I am currently a 4.0 playing in a 4.0 USTA League. I was 8-1 last year playing #1 doubles and am 4-0 this year. I read these forums and people mention "benchmark" players and such. Forgive my ignorance, but how do I know if I am a benchmark player or some "other" type of player. My doubles partner was moved to 4.5 based this year and am wondering if that will be happening to me if I have a successful season. How far do they look back at your records in determining if you will get bumped? Can you get bumped during a season. Does the computer flag you for winning sets 6-0? Most of the people I play socially with are 4.5 players and am hoping to join them. I just don't know how the system works. Any explanation is helpful. Thank you!
Rating Question
- Thread starter dblsonly
- Start date
Your rating type is either C (computer rated) or B (benchmark) depeding on whether you played in the playoffs last year or not. If you keep winning, it increases the odds that you will be bumped to 4.5, but there are no guarantees. The formula is both complex and only partially publicly known. If you are self-rated (S), you can be disqualified and bumped up immediately during the year. Since you are not S rated, you do not need to worry about that. You will be bumped or not at the end of the year.
Spokewench
Semi-Pro
You should be a computer rated player this year if you played 9 matches last year and played in league competition (but not mixed league competition); You generally get a benchmark designation if you go on past your local league competition, i.e. sectionals and the like.
Benchmark does not mean what most people think, i.e. that they are the perfect 4.0 or perfect 4.5 whatever they are rated; what it means is that you are a benchmark for whatever your dynamic rating is.
Dynamic ratings are where you are at any given time of the year, i.e. after analyzing your match play, the computer will say you are say a 3.75 or a 3.25 or the like.
"They" do not look back at your scores; the computer has an algorithym that it follows every time you play. It takes into account, your scores, the dynamic level of your competition that you played in that particular match, i.e. how good your competition was, etc., etc. Often times, it does not matter if you won, but how well you did against a high rated player.
There are flaws in the system, i.e. if you play very few matches or a limited small field of different players (if you are in a rural area v. an urban area), it will skew your ratings because it does not have enough data.
So, will you be bumped up? Who knows, only the Wizard knows!
Benchmark does not mean what most people think, i.e. that they are the perfect 4.0 or perfect 4.5 whatever they are rated; what it means is that you are a benchmark for whatever your dynamic rating is.
Dynamic ratings are where you are at any given time of the year, i.e. after analyzing your match play, the computer will say you are say a 3.75 or a 3.25 or the like.
"They" do not look back at your scores; the computer has an algorithym that it follows every time you play. It takes into account, your scores, the dynamic level of your competition that you played in that particular match, i.e. how good your competition was, etc., etc. Often times, it does not matter if you won, but how well you did against a high rated player.
There are flaws in the system, i.e. if you play very few matches or a limited small field of different players (if you are in a rural area v. an urban area), it will skew your ratings because it does not have enough data.
So, will you be bumped up? Who knows, only the Wizard knows!
athiker
Hall of Fame
Go here: http://tennislink.usta.com/leagues/reports/NTRP/FindRating.aspx
Type in your name or USTA number and under the far right column, "Rating Type", there should be either a S, C or B for Self rated, Computer rated or Benchmark. There are actually more letters than that possible. The letter key is on the lower left of that screen.
My friends play at a club where the head pro runs the team. He has many players to choose from that are 4.5 players. He will not allow someone that is a 4.0 to play 4.5 on his team. I think he feels that members who are 4.5 would get mad if he starts allowing 4.0 players to play.
SweetH2O
Rookie
Ok, then you seem to be on your way to getting bumped anyway based on your results. Most likely the next time your rating may change is in November. Don't worry about the benchmark rating or not - it's of no consequence to you really. Your last 4-5 matches before new ratings come out have more of an effect on your next rating than matches earlier in the year, so be sure to not even give away any unnecessary games later in the year. btw, mixed league matches don't count towards your rating in your case, so don't count those when worrying about whether you will be bumped up.
goober
Legend
You should be a computer rated player this year if you played 9 matches last year and played in league competition (but not mixed league competition); You generally get a benchmark designation if you go on past your local league competition, i.e. sectionals and the like.
Any post season play can get you benchmarked. I know plenty of people who were benchmarked that didn't go past districts.
