Pre Bowling Vs Just Carrying YOUR AVERAGE~

[MICHAEL]

My opinion on Pre bowling is this: I think its Not fair for a number of reasons:
1. bowing with a group of other bowlers causes many changes in lane conditions, that one has to adapt too on league day.
2. a pre bowler may have fresh oil for his whole game, without the adjustments one needs to do when bowling with others
3. I am not saying it has been done, but in a busy alley, one would have the chance to cheat, in a number of ways, esp when bowling for big prize money!
4. I don't agree that it can be a disadvantage. You pick you time and alley to pre bowl on.

I see no problem with just having your average be the score used. NOW when NOT bowling for MONEY, I don't have a problem with pre bowling Once in a while.
for good reason, sick, appointment, family ect.

Once good money is involved, there are people that will, and can take advantage! Having your averge carry would make it more Fair. IMHA!!

[MICHAEL]

Do they allow Pro's to pre bowl for tournaments! No.. It just seems fair to me, and a level playing field when ones average is carried, ESP when bowling for money! I know that 99.9 percent are good honest bowlers!! And cheating aside, its the lane conditions and 8 bowlers in some cases bowling on the same lanes that day, that time, that oil condition! How many are for carrying averages for Money leagues! How many think its fair?

[Florida Bowler]

In my experience, I have bowled worse when I prebowl. I bowl better when I'm bowling with people. Also, I do better when we get to the 10th and it's close. When you prebowl, you don't have that adrenaline going. I guess some people bowl better without the pressure. Cheating is much harder than it used to be. With the automatic scoring systems, it is impossible to mark a spare instead of an open.

I'm all for carrying the average instead of prebowling. However, if prebowling is available, I will use it if I'm not going to be able to make it one week. No sense in paying for a week of bowling if I'm not going to bowl.

-DJ

[MICHAEL]

In my experience, I have bowled worse when I prebowl. I bowl better when I'm bowling with people. Also, I do better when we get to the 10th and it's close. When you prebowl, you don't have that adrenaline going. I guess some people bowl better without the pressure. Cheating is much harder than it used to be. With the automatic scoring systems, it is impossible to mark a spare instead of an open.

I'm all for carrying the average instead of prebowling. However, if prebowling is available, I will use it if I'm not going to be able to make it one week. No sense in paying for a week of bowling if I'm not going to bowl.

-DJ

If its the missing out, and paying for bowling, that could simply be taken care of by allowing the bowler to use that paid league amount, to bowl at his leasure the games he paid for in a practice formate! Many do better when there IS NO STRESS, and oil conditions are not changing with multable bowlers using the same lanes.. So its a two sided sword! But totally fair would be carry average

[Florida Bowler]

Another thing that most of the leagues that I've been in is not using the average, but using 10 under the average. That way, it still discourages people from not bowling on league night.

-DJ

[bowl1820]

Do they allow Pro's to pre bowl for tournaments! No.. It just seems fair to me, and a level playing field when ones average is carried, ESP when bowling for money! I know that 99.9 percent are good honest bowlers!! And cheating aside, its the lane conditions and 8 bowlers in some cases bowling on the same lanes that day, that time, that oil condition! How many are for carrying averages for Money leagues! How many think its fair?

Bowling in a Tournament setting is different than bowling in league and would preclude pre/post bowling in the first place.

About the only time anyone says Pre-bowling is unfair is when they lose. As for cheating that's why they use to always have a officer of the league be present to watch.

Pre -bowling is pretty regulated theres no individual pre-bowling unless the league pass's a rule allowing. If a team pre-bowls the opposing team has the option to bowl against at the same time if they want.

Now if pre-bowling is unfair, what about post bowling? is it any less unfair? should it be eliminated ?

Now you could eliminate both, but then you'll have those saying how that's unfair.

I'll say this also, the chances of pre/post bowling on a fresh condition is pretty slim at most houses.

[JaMau24]

Post bowling is usually prohibited in any league I've been in.

