Whats everyones take on Lane Courtisy? I usually only give 1 lane next to me either way. Some of our league members give like 3 lanes over and it drives me crazy. I don't get distracted by anything so I was curious

Most leagues are 1 lane courtesy. Some will have 2 stated in their rules, not many though. In my league, 1 is in the league rules and most people give/take 2. There are always going to be the people who take/expect 3+ lanes. Depending on their attitudes will depend on how you can deal with them. Some of the guys I will joke with about expecting 3 lanes. Like: If we all wanted as many lanes as you, we would be here until midnight. Others, I just bowl and ignore them. Just relax and have fun. Don't worry about them. If you walk up on someone who wants 3+ lanes and they say something, tell them the rules are 1 and you give everyone 2. If he wants more than that, he can wait.

I give 1 over in each direction, and haven't found anyone in the league who expects 2 or more. Like General said, it would take forever if everyone wanted and got 3+ lanes, hehe. I make sure to be very courteous and aware of the bowlers on either side of me, and it works out well.

We do 1 lane courtesy. Never been in league that stated 2 or 3 lane courtesy. Only time i heard 2 lane courtesy was in some scratch tournments.

I was in a singles league in college. We said in the beginning that it was 2. Most people in the leagues down there expected 2 anyway. That way there weren't arguments when people only gave 1.

We have 2 lane courtesy in the league rules. Still, some take 3. Often, I see a bowler 3 lanes over, and I get up on the approach. Then, they step back, as if I botheed them. I give them a look, then procede.

My teammate gets annoyed when bowlers take a long time on the approach. He has been known to drop his ball to wake them up.

There's a middle-aged woman in my league who takes literally a half-minute (I've counted) on the approach. To each his/her own, but it gets to the point where it's pretty inconsiderate to the flow of play.

Yeah we call one guy the mortitian, about 70 years old.
(god bless his soul for bowling but wow)
Any day junior!

I usually yield to a person 1 lane away on either side. Although that three lane thing is funny to bring up because on Thursday quite literally, three lanes away out of the corner of my eye I saw one of my fellow bowlers fall and it kind of distracted me but not really. I mean I left a ten pin but no biggie. I can see why people would want to use it but it would just take way too long. If people get distracted by others that easily then perhaps they...shouldn't...be...bowling.

I've never bowled a league that stated two lane, but in the Men's league I subbed in last season on Mondays, it wasn't uncommon for two lane courtesy to be given. Many of the bowlers are PBA regional bowlers and avid tournament bowlers who are used to two lane. I found myself falling into doing it and once you get into the rhythm of doing it, it doesn't really add any time to the night. This was a 5 man league, we would start practice at 6:30 and usually by 9, most of the league was packed up or possibly already gone.

I've never seen more than one-lane courtesy. Well, perhaps I have, but haven't noticed it. However, I can see how giving two-lane courtesy would is more respectable. When I'm bowling in league, I do in fact notice someone who is on the approach 2 lanes away. It's a bit distracting especially if we start walking at the same time but I deal with it.

One lane is the norm around here for mixed leagues. Two lanes for the high stakes scratch leagues. I figure if you need more then one lane then you are not very focused and/or easily distracted.

If everyone took two or more lanes bowling on a 4 or 5 man team league would seem to take forever.

Erin

I once bowled with a guy in Vermont who was from New Jersey. He expected 2 lanes of courtesy but the league was only a 1 lane league. My teammates warned me about him because he used to get pissy when someone "breached his 2 lanes." Even the deskperson said something to me about him. Me, I didn't care. If the league is a 1 lane league that's all you get, and if you're going to get pissy about it, that's even more reason for me to step up on you.

One night I was on lane 11 and he was stepping up on lane 9. I saw him get up before me and he got onto the approach. So did I just as he was trying to get set (of course I did this on purpose, you know). When I was getting set to bowl, I heard a "bang" on the ball return, which was this guy's ball slamming onto the return and a few cuss words. I laughed to myself for a second, turned around, smiled and winked at him, and threw my ball. After he finished his frame, he came over to me and said, "Hey, my name's Walt and where I come from we got 2 lanes of courtesy. I didn't appreciate you jumping up there on me." I said, "And where are you from?" He said, "New Jersey." I said, "Well Walt, here's the thing; I don't give a rat's a-- who you are, but you're in Vermont now, and this is a one lane courtesy league, so if you want 2 lanes of courtesy, I suggest you take your f------ a-- back to New Jersey. Otherwise, sit down, shut up, and deal with the rules."

