3 ms·

Admittedly, maybe pro bowlers aren't familiar with this one configuration. However, they are incredibly familiar with every aspect of bowling, so if the great m

Admittedly, maybe pro bowlers aren't familiar with this one configuration. However, they are incredibly familiar with every aspect of bowling, so if the great majority of them cannot (or will not attempt to) make this shot, it's probably pretty telling regarding degree of difficulty.

eridius 12y ago
How do you choose to not make a shot like that? Every bowler wants to get a strike, and if you fail to get that strike you're not choosing what setup you end up with. If you could choose, you would have gotten that strike. Edit: Or are you trying to say they aren't going for the conversion, just for knocking down as many pins as they can, when they get there? Does the article's data include whether the bowler was attempting the conversion? My expectation is no, the data covers all frames that include that split, without excluding ones where the bowler has indicated that they're not attempting the conversion.
Someone 12y ago
Of course they will attempt to make that shot, if they get it, and the game calls for it (extreme example: if they need only 3 pins to win a match, no sane pro would attempt to get a difficult spare of 4 pins that has an easy 3 pin subset) On the other hand, if you are behind with only a few turns to go, taking the risk of taking on the more difficult throw will be the right choice. The issue is that the distribution of plays that good players get on their second throw is different from that that bad players get. Let's exaggerate to show why: Collect all throws on a random bowling alley for a year. I predict that the 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 configuration as the first throw has a higher success rate than as a second throw. Reason? Players who end up with that second shot must have completely missed the first shot. Good players will occasionally get there (if you wait long enough you will even find a pro throwing it, maybe because he suffers a stroke during play), but bad players will get there disproportionally more often. Of all such second shots, 90+% may be played by the bottom 50% of players. Similarly, I think the 7-8-9-10 that isn't in this dataset isn't impossible. I would guess children who are barely strong enough to throw the ball will occasionally throw it. Thinking of it, bowling would get way more interesting if one could get more points for difficult combinations. Let's say you announce "I'll leave the 7 and 10 pins standing and take them out with my second ball", and go on to do that. Surely, that's worth more than a dull strike?
- clarky07 12y ago
  I have seen a 7-8-9-10 both left, and amazingly, picked up. Weird stuff happens when people don't throw the ball hard. This particular feat was by a friend's wife. If you throw directly in the middle of the 8-9 they will fall sideways and get the 7 and 10. No pro will ever leave this though. Not possible throwing at normal speeds.

eridius 12y ago

How do you choose to not make a shot like that? Every bowler wants to get a strike, and if you fail to get that strike you're not choosing what setup you end up with. If you could choose, you would have gotten that strike. Edit: Or are you trying to say they aren't going for the conversion, just for knocking down as many pins as they can, when they get there? Does the article's data include whether the bowler was attempting the conversion? My expectation is no, the data covers all frames that include that split, without excluding ones where the bowler has indicated that they're not attempting the conversion.

Someone 12y ago

Of course they will attempt to make that shot, if they get it, and the game calls for it (extreme example: if they need only 3 pins to win a match, no sane pro would attempt to get a difficult spare of 4 pins that has an easy 3 pin subset) On the other hand, if you are behind with only a few turns to go, taking the risk of taking on the more difficult throw will be the right choice. The issue is that the distribution of plays that good players get on their second throw is different from that that bad players get. Let's exaggerate to show why: Collect all throws on a random bowling alley for a year. I predict that the 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 configuration as the first throw has a higher success rate than as a second throw. Reason? Players who end up with that second shot must have completely missed the first shot. Good players will occasionally get there (if you wait long enough you will even find a pro throwing it, maybe because he suffers a stroke during play), but bad players will get there disproportionally more often. Of all such second shots, 90+% may be played by the bottom 50% of players. Similarly, I think the 7-8-9-10 that isn't in this dataset isn't impossible. I would guess children who are barely strong enough to throw the ball will occasionally throw it. Thinking of it, bowling would get way more interesting if one could get more points for difficult combinations. Let's say you announce "I'll leave the 7 and 10 pins standing and take them out with my second ball", and go on to do that. Surely, that's worth more than a dull strike?

clarky07 12y ago
I have seen a 7-8-9-10 both left, and amazingly, picked up. Weird stuff happens when people don't throw the ball hard. This particular feat was by a friend's wife. If you throw directly in the middle of the 8-9 they will fall sideways and get the 7 and 10. No pro will ever leave this though. Not possible throwing at normal speeds.