How do leagues usually set an average for a new bowler?

[Aslan]

I'm planning on joining my first league in late September and I was wondering how averages are usually calculated. I always thought they were based on a bowler's average from the previous league. But what if this is your first league? And I read somewhere that everyone's average gets calculated based on their first league series.

I'm just curious. And I'm kinda disappointed...because I've been keeping track of my average for like 18 years...just recreational bowling...and it was like 120-121. But since I've gotten my new ball and got some instruction and have been practicing...suddenly I'm rolling 42-54 pins higher. I'm kinda scared that on that first week...where my average gets set...I bowl a personal best 572 series and suddenly I gotta roll in the 190s every week just not to be a detriment to my team.

Thanks!

[e-tank]

first 3 games in league for the leagues ive been in.

[vdubtx]

Leagues I have been in it was the 1st 3 games bowled also for new bowlers. Really the only way to do it.

[Aslan]

So I imagine the teams that get slammed that first week, tend to do quite well in Week 2?? Lots of 1-1 records after week 2 I imagine.

But just so I'm clear...and I know this is a total newb question...but the average does go up and down throughout the season right? I mean, if I bowl a 740 series week 1...the a 440 series week 2...my average going into week 3 is 197 not 247 right? Granted...I might choose the 740 just to say I did it...but man thats gonna suck for the rest of the season to live up to the absolute best series of your life.

For bowlers that have played there in the recent past, wouldn't it be more accurate to use their average from the previous season as their starting average?

[vdubtx]

For new bowlers yes average will vary week to week. Depends for bowlers that have bowled prior. Typically they will use what is called as a "book" average for the first 9 games and then the average will calculate after each week of bowling.

[Aslan]

I shoulda joined a league a month ago when my average was 120. Ooops.

[GoodGravy]

Another way to look at it....

You're established league average is the total pin count of all your games divided by the total number of games. That is why you will see a wide swing in averages for the first few weeks since your numerator and denominator are close in numeric value so there is a much higher relationship ratio. Once your pin count is significantly higher than your number of games, that relationship becomes much less pronounced.

Basically that is why towards the end of the season it is very difficult to change your average either up or down by more than a pin or 2. Here comes the exciting part...then math examples!!

First 3 games of your league you bowl a total of 300 (first game nerves). Your new average is 100. Next week you figure it out and bowl 450 total series for a game day average of 150. However, your league average is now 125. Total pin fall is 750 divided by total games 6.

Now, run this out to week 30. For the sake of simplicity, lets say that you continued to bowl 150 each game up through week 30. Total pin fall would be somewhere around 13,350 (all games including your first series). Your season average would be 148.3 (don't forget your first series was 300). Now you step up again in week 31 and get a 600 series for a one series average of 200. Your new total average only moves to ( 13,950 series divided by 93 total games) is now 150. So yes, bowling a monster series will move up your average, but only by less than 2 pins due to the significant difference between your numerator and denominator and vise versa if you bowl a really bad series. Don't blame me, blame math!!

So the bottom line, don't worry about your starting average, just show up, have fun and bowl your butt off every week. The averages will take care of themselves!

[Aslan]

Thats what I mean. If I average 120 the first week. Then the next week and beyond average a 150...I got a decent chance of helping the team in Week 2, Week 3, week 4....hopefully beyond that.

But if I start out with a 175 average....then bowl a 150 every week...I'm a detriment to the team those first 1-4 weeks....and less detrimental as the season progresses. But if 525 is my best series of the season and I bowl it week 1....then bummer.

STILL FUN THOUGH!! I'm not trying to launch a PBA career...I'm just glad I can finally bowl well enough that I don't embarass myself. It was getting old going to cosmic bowling and scoring a 304 series while the high school kids next to me are just whipping 6 lb plastic balls down the alley with their eyes closed and scoring better than me...despite me trying and them just displaying general jackassery.

[Hampe]

Don't worry about it dude. Like the others said, just go play, have fun, and let the chips fall where they may. If you get a 525 the first week.....so what, you probably helped your team win that week. And if it makes it a little harder to win the next few weeks....so what! You can't win 'em all :). Just be a good teammate and have fun....that's the most important thing you can do.

[J Anderson]

My summer league used a system I hadn't seen before. I'm used to just taking the new guys average at the end of the first night and using that.
This league uses 185 for the first 3 weeks for a new male bowler, 165 for a new female bowler, while they establish an average.

[Aslan]

My summer league used a system I hadn't seen before. I'm used to just taking the new guys average at the end of the first night and using that.
This league uses 185 for the first 3 weeks for a new male bowler, 165 for a new female bowler, while they establish an average.

I like that. If it were me, I'd use the following:
1) Established league; use the bowler's average from the previous season.
2) If a new bowler, use their last league average.
3) If never bowled there before, use the overall bowler's average from all of last season's leagues, male and female.

