rating system is just plain wacky

[mutantducky]

I know a 3.5 player who got bumped to a 4.5 after winning 5 matches in 4.0. but this one I just saw made me laugh. I know the guy and he is a good 4.0 who can play against 4.5
He was a self-rated 4.0 last year. First year. He went 1 and 1 4.0. 1 and 4 in 4.5. No tourneys or anything like that.
His rating was bumped to a 4.5

 

[raiden031]

I know a 3.5 player who got bumped to a 4.5 after winning 5 matches in 4.0. but this one I just saw made me laugh. I know the guy and he is a good 4.0 who can play against 4.5
He was a self-rated 4.0 last year. First year. He went 1 and 1 4.0. 1 and 4 in 4.5. No tourneys or anything like that.
His rating was bumped to a 4.5

Nothing wacky about this. Ratings are based on how close the score is and the strength of the opponent, not whether they win or lose.

 

[J_R_B]

I know a 3.5 player who got bumped to a 4.5 after winning 5 matches in 4.0. but this one I just saw made me laugh. I know the guy and he is a good 4.0 who can play against 4.5
He was a self-rated 4.0 last year. First year. He went 1 and 1 4.0. 1 and 4 in 4.5. No tourneys or anything like that.
His rating was bumped to a 4.5

Nothing wacky about this. Ratings are based on how close the score is and the strength of the opponent, not whether they win or lose.

I agree. Playing up in your self-rating year is a sure way to get DQ'd or rated up, and you don't even have to win much to do it.

 

[bwaid88]

the guy most likely had some close matches at 4.5 even though he was losing. the only real way to not get dq'ed when you are playing up in your self rate period is to have some bad losses (ex. 6-2 , 6-0). the computer goes off a number system, and even though he was losing, they were quality 4.5 players and his physical number rating went up because of it.

 

[chatt_town]

I agree with J R P. You should never play sanctioned matches above your rating. You are asking for it if you do. Our 3.0 team in 2003 learned this the hard way. If I want to play a 4.5 now I just call them up and play on my own time. I wouldn't pay money to take a beating. You are pretty much hosed either way. If you win you get dq'd and if you lose you were suppose to lose and you just gave USTA money to do so. What's the point? Play your level especially if it's your first year. USTA is weird like that so you have to play within the rules.

 

[gameboy]

I don't understand why anyone would think that a self-rated player getting bumped up or down is wacky. As long as he is not getting bageled or breadsticked in 4.5, he belongs in 4.5.

 

[mutantducky]

I was talking more about the second guy. The one who went 1 and 1 in 4.0 and 1-4 in 4.5 but got bumped from a 4.0 to a 4.5.

 

[beernutz]

I was talking more about the second guy. The one who went 1 and 1 in 4.0 and 1-4 in 4.5 but got bumped from a 4.0 to a 4.5.

Being competitive at a level does not necessarily mean winning at that level. For example, if he played really good 4.5s and lost close matches to them he probably is a legitimate 4.5. Just saying he went 1-1 and 1-4 means almost nothing.

 

[Delano]

I generally agree that close matches, rather than W-L, indicate a player's level. However, it can go too far - I know a dude who lost all his matches and still got bumped up. And I don't just mean he lost all his matches at the higher level, he lost them all at his current level too.

Learning to close out a match is a skill, just as much as the ability to kick a high serve to the backhand. So I'd say that if you play a lot of matches and you *always* lose, you probably shouldn't be bumped up, even if the scores are often close. To me, this is a sign of a player who has the strokes of a higher rated player but still isn't there mentally.

 

[Topaz]

I was talking more about the second guy. The one who went 1 and 1 in 4.0 and 1-4 in 4.5 but got bumped from a 4.0 to a 4.5.

Everyone else was too...what were the scores? Even if he lost, if they were close scores, then he is considered competitive at that level, and thus gets the bump.

 

[mutantducky]

yeah checking it he was blown out one but then had three, three setters in doubles. Still for me a 4.5 losing record and a 1-1 4.0 doesn't warrant a bump up. Better for the player to be given the chance to play both 4.0 and 4.5 this year.

 

[JavierLW]

Still for me a 4.5 losing record and a 1-1 4.0 doesn't warrant a bump up. Better for the player to be given the chance to play both 4.0 and 4.5 this year.

Yes it does, it goes by game difference not wins and loses.

Sure you think it's BETTER FOR YOU IF IT HAPPENS TO YOU...... But it's supposed to be better for everyone....

And it's not really a bump up. A self rating doesnt get figured into the calculations at all. It's just a way of allowing you to play at a particular level.

Which match or matches did you play first? Your first result is the most important in some cases since everything else gets averaged into that. If it was a decently matched 4.5 match (or against some 5.0ish guy), then that would give you a huge number that is far away from 4.0.

Either way, if you dont want to get bumped up, dont play up then. It's not about how much fun you should be having if you are winning. If you are having a competitive matches but you're losing then you just probably need a little more experience or you need to get a little better and you'll win a few at 4.5.

(also a good 30-35% chunk of all 4.0 players got moved into 4.5 this year, so he'll have plenty of good competition this year)

 

[J_R_B]

yeah checking it he was blown out one but then had three, three setters in doubles. Still for me a 4.5 losing record and a 1-1 4.0 doesn't warrant a bump up. Better for the player to be given the chance to play both 4.0 and 4.5 this year.

Sure it does. If you play up with a self-rating, more often than not, you're going to get bumped even if you lose. It has nothing to do with "warranted" or not, that's just the way the calculation works.