am package. I'm not planning to try it out until later, though. Maybe after the league is finished. It's probably too aggressive for me at this point, but curiosity may get the better of me.

As far as coaching, I have a mentor who is very good and has helped me a lot. If not for him, I'd still be throwing a 10lb. house ball with a 120 avg. He's the whole reason I got into bowling. He's done some coaching for youth leagues.

I think there is a USBC coach in my area. I'd like to get some lessons, maybe this summer. Though for now, I know exactly what I need to work on.


Oh, and sorry about the thread title. It should be "...you to get..." I'm not sure how I missed that.

[J Anderson]

Lets see, I started in 1975, and I'm still not there. The first 33 years I only bowled once a week in league, used the same ball for everything. Targeted the pins rather than the arrows or dots for the first 15 years. Average in 2006-2007 was 177. Two years ago I switched to a fingertip grip reactive resin ball, and got some tips from my friend Jeff on throwing a hook. As of Monday my average was 178.5....................... in a sport league that changes oil patterns every two weeks, and where you bowl a set of two game on one pair and then move to another pair and bowl another set against someone else.
In theory this should be in the mid 190s on a house shot. I figure I could ( should? ) break 200 by the end of the year with a little more coaching and a lot more practice.

And the 163 average in my profile; the result of two years of bowling with my other hand.

[J Anderson]

Oops! My averages are down from when I joined.

[Strike Domination]

I believe some people are natural athletes/bowlers and they get kinda good pretty quickly just from practicing and tips here or there. For the rest of us, it takes a while without the help of a coach that you see regularly. If you have a good coach watching you, I bet you can reach the 200+ level within a year or two.

[JAnderson]

N ~ thanks for the answers. Usually, those are the three biggest "short cuts" to rapid improvement:

1. owning your own equipment
2. access to coach/mentor
3. quality practice

Boards, such as these, can be a good source of information and learning if you're careful to evaluate sources and are willing to try/test things on your own. Good coaches are somehow greatly under valued in bowling and are probably the easiest way to improve your game.

[nathan]

I may have to revise my goals. Tonight at league I shot a 383 (yes, out of 3 games). The worst I've done in a long time. It felt like I had never bowled before. I had no clue what I was doing. Nearly every shot felt wrong somehow. The first game I was in the 120s but had a 4-bagger (or hambone if you like) at the end to shoot 160. I thought I was going to be ok. But no, 2nd game: 93. All opens except a brooklyn in the 3rd or 4th frame. The 3rd game was a little better. At least I was picking up spares and seemed to be an adjustment away from striking, but it never happened. 130. My team still managed to win 2 out of 3 games and total pins despite my utter failure.

I did really well the previous few weeks and I was confident coming in to today, but something just didn't work right.

I'm not sure why I'm telling you all this. I just need to vent.