Author Topic: Where are the scratch bowlers in MD/DC/VA? (Read 7551 times)

Mr Straight Ball · « **on:** October 10, 2007, 03:55:41 AM »

It boggles my mind when I look at the Greater Baltimore yearbook and see 60 names on the high average page with the last name showing 222. I know the Capital Assn is no different.

So why aren't more high average bowlers out competing against one another?
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STAY

FF MY BL

CK!
...Mr. Straight Ball prays his ball will hook one day!
40 Boards & A Ball
Is your ball ready to cross 40 Boards?
http://WWW.40BOARDS.COM

Dbum · « **Reply #46 on:** November 09, 2007, 07:10:34 AM »

Looks like this was a very nice topic Jeff. I personally think Jeff & Tony are doing the best job they can do. I think if they can get a break in lineage you can lower entry fees and then the so called "donators" wouldn't mind the risk. Now on the PBA topic, I personally don't bowl the PBA tournaments and its not because I don't feel like I can compete, but I have no intentions of becoming a member.

I guess it really depends on where the bowler is trying to take his/her game to. If he is trying to become an exempt player then you do what you have to by all means.

I know its nice to see where you are at sometimes, But there are much more Amateur events out there that can test you as well. I have a great time bowling in certain events with friends and alot of these events excludes PBA Members. Now what I don't understand is the bowlers that travel with the Regional tour from city to city and spend all of that travel money and feel good about a 400.00 cash at the least, You can build confidence by doing well in local events or at least they should practice on the patterns more so when they do go out there and compete they have an idea whats going on, don't go out there without a clue you will get ran over by players who see those conditions and lane breakdowns on the regular.

Great Convo guys..keep it up

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Darnell "DBum" Bell

LAStrikesALot · « **Reply #47 on:** November 09, 2007, 11:12:27 AM »

The majority of those not bowling that make me question "Where are all the scratch bowlers" are the ones who "say" one thing but DO something different. I sit back and listen to what the guys say and hear how their thoughts conflict with their actions. I've heard guys say they don't bowl because of the entry fee. These are the same guys that bowl 3 and 4 squads in the summer tour. I'm not sure what the summer tour is up to these days, but I can bet that 4 squads on a weekend would pay for an entry and all the side action in one of the 40Boards events. I hear the guys say, "Oh thats too far" but they are driving 40 minutes one way for league every week or they are driving up to York but then skip the event right in their back yard. I hear them say, "The shot is too hard" but then when the event is right at home, in their home center on a house shot, they are still standing in the back watching. I hear, "The shot is too easy" but then when the tough pattern event comes around they are still nowhere to be found.

I totally agree that for some people its about where they are in their game and where they want to go in terms of bowling. And to me, their actions are consistent with their goals. But the ones with a million and one excuses, they are the ones that should be out bowling and could be out bowling, but they aren't.

And mostly, the women are no different. They have a defeatist attitude, so they don't even bother to come out. Me and joy bowled against the boys in juniors, and we'll have to keep on bowling against the guys now.
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Latise Parker
40 Boards & A Ball
www.40boards.com

Edited on 11/9/2007 12:20 PM

Edited on 11/9/2007 12:30 PM

Mr Straight Ball · « **Reply #48 on:** November 09, 2007, 12:59:56 PM »

WHEW! It feels like that oven when I was 15 working at Tippy's Tacos, 700Â° and burning!

I think one of the biggest mistakes people make is they finally make a tournament and have a bad outing. So what do they do? Never come back out because their ego is bruised. When you are use to bowling in one house, you know how to make all the right moves at that house. Tournament bowling is no different then being a great league bowler, the more you do it, the more comfortable you become.
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STAY

FF MY BL

CK!
...Mr. Straight Ball prays his ball will hook one day!
40 Boards & A Ball
Is your ball ready to cross 40 Boards?
http://WWW.40BOARDS.COM

Gazoo · « **Reply #49 on:** November 09, 2007, 01:34:12 PM »

To answer your question, most bowlers know that they are not really as good as their league average indicates. They adhere to the princple "a fool and his money are soon parted".

