Random Ball Extravaganza

[Mykenk]

I'm currently in two leagues. In one of mine, my average is getting a little too high for my liking, and the shot is an incredibly easy house shot.

So, for the last 6 weeks, I've been randomly selecting a ball from my arsenal, and using a completely different ball each game. I figured that this will basically serve as practice playing multiple lines, and making adjustments, when bowling with stuff that I haven't used in 5-6 years.

Anyone else ever intentionally use sub-optimal equipment? Not talking about never bringing your tournament balls to league, I won't do that, but I've got no problem dusting off a ball I haven't thrown since 2004 and taking it to leagues...

[J Anderson]

"I'm currently in two leagues. In one of mine, my average is getting a little too high for my liking,"
Huh???? I just don't understand the concept.

[bdpeters]

Interesting Post Mykenk. my fist thought was to agree with J Anderson as my bowling can use alot of work. but after I thought about it more I realized that we can all benefit from bowling in a way that we are not used to or using different equipment. Kinda like practicing with the other hand, you never know when an injury may make it difficult to bowl with your correct hand.

Bri

[Mykenk]

Basically, I know that I'm about a 205 bowler on a typical house shot, and using my "regular house" equipment, my average at this center is pushing 220, which I know isn't really a good measure of my true talent. It's well known that this house is on the easy side, so I know that it's misstating my average to be higher than it actually is.

So, I'm using the league for practice, practicing with different equipment, different hand positions, different amounts of speed and loft, different foot speeds... I'm really just using what's left of this league to understand how different things I do affect my game, rather than be concerned with racking up artificially high scores. It's been a very interesting experience, and I've learned a ton about my game...

[The Mayor]

It's fine to use different equipment to challenge yourself, but I don't agree with trying to lower your average to what you think it should be. If it's easy to average 220 at this house, why not try to reach 230? This can only help your game at every house you bowl at.

[10-in-the-pit]

I think this will affect next year's starting averages. This league average of 220+ will affect his starting average next season in all his leagues. He could lose out the first 3 weeks of the season because is average is "overstated" from the easy house. But I personally would bowl my best. I think it is more than acceptable to use different, older equipment, but bowl consistently throughout most of the night rather than constantly switching. You could tick off other bowlers seeing you "bringing down your average".

[got_a_300]

I can see Mykenk's point of wanting to get to a reasonable and not an
overinflated average if they are planning on bowling any tournaments
next year. It is IMO better to know your true bowling abilities average
wise than to think you are better than you really are by using a overinflated
extremely easy house shots artificial average.

We have just the case going on here last weekend and this weekend in the
City Tournament were some of the higher average bowlers in the center can
not score on the extremely hard shot because they are used to the easy house
shot. The 220+ average guys are barley hitting 130 or less on the tournament shot
that is out there.

[Stormed1]

Technically it would be like sandbagging. Howeber i also understand your reasoning. This is a prime example of what is wrong with bowling today! Between todays equipment and soft lane conditions it does nhot require a lot of skill to average way above your actual abilaties. That is also why most sport leagues don't last. Todays bowlers in general can't check their egos at the door and give up when they have to "work" to maintain or reach higher averages

[striker12]

well ther you shoudl be more pasific about what u are talking about cause u should of sead whast your avg was and we would probly understand you abit better but if it getting tohigh for you thats ok yeah it ok if u bring some old balls and shoot them down the lane your jsut having fun in leauge thats all its about

[americantrotter]

I'd say you have to avoid bowling at that house in the future or only bring poorly matched equipment and use it the whole season. (I mean the same 3 or 4 balls)

I am not a very good bowler by most standards (160 avg) but I refuse to play at the other house in my sity. Why? Because it's always dry. So people have all developed hook shots that shouldnt exist and in order to compete I would have to use a ball differently than anywhere else I would want to play.

I dont want to mess my game up playing on lanes that are never oiled. Dry is one thing, these are burnt to a crisp. So I don't join the leagues there. I can only imagine Rolling out my tropical breeze and dropping huge hook and high scores. Only to have to use that in a tourney on different lanes.

No thanks.