It would look like this:
1) Bob the Builder is back for his 7th season in this league....last season he finished with a 179 average....thats his average to start.
2) Jim-Bob McGillicutty is no stranger to the Lanes...but this is his first year in this league...so we're going to take his average from the most similar league he played in last season...186.
3) Suzie and Johnnie just moved here from Bumfluffle, Arkansas...and last season...the female average across all 7 leagues was 132 and the league average for men across all 7 leagues was 167...so Johnnie starts at 167 and Suzie starts at 132.

The disadvantage of using the first week's average is 3-fold:
1) It makes week 1 a "scratch week".
2) It makes week 2 almost a reverse of week 1. Worse the game you have week 1, more dominant you are in week 2. Better you are in week 1, more horrible you are in week 2.
3) SANDBAGGARIFIC!! It makes it SUPER easy to sandbag in week 1...throw a 120 or a 100...you're guaranteed to have 3-5 weeks of domination throwing in the 190s.

It makes for more work for the bowling alley staff...but it also cuts down on the "so and so sandbagged!" complaints.

[J Anderson]

The disadvantage of using the first week's average is 3-fold:
1) It makes week 1 a "scratch week".
2) It makes week 2 almost a reverse of week 1. Worse the game you have week 1, more dominant you are in week 2. Better you are in week 1, more horrible you are in week 2.
3) SANDBAGGARIFIC!! It makes it SUPER easy to sandbag in week 1...throw a 120 or a 100...you're guaranteed to have 3-5 weeks of domination throwing in the 190s.

It makes for more work for the bowling alley staff...but it also cuts down on the "so and so sandbagged!" complaints.

This does not make week one a "scratch week". That would mean the new bowler would get a zero handicap no matter what his three game average works out to be. Its always good to have a brand new bowler because you know at least one person on the team is going to hit their average that night.;)

[Aslan]

This does not make week one a "scratch week". That would mean the new bowler would get a zero handicap no matter what his three game average works out to be. Its always good to have a brand new bowler because you know at least one person on the team is going to hit their average that night.;)

I must be confused. I was thinking everyone sets their average in week 1. So therefore, there's no handicap in week 1...which makes it scratch. If you have 4 guys shooting 200...playing a team of 4 average bowlers with 165 averages...and each one scores a 185...they still lose. And to add insult to injury, they now have 185 averages to live up to. Meanwhile, those 200 average guys will probably spend the rest of the season with no pins being given to them...but they knew that going in. But for week 1...it was scratch...they won regardless of the other team playing much better than average.

Or...me being a newb...am I completely not understanding??

[Hampe]

Not sure how it is there, but here I think that if your handicap is determined by your result the first week, it gets added retroactively. For example, (with a 80% of 220 handicap) if you have no official handicap, and roll a 140 avg the first week, that would give you 64 handicap.....which would then get added to your result give you a 204 avg total for week 1.

I have no idea how official usbc leagues do it though....

[vdubtx]

Not sure how it is there, but here I think the if your handicap is determined by your result the first week, it gets added retroactively. For example, (with a 80% of 220 handicap) if you have no official handicap, and roll a 140 avg the first week, that would give you 64 handicap.....which would then get added to your result give you a 204 avg total for week 1.

I have no idea how official usbc leagues do it though....

USBC nor leagues do not look at averages with Handicap. Many leagues will keep track of Scratch and Handicap games and series, but for the most part a handicap game of 300+ is not regarded as anything other than a pat on the back and maybe an individual league award at end of season if the league structured the prize monies as such.

[bowl1820]

I must be confused. I was thinking everyone sets their average in week 1. So therefore, there's no handicap in week 1...which makes it scratch. If you have 4 guys shooting 200...playing a team of 4 average bowlers with 165 averages...and each one scores a 185...they still lose. And to add insult to injury, they now have 185 averages to live up to. Meanwhile, those 200 average guys will probably spend the rest of the season with no pins being given to them...but they knew that going in. But for week 1...it was scratch...they won regardless of the other team playing much better than average.

Or...me being a newb...am I completely not understanding??

On most leagues you have a "Entering average" and that's used to base handicaps on the first night.
(If it's a handicap league they must have handicap even for the first night, you can can't win with just scratch scores)

A lot of leagues will "hold" that average for the first nine games. then after that your current average will be used.

So if you come in with a 190 average, that's what handicap will be based on for the first 9 games(3 weeks).

Entering averages used on most (but not all) leagues are:

1-Last years league average if you bowled on that league.

2-If no last years league average, they use the highest book average (mostly only the local assoc. average, but some will use national average)

3-If a new bowler, then they establish the first night (and that average is used to figure hdcp. to determine wins and losses for that first night.)

Now some leagues will use a "composite average" which is a average of several averages, but there are very few that do that.

[Aslan]

Okay...thats what I was thinking. It just didn't make sense to me that a guy with a 210 average could walk in week 1 and throw a 180...then for the first 3-5 weeks get a ton of pins handicap. And if you didn't use past averages...week 1 would be scratch...which would be rather disappointing if your week 1 opponent is 3-time league champion "Bob's Wholesale Construction Boutique" with 4 bowlers that haven't bowled under 180 since 1990.