Is a PBA exp league gonna eat me alive?

[slowfaller]

Well? I'm currently in 2 leagues and avg about 185 on THS between the two. Just looking for anyone who's participated in one and can share stories or info. I'm joining this for the sole purpose of becoming a better bowler since coming back to the sport this past January. Before joining leagues this year, its been 12 years since bowling weekly. Should I stay in a THS fall league instead and work on upping my avg?

I currently throw a 16lb Raw Hammer Burn, 15lb Jigsaw Corner and hopefully will be aquiring a 16lb Blue Hammer (urethane)

Also, I'm lefty with low revs. I have video of me bowling on youtube if anyone wants to see youtube.com/slowfaller

Thanks,
Chris

[psaunders300]

Hi Chris,

If you have never bowled on a sport shot, be ready for lower scores! I average in the 210-215 range on a typical house shot and average ~190 on PBA shots.

You will find out all of your weaknesses as they are magnified on this type of shot. I have found (as a fellow lefty with low to medium revs) that accuracy and speed are critical. You will have to slow your ball speed down and be accurate within a board or two.

Spares are king on this type of shot, so work on your spare game - I recommend that you go straighter at them. My motto is to stay near the pocket, leave something "make-able" and then make it...

Finally, do not get discouraged and keep an open mind about how to play the shots as sometimes you will be surprised at how far outside or inside these shots play.

Good luck!

[slowfaller]

Hi Chris,

If you have never bowled on a sport shot, be ready for lower scores! I average in the 210-215 range on a typical house shot and average ~190 on PBA shots.

You will find out all of your weaknesses as they are magnified on this type of shot. I have found (as a fellow lefty with low to medium revs) that accuracy and speed are critical. You will have to slow your ball speed down and be accurate within a board or two.

Spares are king on this type of shot, so work on your spare game - I recommend that you go straighter at them. My motto is to stay near the piocket, leave something "make-able" and then make it...

Finally, do not get discouraged and keep an open mind about how to play the shots as sometimes you will be surprised at how far outside or inside these shots play.

Good luck!

Hey, thanks for taking the time to reply.

Too much speed is a big weakness in my game and yesterday while practicing I slowed way down and was suprised at the backend reaction I was seeing. So, knowing to slow down will be helpful. And as far as spares go, I use my strike ball and throw hard and straight so no worries there. My spare game is a lot better than my strike game although if you watch my video you'll see me miss a 7 and a 1,3,6

Chris

[J Anderson]

Hi Chris,
I'm in my second summer season of PBA Experience league and generally enjoy it a lot. My perspective is probably a bit different from most sport league bowlers. I had been bowling for 33 years in a church league, averaging in the mid 170s, throwing the same ball, conventional grip, almost no hook at all.I switched to bowling left-handed due to surgery on my right hand in the fall of '08. Left-handed I jumped right into reactive resin and a fingertip grip, and my friend Jeff taught me how to throw a hook. When I was allowed to use my right hand again, I got a reactive resin ball for that hand started practicing throwing a hook right-handed. When summer came I signed up for the PBA Experience league. I was surprised to find that I averaged as high as I ever had before, and that I finished about in the middle of the pack. I think that I adjusted to the conditions better than the guys coming into the league with 200+ averages because I was used to having to be almost perfect to get a strike, and throwing straight at the spares. Of course now I've got the bog and I want to get my average up to the point where I can enter a PBA regional.

[mrbill]

I just joined another PBA exp League 8 weeks ago. 1 man teams 3 games.
OMG There where Sandbaggers!!!
200+ bowlers rolling 2 games in the 120's
My avg in the THS is 189 and now on the PBA shot its 169 but I try my hardist and I was in last place 2 weeks ago.
Then every chance they get if there winning/ won the game they will miss an easy spare. and then if there loosing by alot they just try to throw splits....
I got my kids to video tape the first night so I got it all on tape.
And the funny thing is most of the league has coaching from the pro shop guy/ I hope he did not teach them to do that SB crap...

[BaconLad]

*Off topic* (sorry)

"I just joined another PBA exp League 8 weeks ago. 1 man teams 3 games.
OMG There where Sandbaggers"


I hear people mentioning, "sand bagging/ sand bagger".

what does this term mean?

[J Anderson]

"Sand bagging" is deliberately bowling worse than one's true ability, with the intent to get a larger handicap. As Mr. Bill suggested one either starts missing spares after the game is locked up, or if hopelessly behind starts throwing bad first shots.
If there are sand baggers in my league they must be good actors as well. Of course it is a scratch league ( no handicap ) so there is no immediate reward for sand bagging.

[ffemtreed]

*Off topic* (sorry)

"I just joined another PBA exp League 8 weeks ago. 1 man teams 3 games.
OMG There where Sandbaggers"


I hear people mentioning, "sand bagging/ sand bagger".

what does this term mean?

It means people intentionally keeping there scores lower to keep their averages down.

[bowlerdawg]

like you OP when i bowled my 1st PBA_X league i was averaging 185 ish on a ths, and could not seem to take the next step.
i went into it knowing i would not be the best, nor the worst and kept an open mind about it, and knew i was doing it for a learning experience and fun. And also for a true test of my skills and abilities.

it was awesome and humbling at the same time
it forced me to be better, and execute, and harness my best stuff week in and week out

your not going to have your way with these patterns, and you will be pushed outside your comfort zone

i lost to some very bad bowlers
i beat the best the league had to offer

and finished slightly better than 1/2 of the field of 30 or so

many 220 THS bowlers dropped like flies , as it was to much for their precious ego's to handle

the end result coming off my 1st PBA_X league was that my THS average jumped 15 pins for the whole winter season
I carried a 200 for 30 + weeks for the 1st time, and i was a much better bowler for having the experience of bowling the tougher patterns.

i hope you do it

[strikedaddy]

like you OP when i bowled my 1st PBA_X league i was averaging 185 ish on a ths, and could not seem to take the next step.
i went into it knowing i would not be the best, nor the worst and kept an open mind about it, and knew i was doing it for a learning experience and fun. And also for a true test of my skills and abilities.

it was awesome and humbling at the same time
it forced me to be better, and execute, and harness my best stuff week in and week out

your not going to have your way with these patterns, and you will be pushed outside your comfort zone

i lost to some very bad bowlers
i beat the best the league had to offer

and finished slightly better than 1/2 of the field of 30 or so

many 220 THS bowlers dropped like flies , as it was to much for their precious ego's to handle

the end result coming off my 1st PBA_X league was that my THS average jumped 15 pins for the whole winter season
I carried a 200 for 30 + weeks for the 1st time, and i was a much better bowler for having the experience of bowling the tougher patterns.

i hope you do it

I agree with everything said here. There were bowlers I knew from my winter league (THS) that averaged 210+ and came in to the PBX and averaged 150's. It only took about 4 weeks and they packed up and quit (hard hit to ego). Im getting ready to start my winter league after my first PBX and I hope I am able to average 200+ on THS. PBX is tough, but I REALLY enjoyed the challenge. Bottom line is it is you against the lanes and they will humble you coming from THS. Also the mental aspect of the game is huge. Little room for error means concentration levels have to stay high.