Also, I agree with Florida Bowler, I do worse in pre-bowling because A. I don't feel the adrenaline. B. I rush and force into mistakes after I mess up and feel frustrated. C. The lanes are usually always bad and/or you have a bunch of public bowlers around you that don't know lane courtesy. Also, like Florida Bowler said, I will pre-bowl every time I know I won't be there because I'm not paying for bowling I'm not even going to be there for. Even though I usually do bad pre-bowling, at least I actually payed for bowling.

Also, it was the 2nd to last week in my Sunday league last week, and we were ahead of the team we were playing by 3 games (we were in first), they pre-bowled, as they always seem to do when it's an important week. I don't think in any circumstance you should be allowed to pre-bowl with 5 or less weeks left. It was a 210 avg bowler and a 114 avg bowler (his wife). The 114 avg bowler had a 176, 155, and 137. We were screwed because she scored so high and had so much handicap. Now, I'm not accusing them of cheating, but the thought has crossed my mind -- Who's to say that the 210 avg bowler didn't just bowl for her 3 or 4 frames every game? To me, that seems like the simplest form of cheating, and I wouldn't put it past them. They could have been all the way at the end of the alley and no one would ever know if he was bowling for her. I really hope that he didn't, and again, I'm not accusing them, but I've wondered about it. People don't like this guy anyway, and like I say, seems strange they pre-bowled knowing how big of a week it was. So we lose 4 to them (even though we would have beat anyone else in the league that week all 4 games), and we are behind them now with one week left. If they did cheat, I hope karma will catch up to them.

In response to the argument that pro's don't pre-bowl in tourneys... They cant. It's a tournament, not a league. I'll bet you they can, have, and do pre-bowl in any leagues they are apart of.

[JaMau24]

Another thing that most of the leagues that I've been in is not using the average, but using 10 under the average. That way, it still discourages people from not bowling on league night.

-DJ

Ours does this too.

[MICHAEL]

I think everyone is missing my point! Do people cheat,, sure they do, look at our federal goverment! What I am trying to get across is this: Once in a while Pre bowling is ok, for a good reason. It should not be used on a regualr bases, or for a whole season. Are officers always present when pre bowling? I have heard not very often! Whats wrong with carring average for THAT DAy? maybe even as mentioned above - 10 pins?? Seems fair to me??? I have heard form someone on this site of 3 perfect games being pre-bowled. for league play! I am not sure, but I think this person said that there was no offical present! So now you see where I am coming from... Whats Fair tis Fair,,, what could be more fair then to carry your average? Logic?? makes sense to me! As jason mentioned above... it can be questionable when no one is present to watch, and back to the fairness of lanes that might be much more challenging the night of league play, with several bowlers on the same two lanes!

[JaMau24]

It should not be used on a regualr bases, or for a whole season.

Agreed.

Are officers always present when pre bowling? I have heard not very often!

Nope. Certainly not in our area, I don't know about other places.

Whats wrong with carring average for THAT DAy? maybe even as mentioned above - 10 pins?? Seems fair to me???

Whats wrong is you have to pay X amount of money for bowling you didn't even do. Also, if its a 2 person league and you are both going to be gone, and you both don't pre-bowl -- Its a forfiet (at least one of you has to pre-bowl). Same goes if its a 4 or 5 person league and 3 are gone or don't pre-bowl, it's a forfeit.

I have heard form someone on this site of 3 perfect games being pre-bowled. for league play! I am not sure, but I think this person said that there was no offical present!

I'm sure people have bowled perfect games and I'm sure people have bowled their worst games during pre-bowling.. Same goes for any regular night of league bowling, sometimes your on, sometimes your off. Sure, they could have cheated too.. I think someone should be responsible for watching them pre-bowl, especially as you mentioned, if money is involved.

Maybe only have certain points during the week that you are allowed to pre-bowl, and on those dates, they will have someone there watching all of the people that are pre-bowling at that time.

and back to the fairness of lanes that might be much more challenging the night of league play, with several bowlers on the same two lanes!

I agree that if you pre-bowl, you really won't have to adjust as you would if you were at league, but I personal don't see this aspect of it as being as big as deal as you do. I think all the other issues with pre-bowling are more important (the making sure it's legit and no cheating took place part).