A five-man bowling team is the most common team size in league bowling, and putting the right five people in the right spots in the lineup goes a long way in helping your team win. There’s a strategy to putting together a team (much the same way baseball lineups are devised with specific goals in mind). Whether a three-, four- or five-person team, arranging your teammates in the optimum order can help you maximize your victories over the course of the season.
It’s important to note these tips are not steadfast rules, but rather what appears to be the consensus among the majority of five-person bowling teams. In a scratch league, bowling in a strategic order is especially important, as you have no handicap to help your score. If you’re by far the worst bowler on your team, but you’re in the fifth position, you will almost definitely be going against their best bowler, and thus you will almost always lose. Not ideal.
With handicaps, things are a little more even as you’re essentially competing against yourself. That is, you’re trying to be more above your average than your opponent is above his. Still, the basic strategy applies.
A Typical Lineup
In most cases, the best bowler on your team should bowl fifth. Your next best bowler should bowl fourth. Your third best bowler should bowl first. Your fourth-best should bowl third, and your bowler with the lowest average should bowl second. See the table below for a less confusing explanation of this lineup.
First Position
This is your lead-off bowler. This person gets you started every week and is, at the minimum, an adequate bowler. As the first bowler, he can set the tone for the night by instilling confidence in his teammates or intimidating their opponents. Typically, his average is the third highest on the team and is trusted to lead off because of his ability to consistently bowl strikes or, when he doesn’t throw strikes, pick up spares.
The best first bowler is someone who doesn’t leave a lot of open frames and can get each night started with a strike or spare, setting his entire team on the right track.
Second Position
The second bowler is typically the least experienced or simply the bowler with the lowest average. Bowling second puts as little pressure as possible on this bowler, as he can rely on his teammates to pick up the bulk of the scores.
This can be a valuable spot in the lineup, as a lot of bowlers in the second position struggle with consistency, leaving a bowler who can consistently bowl at or above his average open to win a lot of games and points for his team.
Third Position
Much like the second position, this bowler will likely have less experience (or merely a lower average) than his teammates, and his spot in the middle of the lineup takes a lot of pressure off him.
Also, like the second position, this can be a valuable spot in the lineup if your third bowler can consistently improve over the course of the season.
Fourth Position
Commonly referred to as the set-up man, this guy can bowl in the clutch, regularly throw a hooks tenth and could likely be an anchor if necessary. The set-up man should not leave a lot of frames open, picking up strikes or spares almost every frame.
The best set-up man is someone who can perform well no matter how the third bowler is doing, setting up the anchor to close out the victory.
Fifth Position
The anchor is generally the best bowler on the team. When you need a strike, or series of strikes, at the end of the night, which team member do you trust the most to do it? It should be this guy.
The best anchors are not only good bowlers statistically but can perform well under pressure and in competitive environments. This is important as they’ll be bowling against the other teams’ top bowlers every week.
A Typical Five-Person Bowling Lineup
Lineup Order Average Rank
1st Bowler 3rd Highest Average
2nd Bowler Lowest Average
3rd Bowler 4th Highest Average
4th Bowler 2nd Highest Average
5th Bowler Highest Average
Featured Video
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Scotch Doubles in Bowling
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How to Keep a Baseball Game Score Book
Top Ten Baseball Players at Each Position
Baseball Stars of the 19th Century
History of Hockey Fights
All-Time 10 Best Real Madrid Players
The 10 Best Soccer Players of All Time
Position Round in Bowling
Top Second Basemen of All-Time
The Best Brothers In Major League Baseball History
Playing Poker as a Bowling League Side Game
The History of Softball
Hockey History: The Time Line, 1917-1945
How to Write a Sports Career Resume
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A five-man bowling team is the most common team size in league bowling, and putting the right five people in the right spots in the lineup goes a long way in helping your team win. There’s a strategy to putting together a team (much the same way baseball lineups are devised with specific goals in mind). Whether a three-, four- or five-person team, arranging your teammates in the optimum order can help you maximize your victories over the course of the season.
