Handicap

[foreverincamo]

My team is in a new house for this season. Just went over the rules in the team meeting. Handicap is 90% of 1100 minus the sum of the bowlers' averages. If your team averages over 1100, you get a negative handicap. Anyone hear of that before?

[bowl1820]

My team is in a new house for this season. Just went over the rules in the team meeting. Handicap is 90% of 1100 minus the sum of the bowlers' averages. If your team averages over 1100, you get a negative handicap. Anyone hear of that before?

Hear of negative handicap before? Sure. It's not used that much, but not unheard of.

[fordman1]

We have that exact rule where were you at the meeting I didn't see you? We found this to be the fairest system. We give the high team series and game money with H\C. That way who you are bowling makes no difference.

[foreverincamo]

I guess I'm a bit astounded that a team could average 1100 or better. 5 guys that are 220? My last league had only one guy above 220. We won the league and only have two guys above 200. We had one 300 game and no one broke 800. There hasn't been an 800 series shot since 2013 there.
We only changed houses because the maintenance on the pinsetters was so poor. They are outdated and parts are impossible to find. Ownership won't buy anything new. I'm guessing this year is their last year and will close. Been there since 1962, and they still have the same wooden lanes and approaches.

[J Anderson]

My team is in a new house for this season. Just went over the rules in the team meeting. Handicap is 90% of 1100 minus the sum of the bowlers' averages. If your team averages over 1100, you get a negative handicap. Anyone hear of that before?

I've heard of the concept but have never run into a league where it's been used.
I have been in leagues an individual averaged over the handicap basis, and it was extremely difficult to make people understand that the basis needed to be raised. The lower average bowlers tended to think it was " unfair" that the best bowler should get one or two pins of handicap. It would probably have been easier to to use a negative handicap.

[santos314]

To me, having negative handicap is more about punishing the better bowlers instead of evening the playing field.

[bowl1820]

To me, having negative handicap is more about punishing the better bowlers instead of evening the playing field.

That's the way the high average bowlers look at it, They all feel they are getting shafted by handicap as it is now (
The lower average bowlers all have the advantages) let alone having to use negative handicap.

[fordman1]

If you can't stand the negative H/C raise the cap to 1150. It is the same ****ing thing! All the years I have been bowling H/C is the hardest thing to explain to the bowlers. It is always too high or too low. If you try to explain it many just have their eyes glaze over.

[drlawsoniii]

If you can't stand the negative H/C raise the cap to 1150. It is the same ****ing thing! All the years I have been bowling H/C is the hardest thing to explain to the bowlers. It is always too high or too low. If you try to explain it many just have their eyes glaze over.

Also if you dont like it then bowl in a scratch league...I dont get why people b**** about handicap when they're bowling 220.

[Stormed1]

Years ago, back when I was healthy I shot 788 the first night. The next week I was neg 43 for handicap.

[Eddy]

Years ago, back when I was healthy I shot 788 the first night. The next week I was neg 43 for handicap.

I guess you need a 900 to help your team....... lol

I'll take that "problem" any day. Nice series btw.

[fordman1]

Years ago, back when I was healthy I shot 788 the first night. The next week I was neg 43 for handicap.

Had you been in my league your 2nd weeks average would have been 207 if you were 200 the 1st week. All leagues should use the cushion system along with the 10 pin drop rule. We used to use 30 game now only 21 game cushion.

[foreverincamo]

I'm not complaining, especially since I've yet to try it. I think I'm more astounded that a team could average 1100. That's 220 a person. Like I said before, high average in my last league was 221. 80% of the league was below 200. It's a tough old house. From 1962 to 1990, there were only 6 300 games recorded there total. I bowled there from 1980 until 1994, and only saw 1 in a summer league. My highest was 280 there.
I haven't seen any of the teams in my new league bowl yet, nor have I seen a recap sheet from last year. What I did see in the lobby was a list of 300's for last season, and there were over 60, plus 30 or so 299's. Many 800's too. It's something to look forward to.

[fordman1]

We have 24 teams and only about 8 are over 1000 the highest is 1044. You always want the cap to be high enough that a team has little chance of being over it. New teams have to be under 1050 to start.

We went to this system because if you use the difference between team averages you totals for high game and high series depends on who you bowl. We give $200 to the team with the highest H\C series. $120 to highest Game H\C.

About 12 years ago we had a team with 1130 team average. When the quit for a few years and then decided to come back it was too late. We had changed the rules. They were all welcome but not on the same team.

[taxexpert2]

My experience is that most lower score bowlers do not care to understand the handicap process. They just want to complain. That is unless they are older bowlers who have had a decrease in average due to limited capabilities that may come with age. Those bowlers know the score (and handicap) issues.