Short answer: Don't set a Baker lineup from game averages. Track how many pins each bowler produces per Baker frame in each position, put your best striker in the anchor spot (frames 5 and 10), put the bowler who sets up the anchor at 4, and fill positions 1 to 3 with your most reliable spare shooters. Re-check every few weeks as the sample grows.
Every Baker coach has the same Tuesday question: who leads off, who anchors, and who sits. Most lineups get set by game average or gut feel. Both miss something, because Baker isn't five people bowling five games. It's five people bowling one game, and each position asks for something different.
Why game average is the wrong number
A bowler's game average mixes ten frames, including the 10th frame they'll never bowl in Baker unless they anchor. In Baker, a bowler throws two specific frames. What matters is how many pins they produce in those frames: whether they strike, whether they fill the frame when they don't, and how they do in the 10th when it's on them.
Two bowlers can both average 185 and be very different Baker players. One strikes a lot and leaves splits. The other rarely strikes but almost never leaves a frame open. Put the first one at anchor and the second one at leadoff and you've used both well. Swap them and you've cost yourself pins without either of them bowling any worse.
What each position needs
| Position | Frames | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 and 6 | Fills frames. Reads the lanes and passes on what they see. |
| 2 | 2 and 7 | Fills frames and adjusts quickly off bowler 1. |
| 3 | 3 and 8 | Steady spare shooter. An open frame here breaks a string. |
| 4 | 4 and 9 | Strikes. A strike in frame 9 means the anchor's first two 10th-frame balls count twice. |
| 5 (anchor) | 5 and 10 | Your best striker under pressure. Throws up to three of the team's last balls. |
The stats to track for a Baker lineup
- Pins per Baker frame, by position. Total pins the bowler produced in that slot divided by frames bowled there. This is the number the lineup should come from.
- Strike percentage on first balls, for positions 4 and 5.
- Spare conversion (spares made divided by spare chances), for positions 1 to 3. Single-pin spares separately if you can, since those should be made every time.
- Open frames per game. In Baker an open frame costs the team at least 10 pins.
- Sample size. Four frames isn't a trend. Wait until each bowler has a few weeks of frames in a slot before you trust a difference of a pin or two.
Tracking this on paper? Use one line per bowler per match and note the position next to each frame. Our free season stat sheet has a Baker section built for exactly this.
A simple way to test a new lineup
- Start from your current lineup and change one thing at a time, usually the anchor.
- Keep the new lineup for at least two matches before judging it.
- Compare team pins per Baker game before and after, not wins. Wins depend on the other team too.
- Keep notes on lanes and patterns. A bowler who struggles on a short pattern may be your anchor on a long one.
How LaneLogic builds a Baker lineup
If your team scores Baker in LaneLogic, every frame is already credited to the bowler who threw it and the position they threw it from. In a team program, the Baker optimizer looks at those frames and builds the best five it can, then shows how many pins it projects you'd gain over an average lineup and what each position adds. Here's what that looks like on our demo team (the names are made up):
The suggestion comes with its reasons, so you can see that it put a bowler at anchor because of what they did in frames 5 and 10, not because of their average. You still make the call. It just stops the lineup from being a guess. Team programs and the optimizer are part of Premium+, and new accounts get 21 days of every feature.
Set your next lineup from your own frames
Free on iPhone and Android. Assistant coaches join your program free with an invite code.
New to Baker? Start with Baker format rules, scoring and lineup order.
Frequently asked questions
Who should anchor in Baker bowling?
Your best striker under pressure. The anchor bowls frames 5 and 10 and throws up to three balls in the 10th, so strikes from that bowler are worth the most.
Who should lead off in a Baker lineup?
A reliable bowler who fills frames and reads the lanes well, so the rest of the team can adjust off what they see.
Should I set my Baker lineup by game average?
No. Game average mixes all ten frames. Set the lineup from pins per Baker frame in each position, plus strike rate for positions 4 and 5 and spare conversion for positions 1 to 3.
How long should I keep a new Baker lineup before judging it?
At least two matches. Compare team pins per Baker game, not wins, and change one position at a time.