WHS - current GM article

[clubchamp98]

I think in your brief posts you've done a very good job of justifying leaving out 2 scratch players for a 2 and 3 handicap.

The 2 and 3 handicap have a body of evidence behind them that they can compete at the level required. The scratch players who have suddenly submitted a lot of GP scores are essentially unproven. Even if you rely on their integrity of submitting those scores, they were done under a very different pressure.

Another example. A 2 handicapper has played the first 7 scratch league matches, and win every single time. You then arrive at the final league match of the season, to decide the Championship. Before the game, a player who has not been involved in any matches has submitted a few GP scores, and suddenly his index gets to 2.4. Meanwhile, the 2 handicapper has just played in a competition, posted an OK score but his Index creeps up to 2.5. Should the selector automatically pick the new guy off 2.4, and say thanks but no thanks to the guy off 2.5, who has won every game?

NO.
in our team you kept your place if you won your last game!

Never change a winning team.

 

[Swango1980]

NO.
in our team you kept your place if you won your last game!

Never change a winning team.

That's generally reasonable. Although if you have 1 or 2 players that are clearly better than everyone else, but they happen to lose and everyone else wins, it will hurt if you have to drop them. Especially if another star player, who didn't play, is available for next game and you want them in.

 

[clubchamp98]

That's generally reasonable. Although if you have 1 or 2 players that are clearly better than everyone else, but they happen to lose and everyone else wins, it will hurt if you have to drop them. Especially if another star player, who didn't play, is available for next game and you want them in.

Yes I see that.

Most of our lads admitted when they were off a bit.
But you have to admit sometimes your opponent just played better.
Seen one of our lads shoot -4 and got beat 3/1 by a +6 capper not much you can do about that!

Its why I never fancied the captains job!

 

[patricks148]

I think in your brief posts you've done a very good job of justifying leaving out 2 scratch players for a 2 and 3 handicap.

The 2 and 3 handicap have a body of evidence behind them that they can compete at the level required. The scratch players who have suddenly submitted a lot of GP scores are essentially unproven. Even if you rely on their integrity of submitting those scores, they were done under a very different pressure.

Another example. A 2 handicapper has played the first 7 scratch league matches, and win every single time. You then arrive at the final league match of the season, to decide the Championship. Before the game, a player who has not been involved in any matches has submitted a few GP scores, and suddenly his index gets to 2.4. Meanwhile, the 2 handicapper has just played in a competition, posted an OK score but his Index creeps up to 2.5. Should the selector automatically pick the new guy off 2.4, and say thanks but no thanks to the guy off 2.5, who has won every game?

it had already been decided long before that the lowest handicaps got picked first, its the same for the main Northern counties, both are scratch comps.

 

[Swango1980]

it had already been decided long before that the lowest handicaps got picked first, its the same for the main Northern counties, both are scratch comps.

If that is the process, then that is the process. The selector has no dilemma or difficult decision to make in this case, you simply pick the lowest numbers. Anybody can do that. And if all players are fine with that criteria, then the ones that don't get picked just have to suck it up so to speak.

However, I guess it isn't much surprise some lower end handicappers try and force their handicap down through GP rounds. As much as some like to dismiss such behaviour, there will inevitably be some that find a way to manipulate the system and only ever hand in their good GP scores. Whether that is directly manipulating the system deviously, or just being cunning in optimising their chances of getting cuts. For example, if a low handicapper was about to have good scores drop off their record, it would make sense to simply wait until a competition where there is no choice but to enter the score, especially if they are not in great form. But if they have a few rubbish scores they are losing, and if they know they are playing well and the conditions are good to maximize good scoring, then that would be a great time to submit a score.

Essentially, if GP scores were not included, then the low handicapper's handicap is based on competition rounds, and these could be in any conditions, so overall you'd expect their handicap to be based in generally average conditions. But if they have many GP scores, where they can choose to only enter scores in the most favourable conditions (even if they do everything legit with pre-reg), then I'd expect that to give their handicap a little extra boost downwards.

 

[rulefan]

A WHS report allows any competition organiser to check the proportion of GP scores vs Comp scores, the dates of such scores and the effect it has had on the player's HI. Many comps now are using the facility to set entrance qualifying parameters.

 

[D-S]

A WHS report allows any competition organiser to check the proportion of GP scores vs Comp scores, the dates of such scores and the effect it has had on the player's HI. Many comps now are using the facility to set entrance qualifying parameters.

Not only that it gives the average stroke differential in either competition or general play rounds over a set period - so setting average SD in the past 12 months as your benchmark it is very easy to check all players comp performance at a glance, cancelling out the noise of GP rounds

 

[rulefan]

Not only that it gives the average stroke differential in either competition or general play rounds over a set period - so setting average SD in the past 12 months as your benchmark it is very easy to check all players comp performance at a glance, cancelling out the noise of GP rounds

Oops, i missed including that. IMO particularly useful.

 

[sunshine]

That's generally reasonable. Although if you have 1 or 2 players that are clearly better than everyone else, but they happen to lose and everyone else wins, it will hurt if you have to drop them. Especially if another star player, who didn't play, is available for next game and you want them in.

Are you Gareth Southgate?

 

[Swango1980]

Are you Gareth Southgate?

He might be right after all. He might have had it easier if he just picked each player based on who had the highest Fantasy Football score since the last game