How to Develop a Bowling Handicap

The ability to calculate your own handicap makes it easier to know how you rank in your league.

Bowling on a team creates an opportunity to improve at the game, get some exercise and get to know other people, as well as enjoy a little competition. The handicap evens the playing field between good, great and average players. Learning how to calculate your handicap makes it easy to know where you rank among other players in your league.

Things You'll Need

• Pen
• Paper
• Calculator

Instructions

1. Bowl several games at the beginning of the season -- most leagues require three games. Add the scores of those games together.

2. Divide the total by the number of games you played.

3. Subtract your average from 200, which is the base in most leagues. Some leagues will have you take a percentage of the result as your handicap. For example, your league might take 90 percent of the difference between your average and 200. If your average is 150, you would subtract 150 from 200, then multiply the result of 50 by .9 to get your handicap. In this case, the handicap is 45.

Tips & Warnings

• In some leagues, if your average is over 200, then you will have a negative handicap for league purposes.

• Some bowlers intentionally bowl poorly at the beginning of the season to inflate their handicap. This practice is called sandbagging, and many leagues will refuse to count games, or even expel members who indulge in this practice.

References

• Bowling Green State University: Bowling Rules
• University of California San Diego Recreation: Coed Bowling