The Washington times., 1929-11-23

leading In individual average ooDn
the Ladies District League and
the washington Ladies League
conceded to be the two major cir
cults Of women bowlers. Her
name Is usually at or very near
the top Of the prize winners IL
tournament competition.
Even though she has never won
the national singles championship
or the national all-events title,
Miss GULL has gained so maTty
other laurels at the game to which
she has applied herself that the
powers that be have selected her
as the queen Of women bowlcrs
and her professional career will
be watched with considerable in
tereSt.
Handicap systems prevail In
the majority Of duckpin
leagues and appear to be ,
matter of necessity In bulky
organizations. in order to give
the weaker teams . fighting
chance, but there appears to
be no Standardization Of ap-
plicatiOn Of handicaps.
The Masonic League for several
years gave one-half the difference
Of total Of team averages, set
ting 80 pins as a maximum, but
this was found insufficient. When
its membership was increased to
20 teams making it by far the
largest duckpin body in the coun
try, some Of sthe newer lodges
were hard pressed for material
which could hope to compete
with the outstanding teams. like
Lafayette, Harmony and Wash
ington- Centennial, as well as
Stansbury, and the handicap was
raised to two-thirds Of the diff
ference and the maximum was
increased from 80 to 40 pins.
Some leagues apply q rule that
no handicap can be given to
team higher in the league stand
ings and this appears to be n
fair arrangement provided a SUI.
ficient number of weeks have
elapsed to establish true aver.
ages.
A very few of the leagues give
actual difference as handicap but
set q stipulated number as the
maximum of pins to be allowed.
The Plumbing Industry League,
which bowls at the Lucky Strike
alleys. has a most novel rule with
respect to handicap in that full
difference is allowed regardless
of limit or position in the leac~
standings.
It would appear that such a
system of handicap must neceS-
sarily work most Instantaneous
ly to teams which, during the
opening weeks of the season, bowl
unusually high scores thus COM
pelling themselves to shoulder
handicap which are abnormal and
practically prohibits their win
ring games until their individual
averages have reached their true
level.
1t Is almost an inducement
for members Of such teams TO
deliberately stop trying-thus
generating poor spOrtmanship.
In one instance q handicap Of
81 pins was given, almost IL
to the man, and such
penalty is almost an insur.
mOuntable barrier.
Southpaw women bowlers are
very much in the minority but
what they lack in quantity is
adequately made up in quality.
For the past few seasons Miss
.Rena Levy has outclassed the
forkhanders and has been ranked
second only to Miss GULL.
A portsider who is steadily
forging to the front ranks is Mrs.
Virginia Yarnell. who finished
ninth in the womenS singles at
the national tourney at Rich.
mond, being the only lefthanded
pinShooter to share in the prize
Only recently Mrs. Yarnell
made the afazing total of seven
strikes and nine s-,ares in a
league match. getting a 1856 set
for her three games. Sixteen
marks is a phenomenal number
for a male bowler and constitutes
record among the women.
Seven strikes in three-game
setto is another record without
3 question. Poor counts on some
other spares prevented her setting
an all-time record for a three.
game total in league compitition.