It’s important to note these tips are not steadfast rules, but rather what appears to be the consensus among the majority of five-person bowling teams. In a scratch league, bowling in a strategic order is especially important, as you have no handicap to help your score. If you’re by far the worst bowler on your team, but you’re in the fifth position, you will almost definitely be going against their best bowler, and thus you will almost always lose. Not ideal.
With handicaps, things are a little more even as you’re essentially competing against yourself. That is, you’re trying to be more above your average than your opponent is above his. Still, the basic strategy applies.
A Typical Lineup
In most cases, the best bowler on your team should bowl fifth. Your next best bowler should bowl fourth. Your third best bowler should bowl first. Your fourth-best should bowl third, and your bowler with the lowest average should bowl second. See the table below for a less confusing explanation of this lineup.
First Position
This is your lead-off bowler. This person gets you started every week and is, at the minimum, an adequate bowler. As the first bowler, he can set the tone for the night by instilling confidence in his teammates or intimidating their opponents. Typically, his average is the third highest on the team and is trusted to lead off because of his ability to consistently bowl strikes or, when he doesn’t throw strikes, pick up spares.
The best first bowler is someone who doesn’t leave a lot of open frames and can get each night started with a strike or spare, setting his entire team on the right track.
Second Position
The second bowler is typically the least experienced or simply the bowler with the lowest average. Bowling second puts as little pressure as possible on this bowler, as he can rely on his teammates to pick up the bulk of the scores.
This can be a valuable spot in the lineup, as a lot of bowlers in the second position struggle with consistency, leaving a bowler who can consistently bowl at or above his average open to win a lot of games and points for his team.
Third Position
Much like the second position, this bowler will likely have less experience (or merely a lower average) than his teammates, and his spot in the middle of the lineup takes a lot of pressure off him.
Also, like the second position, this can be a valuable spot in the lineup if your third bowler can consistently improve over the course of the season.
Fourth Position
Commonly referred to as the set-up man, this guy can bowl in the clutch, regularly throw a hooks tenth and could likely be an anchor if necessary. The set-up man should not leave a lot of frames open, picking up strikes or spares almost every frame.
The best set-up man is someone who can perform well no matter how the third bowler is doing, setting up the anchor to close out the victory.
Fifth Position
The anchor is generally the best bowler on the team. When you need a strike, or series of strikes, at the end of the night, which team member do you trust the most to do it? It should be this guy.
The best anchors are not only good bowlers statistically but can perform well under pressure and in competitive environments. This is important as they’ll be bowling against the other teams’ top bowlers every week.
A Typical Five-Person Bowling Lineup
Lineup Order Average Rank
1st Bowler 3rd Highest Average
2nd Bowler Lowest Average
3rd Bowler 4th Highest Average
4th Bowler 2nd Highest Average
5th Bowler Highest Average
Featured Video
Baker Team Competition Format
Scotch Doubles in Bowling
How to Play a 2-Man Scramble Golf Tournament
How to Keep a Baseball Game Score Book
Top Ten Baseball Players at Each Position
Baseball Stars of the 19th Century
History of Hockey Fights
All-Time 10 Best Real Madrid Players
The 10 Best Soccer Players of All Time
Position Round in Bowling
Top Second Basemen of All-Time
The Best Brothers In Major League Baseball History
Playing Poker as a Bowling League Side Game
The History of Softball
Hockey History: The Time Line, 1917-1945
How to Write a Sports Career Resume
When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Cookies Settings Reject All Accept Cookies
A five-man bowling team is the most common team size in league bowling, and putting the right five people in the right spots in the lineup goes a long way in helping your team win. There’s a strategy to putting together a team (much the same way baseball lineups are devised with specific goals in mind). Whether a three-, four- or five-person team, arranging your teammates in the optimum order can help you maximize your victories over the course of the season.
It’s important to note these tips are not steadfast rules, but rather what appears to be the consensus among the majority of five-person bowling teams. In a scratch league, bowling in a strategic order is especially important, as you have no handicap to help your score. If you’re by far the worst bowler on your team, but you’re in the fifth position, you will almost definitely be going against their best bowler, and thus you will almost always lose. Not ideal.
