What do you think constitutes a fair handicap?

[TheSheibs]

I agree 100 percent~~ In fact I have said that many times, that a good solid 210 team or higher, will most times beat the team with the lower averages!
I see it a lot in my very short 2 years of bowling. People with low averages as you said usually bowl in that area, only once in while will they have" the big" game that is in reaity, the average of the 210 and up bowlers.. The better bowlers win on the leagues I have been on so far, even if some teams get big
handicap pins. I am sure its not a all the time thing.... but more times then not it seems to be the case.... JMHO

In my years of bowling league, I've noticed the same thing. Most bowlers tend to bowl +/-10-20 of there average. Sometimes, on really bad nights a bowler could even be farther below their average than that. I saw a guy with a 197 average bowl a 112 and a 119. Talk about a bad night. And the league I'm in calculates the handicap as 80% of 220. I'm thinking that needs to be lowered.

[martinezsam2495]

Handicap is a great way to balance the games, because think about it, a person who throws a 130 game, can not compare with someone who can throw an easy 200,
with the handicap it gives a more fair advantage to the game, it doesn't give an advantage to the person with the handicap or with the opposing member.

[Florida Bowler]

Handicap is just a way to even the field out a little bit. Bowlers averaging 140 would not have a real shot at bowlers averaging 220. The handicap just lessens the gap between the elite bowlers in the league and the rest of the bowlers. The advantage still goes to the elite bowlers.

Let's say that the top bowlers average 220. A fair handicap would be 80% of 220.

A 220 bowler (a) would have a 0 handicap. A 140 bowler (b) would have a 64 handicap. A 180 bowler (c) would have a 32 handicap.

Let's say that they all bowl their average for the first game. The scores would be 220 for a, 204 for b, and 212 for c.

In order for the 140 bowler to beat the 220 bowler if the 220 bowler has an average game, the 140 bowler would need to bowl a 157, which is 12% higher than average. In theory, if the 3 bowlers truly have that average, the 220 bowler would win the majority of the games. That is why handicaps are set at 80% of the high average, and not 100% of high average.

I prefer playing in handicap leagues, because I have a realistic shot at winning every week. In a scratch league, I would not have that oppurtunity. If I'm bowling against a 220 bowler, his average is higher than my high series. With my handicap, I would need to bowl a really good (for me) series to beat him, but it's possible.

Just my thoughts, from somebody who is not an elite bowler, but likes to compete.

[billf]

I get beat more by bowlers with high handicaps than those I am equal with. It's a focus thing and I realize this. I do it for the competition and to work more on my focus. There is no reason a 120 bowler should beat me other than myself. It's not meant to be mean but rather a fact of how I let the scoreboard affect me.
It seems to be working though as I am currently among the match point leaders and average leaders in my sport shot summer league.

[TheSheibs]

billf- if I might make a suggestion related to the scoreboard affecting you mentally. I guy I use to bowl league with told me at a state tournament that I should do a game without looking at the scoreboard. By not looking at it you are more focused on the throw your about to make. Your not calculating how much you are ahead or behind by. I do this when I find myself focusing more on the score and less on what I am doing. This guy also averaged a 190 or something like that. I'm sure it's higher now. Just a suggestion that might keep you from focusing on the scoreboard.

[billf]

I've heard that and tried it. With a 5 man team I find the play so slow I can't seem to keep myself from looking. Or for that matter just mentally knowing. It's not hard to look when we first walk in to see that my opponent has a 80 handicap or whatever, and know that I should score high enough in half a game to win. One open frame in the second half and I screwed myself.

[ursus]

That old aying that it is 90% mental 10% physical is so true. Sometimes we just beat ourselves with overthinking

[GeorgiaStroker]

It's funny. The guy with the 200 average walks in and sees he's bowling a guy with 80 pins handicap and thinks, Crap! I've got to be on my game or I'll get beat bad. Meanwhile, the guy with the 80 pins thinks Crap! This guy's a 200 average. I'll have to bowl over my head to beat him.

[TheSheibs]

That old aying that it is 90% mental 10% physical is so true. Sometimes we just beat ourselves with overthinking

I did this for the first game and a half tonight on the league. I kept thinking about that one game difference between my team, in 6th place, and the team in 5th place. I finally stopped over thinking and moved over one dot, kept the same mark for my target, slowed down and ended up finishing the night with a 189. I also stopped thinking about beating that team and focused on taking my time. I stopped looking at the score until i was in the 6th frame and saw that we were one pin ahead and increasing our lead. We took all three games and the series even though they had 44 pin handicap. I also noticed that I was thinking about how my ball went down the lane and also stopped watching my ball and kept my head down looking at my mark until the ball hit the pins. Overthinking can cause me to miss shots I know I can make or leaving splits like crazy.

[MICHAEL]

And we won 3 out of four including total pins. Only reason we lost the second game was because We were off on our averages!! I think its fair, and makes the game more of a level playing field! Sure you hat it when you lose to high handicap, but if you bowl well, you will win like we did, regardless of pins given! JMHO (this game was yesterday, I thought when we say the amout pins that we would be impossible to win without a huge game from all of us. But about half way through we were about even.... and 8,9, 10 took the lead,,, our last game we beat them by over 100 pins.... )