After that point he didn't bother me or anyone else. Sad thing is it's not like he was an intimidating person or anything, but it was stupid how people used to "cower" to him. Like I said, if you're going to be an idiot about it and cry about not getting more than what the league allows, then you deserve to get set straight, and he got set straight. People thought I was crazy - here's a 20 year-old guy, new to the league only bowling for a couple of weeks, putting a 50-something year old guy who's bowled there for a few years in his place. As I said, I didn't care. Still don't. If you can't handle one lane, then that's your problem, not mine. If the league says two, then I can accept that and play by the rules.

Some people are such primadonnas, I swear.

Here's another primadonna issue. The splits. When there's a split on the lane next to you, you stop and wait for the bad karma to be cleared off. Well it disturbs the flow of game if you are constantly waiting for splits and washouts to be cleared. Not to mention just being stupidly supersticious. I've gotten up to bowl, waited the required one lane curtesy only to have both lanes on either side of me NOT want to bowl due to splits or washouts on their opposite sides. Now there's 5 lanes being held up for NOTHING.

Last week this happened to me, and I couldn't help it, with karaoke ringin in my head I started singing....."splits to the left of me, washouts to the right, here I am STUCK IN THE MIDDLE WITH YOU". I struck of course because splits and washouts have no power over me, especially when they are not in my own game.

Erin

I usually just give 1 lane courtesy, but at international competitions when I see someone expects 2, I give them 2. Most of the people know it's a 1 lane courtesy, so they don't get upset if you jump on the approach, while they are 2 lanes away.

But if someone were to get pissed at me, I would start jumping up intentionally.

One thing I am guilty of, though, is that I can't start the approach at the same time as someone 2 lanes away. So if theres someone setting up 2 lanes away, I usually set up and wait until the other guys starts his approach, and then start mine.

I do that too, most of the time. It's distracting if we're set up at the same time but even more so when we start walking at the same time. I try to wait for them to go while I'm in my stance but sometimes they're either doing the same thing as me or they stay in their stance for a while. So it doesn't always work out.

So 2-lane courtesy is not unreasonable but I think for most leagues one is enough. I think it's one thing to get pissy about having your two lanes especially if it's not a rule. But, I think if someone just politely asked to have those two lanes, the people might actually be nice and give it.

I must say though, I've never seen such rediculous things going on in a bowling center as far as arguments, management, etc. Maybe I just haven't been around enough, but at my local center at least, it's normally really calm and there's mutual respect among the people.

humm 1 is it 2 maybe but most people i bowl with went with ya just for the fun of it just to see who would strike out and who wouldn't. they where very good at waiting and even sometimes 2 was there but most was 1 and no one cared. redneck really dont care that much as to what goes on. so yeah i miss them people

2 lanes is the norm at my local lanes where 1 lane is the usual at the one I travel too. 1 is fine for me I dont get distracted by someone 2 lanes over. It does throw you off at first when all you know is 2 lanes.

What I don't like is when I am on the approach, and before I start, the person next to me grabs their ball and runs right up in front of me. I will say something to that person.

I honestly don't know what my league's rule is, but I give 1, and I still don't get out till midnight sometimes. If you need more than 1 lane, you need to work on your mental game. If it wasn't for the fact that this place is so dry that my trail leg ends up on the lane next to me, I could use 0 lanes of courtesy. I practice next to kids - I'm used to it. It is nice to have a little room to run out your shot though

I have only bowled with a 1 lane courtesy except for in tourneys. If there is a championship match where money is on the line, I try to give 2 lane courtesy, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's given to me.

I've almost killed a kid that was practicing next to me when he decided to come over in my lane when I was in my back swing. Was coming down and I don't know how I was able to stop the ball from hitting him. I lashed out at him pretty good

This is why you need 2 lanes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KS3qZVFwsE

In normal league we give/get 3 lanes. I don't know why that is but this is what I've picked up since joining. What about practice courtesy? I, myself cut it down to just 1 lane since we're pressed for time. What about the rest of you?

For practice they are lucky if I give them one lane but normally I will

I do 1 lane in practice for safeties sake. That's the big thing to me, not distraction. If someone sticks or falls off-balanced or runs out a shot I don't want to run into them or step on them or nail them with the bowling ball, even though they might deserve it for running the shot out in front of me.

