How to Calculate Bowling Handicap

Calculate a Bowling Handicap

A bowling handicap is a percentage of the difference between a bowler’s average score and a basis score that is higher than all bowlers in a league. Here’s how to calculate a bowling handicap.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Bowl enough games to get an average score. In league bowling a starting bowler’s average is usually figured out after your first three games. The average is the total number of pins scored divided by the number of games played.

2. Find out what percentage handicap and basis score are used by a league you are interested in joining. A typical handicap is 90 pins with a basis score of 210 pins.

3. Subtract your average from the basis score. Then multiply that number by the handicap percentage to get your individual handicap. For example, if your average is 150 and the league handicap is 90% of 210, your handicap is 210 - 150 X .90 = 60 X .90 = 54 pins.

Tips & Warnings

• Averages and handicaps are rounded up or down to whole numbers, except when calculating player rankings.

• Some leagues use a 100 percent handicap, which makes individual handicaps equal to the basis score minus their average score. This method tends to favor bowlers with lower averages, because it’s generally easier to bowl higher than a low average than a high one.