Mike L · « **Reply #50 on:** November 09, 2007, 04:27:57 PM »

gazoo,

you are absolutely correct and thats fine, but i think me and jeff are talking about all the guys that say they are gonna be there and participate but then come up with a lame excuse for not bowling.
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"Typical House Bowler"

Mr Straight Ball · « **Reply #51 on:** November 09, 2007, 09:30:19 PM »

A house average means nothing because we all average around the same number. I know our female poster on here is a 209 average bowler and she is cashing in an all mens field. Please don't say it's not possible to be competitive with that example starring at us.

And you are correct Mike, we are referring to the dudes that give the answer that reflects "good" on them when they give it. If you are not coming, it's okay to say that...
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STAY

FF MY BL

CK!
...Mr. Straight Ball prays his ball will hook one day!
40 Boards & A Ball
Is your ball ready to cross 40 Boards?
http://WWW.40BOARDS.COM

alloutsmith3 · « **Reply #52 on:** November 10, 2007, 07:47:05 PM »

quote:
I have a hard time understanding what all the fuss is about. This thread is littered with "donater" jabs, taking shots at players with less ability than yourselves. If you are going to ridicule them for being donaters , why would they show up? Perhaps to line your pockets? Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Either way, the same elitist attitude permeates the air.... Please clarify if I am off-base.
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Make history or sit back and watch it. -EV

quote:
So true. I'm one of those guys who has gone the way of the poker thing. I like to compete in bowling and although I might not have the talent I have the competitive juices to give it a try. Unfortunately guys like me get cold stares because I take a leisurely approach to the game. In other words I like to have a cold beverage and treat the tourney just like any other league I bowl in. Competiveness doesn't have to be cold!

I wasn't trying to take jabs at anyone, and "donator" probably wasn't the correct word to use and I should have worded things differently, so I apologize to anyone I might have offended. I don't want to come off as some arrogant prick who thinks hes better than anyone else because that isn't me at all. I'll help, talk to and treat everyone the same whether they carry a 150 avg or a 250 avg. I love the game and am very competitve so the only person I'm critical of is myself.

Its true I don't like high scoring tournament environments but that comes from the way I was brought up bowling and the guys I bowled with. Its not that I'm afraid of being beat, I've been beat more times than I've won. I've always tried bowling with and against the best and those guys bowled on the tough conditions and their views spread to me. Hopefully I can meet some of you guys and gals on here when I come to some of the tournaments that your putting together. From what I've seen on your website I really appreciate what your doing and will do my best to help support it.
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Jason Smith
ABC North Lanes Pro Shop
Harrisburg, PA
VISE--The Choice of Champions

LAStrikesALot · « **Reply #53 on:** November 12, 2007, 06:54:30 AM »

quote:
I think one of the biggest mistakes people make is they finally make a tournament and have a bad outing. So what do they do? Never come back out because their ego is bruised.

This is true, but there are also a few who come out and bowl for once and actually have a good outing and then "swear" they are going to bowl more tournaments, yet we haven't seen them since.

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Latise Parker
40 Boards & A Ball
www.40boards.com

Mr Straight Ball · « **Reply #54 on:** November 12, 2007, 10:22:21 AM »

TRUE! TRUE!

Dbum · « **Reply #55 on:** November 12, 2007, 10:54:22 PM »

I agree Mikey.. and Jeff I will get on your points board soon buddy...lol
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Darnell "DBum" Bell

Mr Straight Ball · « **Reply #56 on:** November 14, 2007, 12:08:18 PM »

Mike,
I am going to define scratch bowler like thisâ€¦
A bowler who laces â€˜em up and competes in a tournament that they donâ€™t reward you for having a lower average. Everyone is eligible to compete in a scratch tournament but it seems only those that are ready to challenge themselves come out.

You are not a scratch bowler because you own more balls then the next person, just means you have money to burn.

Mike L · « **Reply #57 on:** November 14, 2007, 09:25:11 PM »

brizmo,

not sure who you are, but anyway thanks for the compliments. Me, honestly, no id much rather bowl those guys on tougher patterns and by tougher, i dont mean pba patterns because quite frankly those have become just as high scoring.

