I'm mixed on my opinion of candlepin bowling compared to 10 pin bowling. I've watched many videos of candlepin telecasts on youtube, and even though accuracy is clearly important, to me it just seems that they fire the ball as hard as they can towards the head pin and then hope that they can get a good break and end up with a strike or a makeable spare. I feel that it is indeed much more difficult than 10 pin, but at the same time I feel that there is less skill and precision than there is in 10 pin, it's much more random. The only place I see skill in candlepin is when you are trying to use deadwood to your advantage on spare conversions.

I have cousins in Massachusetts and I've gone candlepin there twice, but only bowled a complete game once, I ended up shooting a 109 in my only complete game. The other time the lanes closed at 8:00 on a Saturday night !

Mark

you're right Mkirchie...there is no loose armswing in candlepin , you got to let it fly..usually aim right up the 17 board since it's not gonna hook. many times I've seen guys hit the 1-3 pocket and due to deflection ( the balls are only about 3 lbs) it ONLY takes out the head pin! I still think there is more substance to 10 pin..like someone here said, candlepin is like mini-golf compared to regular golf.

There's a good video on youtube of someone picking the 2 pin clean out of a full rack. Here it is.



That's got to hurt.

Mark

Wow I had no idea you could pick one pin out like that. What I dont understand with the candlepin bowlers is why they still throw the ball at Mach 1 when they are just trying to pick up a single pin, then they miss it twice. Why not just swing it loose on something like that when you just have to take one pin out? Thats always confused me.

I have tried all three styles and all have their points.

Been 10 pin for 30 years, but tried Candlepin for a year (10pin on Wed. Candlepin on Thurs. and 10pin on Friday) and I have to say that going back and forth took some getting used to.

It's hard to not try and hook the ball in Candlepin.

Last year, my wife and a couple friends went to Norwich CT to the Go RVing ProAm and live show. After the ProAm went to go bowling and the only house locally was a duckpin center. It was neat. Actually, if I had my choice between Candle Pin and Duck, I would choose Duck. Very retro, very raw. Duck pins fly a lot more than candle pins, because they are short stubby versions of the 10 pin style pin.

My buddy was trying to shoot over the gutter cap. It was a riot.

Since we're posting video of candlepin bowling in this thread, I thought I'd share an old video I found recently on YouTube. In candlepin, the dead wood is not cleared until after the third ball, so normally, dead wood lying broadside in front of a single pin is duck soup, but watch what happens to Paul Berger, one of candlepin's Legends, here:

While candlepin bowlers do throw the ball hard, the top speeds are 40+ mph. Speed is not everything, just like tenpins you need a good roll on the ball, a flat ball will leave very ungly leaves where as you will get better action with a ball that has a heavy roll on it. The top candlepin bowlers also have a little movement on the ball, anywhere from 2 to 5 boards, this is not very evident because of the speed and cameras angles on TV. All of the variations of bowling, tenpin, candlepin, duckpin, rubberband duckpin, and 5-pin, all reqire the bowler to have a very constant approach and release, without these a bowlers success rate in any of the versions of bowling is going to be very low.

My dad's side of the family is from MA, so many times throughout my life I have had the chance to partake in Candlepin bowling during visits. I always got frustrated playing, but everytime we visit I ask to go. I have some videos from last time I went, I need to try to find them.

Just to clarify...the highest game ever in duckpins is 279. The highest 3-game series is 655. The highest average for a single season is 164. A 160 average has only been surpassed maybe 4 times all-time.

Like candlepins, duckpins is a game of accuracy and precision. The balls range in weight from 3 lbs. 5 oz. to 3 lbs. 12 oz. The accomplished duckpin bowler can readily distinguish the difference in weights.

Candlepin is a tougher game. However, both games are loaded with excitement and are extremely competitive and challenging on a professional level as well as in casual environments. While these 2 games are more easily playable by kids and seniors, for those who've done it, they're certainly not kids' games. Just like comparing baseball to softball...the 2 games are different, but MLB isn't any easier because the ball is smaller.

Bowling game variations are very popular once again and have made a comeback. I like to try the others at any chance I get. I am very fond of the candlepin game and wish that I could find a place in my area to play. Hope that you have fun checking out the different types of games!