PDGA Rating System SUCKS!

[ian]

I played INT yesterday with some people who had been playing for +15 years that should've been in Advanced but their rating was right at 900. The INT group shot better than most ADV and Open guys. A little screwy, but the ratings allowed it. I actually would've took 3rd in Open and Ulibarri only shot a few strokes better. I felt bad, but had no way of knowing what division to choose other than my ratings.

[phisherman_77]

Probably all locals too.  Get used to that when traveling.  Unrated locals will come out of the Amateur woodwork and bag like crazy.  Columbia suffers from the same phenomenon.

[jack]

THe other problem with ratings, is that it is based on the pool that you play with.....in other words, if you play with people lower rated, and shoot a 54, your rating may be 916, then if you play with higher rated people (higher division) and you shoot a 54 your rating may be 920 though its the same score, and the same day, its the people that you play against that alter the score based on the current model!

[Timko]

Ratings are not wholly representative of your skill...they're actually representative of how well you play against your opponents that day.

[jack]

Ratings are not wholly representative of your skill...they're actually representative of how well you play against your opponents that day.

Excellent way to view it Chris, excellent.....says the guy that shoots 1000, and 800 rated rounds!  Some days are better than others, and some some rounds the same day, are FANTASTIC only to have the other roud during the same day look like you bought your first disc that morning......

[John Chapman]

Ratings are not wholly representative of your skill...they're actually representative of how well you play against your opponents that day.

Excellent way to view it Chris, excellent.....says the guy that shoots 1000, and 800 rated rounds!  Some days are better than others, and some some rounds the same day, are FANTASTIC only to have the other roud during the same day look like you bought your first disc that morning......

Ratings area based mostly on how you compared to everyone else. We've had Wide Opens where had a few Advanced shoot hot one day, and the next day some Pros shoot the same score in the same weather conditions and their rating is 30 points higher. It's not common, but it happens.

Ratings would be better if you could somehow compare your score against a set standard. The problem is, there's no way to set a static standard. You could play Rosedale one day in 75 degree and calm weather. The next day, on the same layout, it could be 40 degrees and windy as heck. Obviously day 2 will play harder. The PDGA ratings are far from perfect, but they aren't bad, and they are the best thing we have so far.