Handicaps - wossat then?

[Merlin83b]

In general I understand the idea behind handicaps, but how do they work in archery? How do you get one (presumably submit some scores)? What is the range for them? How are they applied to scores?

[geoffretired]

Can't help much but someone posted a link to the outdoor handicap tables recently.

[pwiles1968]

Your Club should have a Green Book, it has lists of rounds and the handicap associated with a certain score for that round, I am not 100% but I believe you must shoot 3 rounds in order to get a handicap, the rounds have to be properly scored by a second etc. I will be going through this shortly with my club to try and get a handicap.

As far as I am aware a handicap is used when you shoot away in a competition, there are handicap medals at some competitions awarded to archer or archers who score the best above their handicap.

Someone else may give you a more detailed explanation and no doubt correct some of the stuff I have written I am not 100% on all the details.

[Sponge]

Merlin,

In your case, you look on the wall at the nice figures that Meta works out from the tables and posts there.

My understanding is that it allows you to compare scores across rounds. That way you can shoot 5 different rounds and still see if you are improving. Just shooting Yorks all year to look for improvement would be a bit boring.

Sponge.

[Merlin83b]

I figured that's what the paper in that section of the noticeboard was all about, and I figured meta was the one responsible :-)

As above, I get what they're for, but would like to hear more about how they work in archery.

In golf (not that I play) you get a handicap of up to 36. As a simple explanation, that's subtracted from your score to allow you to compete against anyone, regardless of their ability, on a level playing field. Is this what an archery handicap is for? Presumably it has a number - how is that number worked out and what does one do with it? Add it to your score at the end of a round? With different rounds being shot it has to be a bit more involved than that...

[Sponge]

Someone correct me if I am wrong here....

All it does is allow you t compare scores between rounds. A "standaisation mark" would be better than a Handicap since they don't mean you get an extra 3 arrows, or 100 points more.

you may shoot 20 different rounds this year, it just lets to compare the 900 you shoot in a Windsor to the 1250 Fita and 1300 2x720.

As for how, I asked the same thing. Looks like one guy and a calculator came up with some numbers. Annyone got these in a spreadsheet or database to use?

Sponge.

[Merlin83b]

Ah, so it allows you to compare your own scores and not compete against others, fair enough. Different purpose to handicap in many other sports

Originally Posted by Sponge

you may shoot 20 different rounds this year, it just lets to compare the 900 you shoot in a Windsor to the 1250 Fita and 1300 2x720.

Here's hoping!

[Furface]

To get a handicap rating, you first shoot three rounds. In the handicap tables in the GNAS "Rules of Shooting" handbook, you will find the handicap Rating for each score (for instance, a score of 109 in a National has a handicap Rating of 72). If your score does not exactly match the score for the rating, you take the rating of the next score lower than yours that does appear in the table. So now you have three scores, with their three ratings; your initial handicap is the average of those three scores, rounded up if necessary. For each subsequent round you score, if the handicap rating for the score is lower than your personal handicap, your handicap changes to teh average of the score handicap and your current personal handicap; if the handicap rating is higher you do not change. Handicaps can only go down or stay the same through the season.
You can now use this in two ways:-
1) To determine your own personal improvement, you can check the score for your round against your handicap, as described above.
2) You can take part in handicap competitions. These must be the least understood part of the whole rules of shooting. I hope I can make things clearer. The last set of tables (Tables 16 onwards) in the Rules show an "Allowance for Round" with a Handicap Rating in the leftmost column. In a handicap shoot, you find the allowance applicable to your round and handicap, and then add the allowance to your score. The allowances are calculated so that, if you shoot exactly to your handicap, the score and allowance combined will come to 1440 (which is the maximum anyone can score for a GNAS recognised round). If you shoot to a better handicap than your rating the combined total is above 1440, if worse then lower. This is true regardless of bow type, round, gender, age, handicap or whether you had oysters for tea last night. SO a compounder shooting a Junior Windsor CAN be directly compared with a Recurver shooting a York and a longbowman shooting a Metric 3. This is particularly useful for smallish clubs because every member can shoot in the same competition regardless of ability. This also tends to favour those who are on an upward curve (usually beginners or improvers).
So, as an example, two archers arrive to shoot: experienced compounder, handicap 10, shoots a New National and scores 619 - allowance of 821, total 1440; hoary old longbow-woman, handicap 50, shoots a Hereford and scores 693 - allowance of 717, total 1410. Up comes young lad, late, shooting trainer bow, handicap of 99, shoots a Junior Windsor and scores 118 - allowance 1345, total 1463. So lad wins, compounder comes second, longbow comes third.

[Merlin83b]

Thanks Furface, that's what I wanted to know

[pwiles1968]

Originally Posted by Merlin83b

In golf (not that I play) you get a handicap of up to 36.

36 If you are a LADY

Sorry Had to get that in, I gave up golf in favour of Archery by the way.

Originally Posted by Furface

if the handicap rating is higher you do not change. Handicaps can only go down or stay the same through the season.

I am guessing I sould not try too hard for my first handicap then .