Which Game Do Bowlers Score Highest In? Data From 140,000 Days of Bowling
We analyzed about 140,000 days when Bosc users bowled 3 or more games to find which game scores highest. Game 1 is 4.1 pins below that day’s average, and scores keep rising through game 6 with no fatigue drop-off.
23 Oct, 2026"I never get going in my first game." "My scores drop off when I bowl too many games."
To find out whether these feelings hold up, we analyzed about 140,000 days when users of Bosc, a bowling score tracking app, bowled three or more games. Here's what we found, with three charts and tables.
Key Findings
- Game 1 is the lowest. On days with 6+ games, it's 4.1 pins below that day's average
- Scores rise a little with every game after that — game 6 is 1.8 pins above the day's average
- Through game 6, there's no sign of a fatigue drop-off
- On 3-game days, game 3 is most often the best game (34.5%)
- The first-game dip is something you can likely shrink with a better warm-up
About the Data
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Days | 142,322 days when Bosc users logged 3+ games (29,962 with 6+ games) |
| Period | Oct 22, 2025 – Oct 21, 2026 (date bowled) |
| Method | Each game's score compared with the same bowler's average that day |
- Because we compare each bowler with themselves on the same day, differences between skilled and newer bowlers cancel out.
- Game order is the order games were logged in the app.
- Only aggregated figures that cannot identify any individual are published.
Score by Game Number
First six games on days with 6+ games (29,962 days):
| Game | vs that day's average | Median score |
|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | −4.1 | 161 |
| Game 2 | −0.7 | 164 |
| Game 3 | +0.5 | 166 |
| Game 4 | +1.1 | 166 |
| Game 5 | +1.5 | 167 |
| Game 6 | +1.8 | 168 |
First three games on days with 3+ games (142,322 days):
| Game | vs that day's average | Median score |
|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | −1.6 | 162 |
| Game 2 | +0.6 | 164 |
| Game 3 | +1.0 | 165 |
Only game 1 is clearly lower. By game 2, scores are back to about the day's average, and they keep inching up through game 6 with no drop-off.
On 3-Game Days, Which Game Is Best?
| Best game of the day | Share of days |
|---|---|
| Game 1 | 31.8% |
| Game 2 | 33.7% |
| Game 3 | 34.5% |
Across 74,453 days with exactly three games, the last game was most often the best of the day, and game 1 least often (ties were split evenly). The differences are small — your best game can come at any point.
Why Is the First Game Lower?
The data can't tell us the cause, but likely reasons include:
- You're not warmed up yet: your swing and release are less consistent at first
- You're still reading the lane: game 1 is when you adjust your line to the oil pattern
- You're getting used to the ball and shoes: especially with a house ball, it takes time to adjust to the weight and finger holes
Scores rising slightly in later games likely reflect your line getting dialed in to the lane.
How to Bowl Your Best From Game 1
- Stretch before you bowl. Warming up your shoulders and wrists steadies your swing from the first few shots.
- Use the first frames of game 1 to read the lane. Start from your usual spot, watch the ball's reaction and adjust early.
- Use the same ball every time. If you use a house ball, pick one with the same weight and fit each time so you adjust faster.
Within a single game, the 1st frame has the lowest strike rate too. See What Are the Odds of a Double or a Turkey in Bowling?
Find Your Own Pattern
With the Bosc score tracking app, you can log every game you bowl in a day and Bosc tracks your daily average and best game automatically. Find out which game you usually hit your stride in.
FAQ
Which game do bowlers score highest in?
In Bosc data, scores rise slightly with every game. On days with six games, game 6 was 1.8 pins above that day's average, and on 3-game days, game 3 was most often the best game.
Is the first game of bowling usually lower?
Yes. On days with six or more games, game 1 was 4.1 pins below that day's average — the lowest of any game.
Do bowling scores drop when you bowl more games?
Through six games, we found no sign of scores dropping from fatigue.
Data in this article comes from scores logged by users of the Bosc bowling score app, aggregated so that no individual can be identified (compiled Oct 22, 2026). If you cite these figures, please link to this article as the source.
