How does one easily calculate what pin count is needed in 10th frame to win

[NewToBowling]

I see it all the time on TV broadcasts. Player A needs to strike on the first ball or needs a mark and 9 pins, etc in the 10th to win or lock out his opponent.

Yes, I know how scoring works and I know how to calculate max score (30 max each frame and add to their current score) but for the life of me can't find an easy way to calculate pin count needed in 10th to secure win, etc.

Something that has never come easy for me.

[fordman1]

As you bowl more you will get better at figuring it out. It is pretty simple once you get the hang of it. Simple math. Keep an eye on the telescores when you are bowling league and try to figure it out.

Figure out the max for the bowler who is trailing and see how the other bowler could beat them by one pin.

[J Anderson]

I see it all the time on TV broadcasts. Player A needs to strike on the first ball or needs a mark and 9 pins, etc in the 10th to win or lock out his opponent.

Yes, I know how scoring works and I know how to calculate max score (30 max each frame and add to their current score) but for the life of me can't find an easy way to calculate pin count needed in 10th to secure win, etc.

Something that has never come easy for me.

Personally, I try not to worry about the score. I try to just throw the best shot I can each frame. While I know that some people need that extra pressure of having to mark or strike to win in order to perform well, many if not most bowlers would be better off with the scores hidden until the end of the game.

[fordman1]

So John if in the 8th you leave a Greek Church in a tight game you don't want to know if you should go for the split or take the pins. Always know the score. Especially in team bowling. It is easier in singles but it isn't that difficult in team bowling. Learning how things work is always a good thing.

[J Anderson]

So John if in the 8th you leave a Greek Church in a tight game you don't want to know if you should go for the split or take the pins. Always know the score. Especially in team bowling. It is easier in singles but it isn't that difficult in team bowling. Learning how things work is always a good thing.

Bad example, the odds of me making the greek church are slim to none. I'm going for the count no matter what the score is and apologising to my team for leaving such a mess in the first place.

Better example would be a 6-7-10 or a 4-9 split. While I know that I don't make either of these every time, I do know that have made them in the past. In this situation I will think about whether I'm working on strike or if the team absolutely needs me to make the spare.

I stand by my original reply. Bowling is an individual sport played by teams. When I step onto the approach the only thing I want to be thinking about is the line I'm playing. If I start thinking about what the score is, or how much we need a strike or a spare, I'm not going to have thecorrect focus to make a good shot.

[fokai73]

I keep my game simple. And one of the ways I do this is not worry about my opponents score - I bowl scratch league/match play. I always pretend I'm down 30 pins and bowling is just me and the pins.

But I do believe that majority of bowlers nowadays don't have a clue on how to keep scores. There are some cases when calculating max scores will benefit.

A friend has no clue on how to keep scores and I lie to him that he's down 15-30 sticks after 6 frames. And most times he finishes strong only find out he beats his opponent by 20 pins or more. And his opponent most times don't know how to score.

Of course when you're not bowling and are keeping scores, just calculate the max scores for both players and do the math.....

[fordman1]

Knowing that if you get a strike on the 1st ball in the 10 to win a game or make the cut in a side pot is important. Any time you know you have to get that strike you bear down a little more than usual. You take a little longer, you concentrate a little bit more. No one is going to do that on every shot unless it is their lively hood or job. We bowl for nearly $20 a point and the side pots are pretty large. Always know the score.

[Aslan]

Short Answer: You learn it over time.

Other Short Answer: PinPal will tell you your maximum score.

Longer Answer: No, there is no easy way...especially given scoring machine/software differences used at various bowling centers. Some centers, the score displayed counts every shot that has been rolled in the total. Some centers, it waits to count the score until after a frame is bowled. So, you have to figure out, at your center, what the scoring software is counting and when.

[ChuckR]

Then there is Handicap. I bowl a 4 game league that changes lanes after 2 games. IF the handicap is correct when a sub is used it doesn't always transfer to the second pair of lanes. This condition led to the decision one week not to care and let the Secretary and House do the calculations.

[J Anderson]

Knowing that if you get a strike on the 1st ball in the 10 to win a game or make the cut in a side pot is important. Any time you know you have to get that strike you bear down a little more than usual. You take a little longer, you concentrate a little bit more. No one is going to do that on every shot unless it is their lively hood or job. We bowl for nearly $20 a point and the side pots are pretty large. Always know the score.

And the pins you knock down in the first nine frames don't count as much as the ones in the tenth?

My guess is that you enjoy bowling in the anchor position and are the type of bowler I want on my team in a close match. On the other hand, a lot of bowlers don't have that ability to bear down and get good results under pressure. Those are the ones who need to ignore the scoreboard and just throw it.

[fordman1]

I used to be the anchor but I bowl 2nd or 3rd now. Age and injuries caught up with me. They think it is funny that I would like the lanes re-oiled every game. When they break down I don't have the speed anymore.

[Aslan]

I used to be the anchor but I bowl 2nd or 3rd now. Age and injuries caught up with me. They think it is funny that I would like the lanes re-oiled every game. When they break down I don't have the speed anymore.

That's the biggest complaint I hear from older bowlers...they can't keep the ball right of the pocket.

When I met Parker Bohn III, I asked him what the biggest difference between the national tour and PBA50 tour was, thinking he would cite less ability to get low, knee bend, etc... Without hesitation, he said, "speed."

[JJKinGA]

The math isn't that hard. You can score as much as 30 points a frame. If you are working on a spare add 10. If on a strike add 20. So if my 4 man team is behind by 42 going into the tenth, everyone on my team is working off a spare and they are working off two opens, a strike and a spare: We can score 30 * 4 + 10 *4 = 160 and they can score 30*4 + 10 + 20 = 150. They are ahead by 42 so 150 - 41 is 111. that is what they need to score to shut out our team. Realistically, I figure my team is down 42 but has a 10 point advantage in the 10th due to the marks. So we need to get 33 more than them over the course of four bowler. That means three extra marks over them. At the eighth frame, you can calculate it out but unless you are pretty certain everyone is going off the sheet, it doesn't make much sense. It is easier to figure the spare is worth an extra ten pins over just taking the count. Unless the current pins are that close, go for the count. There are enough frames to have a chance to make it up. For most league bowlers, it is reasonable to figure 20 pins per frame still to be bowled to figure what the scoring pace will be. That works better than the max total until you get to the 9th or 10th frame.