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Our Bowling Handicap Calculator follows official United States Bowling Congress (USBC) standards and widely accepted league formulas used by bowling centers worldwide.
Handicap = (Basis Score - Bowling Average) × (Percentage ÷ 100)
Example: Bowler with 150 average, 200 basis, 90% handicap:
(200 - 150) × 0.90 = 45 handicap
Based on USBC Rule 319, our calculator provides 100% accuracy for standard league conditions with proper rounding (handicaps to whole numbers, averages to 1 decimal).
Are you in a league or just curious about how handicaps work? No worries — we bring you a bowling handicap calculator that instantly does the math, so you don't need to calculate manually with pen and paper.
In this guide, we explain:
A bowling handicap is typically a scoring adjustment that allows weaker bowlers to compete against stronger bowlers. Think of it as a little boost for weaker bowlers.
120, your handicap will be higher.220, your handicap will be much lower (even sometimes zero).So the purpose is simple: the handicap makes the game more competitive and fun for everyone.
A bowling handicap calculator is an online tool that computes your handicap based on your bowling average, basis score, and handicap percentage. Instead of memorizing unnecessary formulas, just enter values into the input fields and the calculator will compute your handicap.
Keep reading — we'll now explain, in detail, exactly how a bowling handicap is calculated, show the formula, and give real-world examples.
There’s a standard, commonly used handicap formula, which is:
Handicap = (Basis Score – Average) × (Handicap Percentage ÷ 100)
Here is what the formula contains:
200, 210, or 220).80% to 100%.Remember: if your bowling average is higher than the basis score, then your handicap will be zero (0).
Let's look at some real-world examples to help you understand the math and the formula more easily:
Example 1: Recreational League
14020080%Handicap = (200 – 140) × 0.8
Handicap = 60 × 0.8 = 48
Hence, your handicap is 48 pins. That means if you bowl a 140, your “adjusted score” for competition is 188.
Example 2: Competitive League
17520090%Handicap = (200 – 175) × 0.9
Handicap = 25 × 0.9 = 22.5 → Rounded to 23
Handicap = 23 pins.
If you want to set up a bowling handicap calculator in Excel or SpreadSheets, here’s how:
Formula in Excel:
Average and in cell A2, enter your average (e.g., 138).Basis Score and in cell B2, enter the basis score (e.g., 200).Handicap Percentage and in cell C2, enter the percentage (e.g., 80).Handicap and in cell D2, paste this formula:=ROUND(MAX(0,(B2-A2)*(C2/100)),0)
This way, you can put in your numbers anytime without even using any online tool.