We are seeing an interesting trend as it relates to duckpin bowling – while the competitive component of duckpin still remains and the 100+ year legacy lives on, many new bowlers and entrepreneurs are discovering duckpin for its social element. A much more scaled back version of traditional bowling, it requires little effort to install and even less effort to get lanes up and running for customers.
While duckpin is nothing new, it is new to many casual bowlers both young and old. With an extremely fast gameplay and very simple interface, here are five reasons duckpin is making its way into a whole new audience and generation of casual bowlers.
Hip Throwback To Long-Standing Sport
As we mentioned earlier, duckpin is nothing new. It has been around for roughly 100 years and there is a large competitive network of duckpin bowlers. There are even bowling alleys solely dedicated to duckpin given its unique lanes, balls and scoring. But entrepreneurs of food and entertainment venues are seeing the value of duckpin and bringing it to their customers in interesting ways. From a brewery to an arcade, the smaller sized lanes and equipment make it a great fit for businesses of all kinds.
Stylish Design
In addition to the size being more accessible for more types of non-bowling businesses, the customization opportunities are endless. Whatever your theme or your brand aesthetic, designs can be completely customized in order to leave a lasting impression on customers. This is important because it is a way that some businesses are starting to set themselves apart from their competition.
Easy, Accessible & Fast Gameplay
One of the best aspects of duckpin bowling is how easy it is to play for people of all ages. When we say “easy” we just mean it’s not hard to get started – that doesn’t mean it’s easy to get strikes. In fact, strikes are harder to come by in duckpin bowling vs. traditional lanes. The smaller ball is easily thrown by almost all ages and the length of the lanes make hitting some pins more possible for less experienced bowlers. The game itself is so fast that eight people can all play on the same lane, adding to the social aspect of the sport.
No Shoe Rentals
From a customer and business perspective not needing to wear bowling shoes is a big benefit. Customers like it because they don’t have to share shoes with strangers and pay an additional rental fee for them. Businesses like it because they don’t need to manage the rental and cleaning process for shoes. This makes starting up a game extremely fast and easy. In other words, this simply removes a barrier from the bowling experience.
The Social Experience
There is no doubt that our lives have been drastically impacted by technology in many ways. However, people all crave social interactions and in-person connection. While this has become a challenge amidst the COVID pandemic, the desire and urge will always be there for people. Duckpin’s accessibility and its ability to accommodate large groups on lanes, make it a great way to bring people together. A place where phones can be put down and people can enjoy some laughs, competition, food and drinks.
Conclusion
Duckpin isn’t new, but it is being discovered by a new generation and audience of bowlers. Businesses who want bowling but don’t have the space for a traditional sized lane or alley need to consider duckpin lanes for their business. From bars and arcades, to FECs and breweries, duckpin is a great entertainment offering for businesses of all kinds. If you’d like to learn more, contact us today!
Youth and the elderly can easily play duckpin bowling – the balls are less than 4 pounds and only 5 inches maximum diameter. Tenpin balls are approximately 8 inches diameter and usually weigh between 10 and 16 pounds. Go ahead and bowl duckpins. Just do not get too hung up on your total score per game. It will likely be somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 pins less per game than tenpin scores. Remember it is a spare game. Throw a good first ball, hope for 9 or better, throw a good second ball to get the spare. Yes, strikes are possible, but the most consistent way to score well is to make your spares.
Great insight into the game! Thanks for sharing.