With handicaps, things are a little more even as you’re essentially competing against yourself. That is, you’re trying to be more above your average than your opponent is above his. Still, the basic strategy applies.
A Typical Lineup
In most cases, the best bowler on your team should bowl fifth. Your next best bowler should bowl fourth. Your third best bowler should bowl first. Your fourth-best should bowl third, and your bowler with the lowest average should bowl second. See the table below for a less confusing explanation of this lineup.
First Position
This is your lead-off bowler. This person gets you started every week and is, at the minimum, an adequate bowler. As the first bowler, he can set the tone for the night by instilling confidence in his teammates or intimidating their opponents. Typically, his average is the third highest on the team and is trusted to lead off because of his ability to consistently bowl strikes or, when he doesn’t throw strikes, pick up spares.
The best first bowler is someone who doesn’t leave a lot of open frames and can get each night started with a strike or spare, setting his entire team on the right track.
Second Position
The second bowler is typically the least experienced or simply the bowler with the lowest average. Bowling second puts as little pressure as possible on this bowler, as he can rely on his teammates to pick up the bulk of the scores.
This can be a valuable spot in the lineup, as a lot of bowlers in the second position struggle with consistency, leaving a bowler who can consistently bowl at or above his average open to win a lot of games and points for his team.
Third Position
Much like the second position, this bowler will likely have less experience (or merely a lower average) than his teammates, and his spot in the middle of the lineup takes a lot of pressure off him.
Also, like the second position, this can be a valuable spot in the lineup if your third bowler can consistently improve over the course of the season.
Fourth Position
Commonly referred to as the set-up man, this guy can bowl in the clutch, regularly throw a hooks tenth and could likely be an anchor if necessary. The set-up man should not leave a lot of frames open, picking up strikes or spares almost every frame.
The best set-up man is someone who can perform well no matter how the third bowler is doing, setting up the anchor to close out the victory.
Fifth Position
The anchor is generally the best bowler on the team. When you need a strike, or series of strikes, at the end of the night, which team member do you trust the most to do it? It should be this guy.
The best anchors are not only good bowlers statistically but can perform well under pressure and in competitive environments. This is important as they’ll be bowling against the other teams’ top bowlers every week.
A Typical Five-Person Bowling Lineup
Lineup Order Average Rank
1st Bowler 3rd Highest Average
2nd Bowler Lowest Average
3rd Bowler 4th Highest Average
4th Bowler 2nd Highest Average
5th Bowler Highest Average
A five-man bowling team is the most common team size in league bowling, and putting the right five people in the right spots in the lineup goes a long way in helping your team win. There’s a strategy to putting together a team (much the same way baseball lineups are devised with specific goals in mind). Whether a three-, four- or five-person team, arranging your teammates in the optimum order can help you maximize your victories over the course of the season.
It’s important to note these tips are not steadfast rules, but rather what appears to be the consensus among the majority of five-person bowling teams. In a scratch league, bowling in a strategic order is especially important, as you have no handicap to help your score. If you’re by far the worst bowler on your team, but you’re in the fifth position, you will almost definitely be going against their best bowler, and thus you will almost always lose. Not ideal.
With handicaps, things are a little more even as you’re essentially competing against yourself. That is, you’re trying to be more above your average than your opponent is above his. Still, the basic strategy applies.
A Typical Lineup
In most cases, the best bowler on your team should bowl fifth. Your next best bowler should bowl fourth. Your third best bowler should bowl first. Your fourth-best should bowl third, and your bowler with the lowest average should bowl second. See the table below for a less confusing explanation of this lineup.
First Position
This is your lead-off bowler. This person gets you started every week and is, at the minimum, an adequate bowler. As the first bowler, he can set the tone for the night by instilling confidence in his teammates or intimidating their opponents. Typically, his average is the third highest on the team and is trusted to lead off because of his ability to consistently bowl strikes or, when he doesn’t throw strikes, pick up spares.
The best first bowler is someone who doesn’t leave a lot of open frames and can get each night started with a strike or spare, setting his entire team on the right track.