The split superstition I see around me a lot. I used to do it myself, but only briefly. I started to not let it get to me, especially when there are splits on 5 consecutive pairs which I have seen happen. I like to step up their and show that that split has no power over me. I just throw the best shot I can, and usually its a strike. I've had people tell me there was a split next to me and I've responded with, your point is. I will however not make fun of someone for leaving a split, that's just mean and sometimes brings in bad karma.

leauge, it's 1 lane on either side, no rule, just how it works out.

open bowling/practice, virtually none. used to make me mad [ i started a topic about it here last year i think], but then realised it helped me focus. only time it becomes an issue during open bowl, is when little kids are next to me, and it's more a fear of kicking/hitting them while i'm in motion, and i usually talk to the parents about it and let them know i'm not being a harda$$, i just don't want to injure their kid while doing 'my thing', 99% of the time, they get it, and keep the little ones at a safe distance.

Thanks, guys. Now I am conscious of what people do on the approach. We bowled a team tonight that definitely waited for at least 2 lanes to be open each way, and sometimes 3. It took us 3 and a half hours to bowl tonight. I left the house at 6:30 to get there a little early and came home at 11:30. That's 5 hours. Way too long, and it was caused by this other team waiting.

I complain when a round of golf takes more than 4 hours. I should complain when it takes this long to bowl.

LOL! Man that long it usually takes us 3 hour or less in my league using only 1 lane courtest. Boy take 2 or 3 does really prolong the time.

Most everyone in our league gives two, we are usually done in 3-3.5 hours

We give 2 and are done in under 3 hours except for 1 team. You bowl them, you know that it is going to take longer. They are a little slow but not very good bowlers at all. We bowled them last week. Both of our teams were a bowler short and we got done at the same time as everyone else.

As for golf in 4 hours or under, hard to do. Most places want you done in under 4 1/2. When I worked at a course, they had rangers out on the course timing the difference between groups at 3 different places on the course. They wanted a 9 minute difference to keep up efficiency. It actually worked.

Our center usually has a 2nd shift league immediately after the first shift league. 1 lane courtesy is the norm at the center I bowl at. The front desk would be angry if it took the first shift league more than 3 hours.

At the club I belong to, there is a timer in the cart. It is turned on by the starter when you tee off. It tells you where you should be on the course at the specific time.

I also believe it somehow communicates back to the clubhouse, cause I have seen the course ranger come out to a foursome ahead of us to speed them up.

Tee off schedule is avery 10 minutes. Doesn't that mean 10 mins, for 18 holes would equal 180 mins or 3 hours? Why does it take 4+?

At that rate, it seems like they pack more people onto the course.

Courses send people off as fast as the can. Most of the time, 10 is a guideline. If there is room, they will let more people tee off. More people = More $$$$$ If they just sent people off the front at 10 minute intervals, you would be fine. It is when they start doing the same thing on the back 9. Now, you have to get all of those people in there too. Then they really start jamming people. Cheaper after 3pm for twilight? They cram even more people on the course. Rules say no more than 4 to a group. You want 6? Sure, just split up later on. It is all about the $$$

One thing, I usually do is ask people if they would like to shot their spares or splits before I go up. It's not really for me, it just seems like a better allocation of time.

I owe a guy a beer on Tues night for courtesy. When I had 10 in a row a new guy on a new team to the left of us stepped on the approach just after I did. Usually when someone has that many stacked you wait it out. The guy calmly pulled the new guy off the lanes and explained what was going on. I didnt want to have to reset myself so I focused and it worked out. If he had gone when I was there first I may have been slightly miffed if I came up short. Still would have been on me.

I don't wait it out if someone is on 10 in a row, and I don't want people to wait it out if I'm on the front 10. That changes the rhythm and the atmosphere in general. I may wait for them to make their shot before I step on the approach if I'm the first pair to either side, but after they throw their shot I'm on the approach getting ready for mine.

If I've got the front 9 or 10, I really appreciate it when everyone stops. Last thing I want to hear halfway through my approach is some idiot cussing. I can focus pretty well otherwise, but dead silence makes me really focus.

I'd rather people just keep bowling if I have the front 10 or so. For me, keeping the atmosphere the same works better than it suddenly getting quiet.

I would rather people keep bowling as well. A couple of years ago, I had the from 9 and got up to the 10th. Everyone around me stopped except for one guy on the lane to my left. We had been talking the whole game between balls. He kept it going. That is what I needed. I left a 10 pin on my last ball but, everything was the same.

I also would prefer people keep going. Also, I asked about the official rule last night. It's 1 lane. Thank goodness - we didn't finish till 11:50. Imagine if it was 2.

I've had this happen twice in the last couple of years. The first time, sitting on 11, the entire bowling alley stopped, and there was a crowd standing behind me. The second time, in March, there was no difference, except the pairs on either side stopped while I bowled the tenth frame.

In retrospect, I was nervous with or without the onlookers. So, I guess it made very little difference. Just focused on the next shot.