I was trying to get someone to see the point of why most people (house bowlers and certain tournament guys) will bowl on a dead wall but wont bowl if the shot is challenging. They look at guys like myslef, (not bragging at all but i do feel im one of the most competitive in the area) and say "i cant beat him when they are tough, but give me my league shot and now im equal"

Quite frankly i dont care what they put down, ill be there lacing them up and trying to be as competitive as I can, whether it take a grind out 210 or strike fest shooting 260's and MM2004, to me thats what it takes to be a scratch bowler!
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"Typical House Bowler"

Mike L · « **Reply #58 on:** November 14, 2007, 09:57:23 PM »

Heres an example of what i was trying to say:

I bowled this weekend in a 10 gamer at lincoln lanes and it was on a house pattern, which most knew coming in. York had a 6 game sport shot tourney going on as well where 210 is a great game. I chose the 10 gamer because i knew they would have more brackets and its a hour closer for me. On the same hand I knew going in, i needed to avg. 240 or better to make any money, which does kinda suck but i think "good" bowlers should adapt to the scoring pace.

The guy that won, who i think is a better player than most think, shot 169 game 9 and was still +478. His backer said this is why we didnt goto york, so i said why?

His response:

"We knew this would be a shootout and thats his game"

THIS IS HOW PEOPLE THINK!!!

Like I said I think hes a much better bowler than what people think, however he does only bowl alot when they are high scoring or the left side is usually better. Trust me in no way am I disrespecting him because I think he could be competitive on anything, but the problem is we dont get to see it because he doesnt seem to bowl when they are tough.

The topic states "where are the bowlers" and guys like this are who Mr. Baker was refering to and these are the guys that could make tournaments better, but its guys that are less talented that look at it the same way. If they cant shut their eyes, miss by an arrow and still be dead flush, they wont bowl! WHY NOT???
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"Typical House Bowler"

Mike L · « **Reply #59 on:** November 15, 2007, 07:36:17 AM »

brizmo,

Trust me in the chambersburg anywhere, where alot of these house shot tournaments are at, I dont like seeing guys that use 2 fingers and a piece of their thumb and throw it all over the place and strike. One guy takes about 3 seconds, grabs his ball runs to the 2nd set of dots and just fires away and if he had any spare making ability at all, he would be dangerous. At the same time though, the 10 gamer had 90 brackets, which is getting to be unheard these days, and the hagerstown doubles tourney has over 100 singles and roughly 30 doubles. I go where I can make the most money.

All I was simply saying regarding the shot is to me it doesnt matter whats out there, ive won the red eye at +450 over and ive won at york going +20. Real bowlers, in my opinion, should be able to adapt to any environment and shouldnt have to call the center or tournament director to see what the shots going to be or if the the left side is blocked out. In my eyes, if you are really good enough, YOU CANT BE SHUT OUT!

And if you are who i think you are, you have shown that at a few vmsbts this year being the only lefty making the cuts and winning.
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"Typical House Bowler"

Dbum · « **Reply #60 on:** November 15, 2007, 09:40:05 AM »

Brizmo has to be my buddy BP..He is the only one I know that can write 3 and 4 paragraphs at a time...Wassup B...
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Darnell "DBum" Bell

Author Topic: Where are the scratch bowlers in MD/DC/VA? (Read 7551 times)

Mr Straight Ball

Where are the scratch bowlers in MD/DC/VA?

Dbum

Re: Where are the scratch bowlers in MD/DC/VA?

LAStrikesALot

Re: Where are the scratch bowlers in MD/DC/VA?

Mr Straight Ball

Re: Where are the scratch bowlers in MD/DC/VA?

Gazoo

Re: Where are the scratch bowlers in MD/DC/VA?

Mike L

Re: Where are the scratch bowlers in MD/DC/VA?

Mr Straight Ball

Re: Where are the scratch bowlers in MD/DC/VA?

alloutsmith3

Re: Where are the scratch bowlers in MD/DC/VA?

LAStrikesALot

Re: Where are the scratch bowlers in MD/DC/VA?

Mr Straight Ball

Re: Where are the scratch bowlers in MD/DC/VA?

Dbum

Re: Where are the scratch bowlers in MD/DC/VA?

Mr Straight Ball

Re: Where are the scratch bowlers in MD/DC/VA?

Mike L

Re: Where are the scratch bowlers in MD/DC/VA?

Mike L

Re: Where are the scratch bowlers in MD/DC/VA?

Mike L

Re: Where are the scratch bowlers in MD/DC/VA?

Dbum

Re: Where are the scratch bowlers in MD/DC/VA?