Second Position
The second bowler is typically the least experienced or simply the bowler with the lowest average. Bowling second puts as little pressure as possible on this bowler, as he can rely on his teammates to pick up the bulk of the scores.
This can be a valuable spot in the lineup, as a lot of bowlers in the second position struggle with consistency, leaving a bowler who can consistently bowl at or above his average open to win a lot of games and points for his team.
Third Position
Much like the second position, this bowler will likely have less experience (or merely a lower average) than his teammates, and his spot in the middle of the lineup takes a lot of pressure off him.
Also, like the second position, this can be a valuable spot in the lineup if your third bowler can consistently improve over the course of the season.
Fourth Position
Commonly referred to as the set-up man, this guy can bowl in the clutch, regularly throw a hooks tenth and could likely be an anchor if necessary. The set-up man should not leave a lot of frames open, picking up strikes or spares almost every frame.
The best set-up man is someone who can perform well no matter how the third bowler is doing, setting up the anchor to close out the victory.
Fifth Position
The anchor is generally the best bowler on the team. When you need a strike, or series of strikes, at the end of the night, which team member do you trust the most to do it? It should be this guy.
The best anchors are not only good bowlers statistically but can perform well under pressure and in competitive environments. This is important as they’ll be bowling against the other teams’ top bowlers every week.
A Typical Five-Person Bowling Lineup
Lineup Order Average Rank
1st Bowler 3rd Highest Average
2nd Bowler Lowest Average
3rd Bowler 4th Highest Average
4th Bowler 2nd Highest Average
5th Bowler Highest Average
Featured Video
Featured Video
Featured Video
Featured Video
Featured Video
Featured Video
Baker Team Competition Format
Scotch Doubles in Bowling
How to Play a 2-Man Scramble Golf Tournament
How to Keep a Baseball Game Score Book
Top Ten Baseball Players at Each Position
Baseball Stars of the 19th Century
History of Hockey Fights
All-Time 10 Best Real Madrid Players
The 10 Best Soccer Players of All Time
Position Round in Bowling
Top Second Basemen of All-Time
The Best Brothers In Major League Baseball History
Playing Poker as a Bowling League Side Game
The History of Softball
Hockey History: The Time Line, 1917-1945
How to Write a Sports Career Resume
Baker Team Competition Format
Baker Team Competition Format
Scotch Doubles in Bowling
Scotch Doubles in Bowling
How to Play a 2-Man Scramble Golf Tournament
How to Play a 2-Man Scramble Golf Tournament
How to Keep a Baseball Game Score Book
How to Keep a Baseball Game Score Book
Top Ten Baseball Players at Each Position
Top Ten Baseball Players at Each Position
Baseball Stars of the 19th Century
Baseball Stars of the 19th Century
History of Hockey Fights
History of Hockey Fights
All-Time 10 Best Real Madrid Players
All-Time 10 Best Real Madrid Players
The 10 Best Soccer Players of All Time
The 10 Best Soccer Players of All Time
Position Round in Bowling
Position Round in Bowling
Top Second Basemen of All-Time
Top Second Basemen of All-Time
The Best Brothers In Major League Baseball History
The Best Brothers In Major League Baseball History
Playing Poker as a Bowling League Side Game
Playing Poker as a Bowling League Side Game
The History of Softball
The History of Softball
Hockey History: The Time Line, 1917-1945
Hockey History: The Time Line, 1917-1945
How to Write a Sports Career Resume
How to Write a Sports Career Resume
Home
Entertainment
Careers
Activities
Humor
About Us Advertise Careers Privacy Policy Editorial Guidelines Contact Terms of Use EU Privacy
LiveAbout is part of the Dotdash Meredith publishing family.
Home
Home
Entertainment
Careers
Activities
Humor
About Us Advertise Careers Privacy Policy Editorial Guidelines Contact Terms of Use EU Privacy
About Us
Advertise
Careers
Privacy Policy
Editorial Guidelines
Contact
Terms of Use
EU Privacy
Entertainment
Careers
Activities
Humor
LiveAbout is part of the Dotdash Meredith publishing family.
When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Cookies Settings Reject All Accept Cookies
