![]() It was all me.Ĭolonial Bowling Center in Worcester, Massachusetts. And on the numerous occasions where I left an open frame, it wasn’t because of the lane oil, ball selection or the hand I bowl with. Every pin I knocked down, I knew I had earned. You truly get what you deserve. I returned from Boston with a greater appreciation of these TOUGH games. The absence of oil also means lane conditioning controversies are refreshingly absent in duckpin and candlepin centers. In fact, I’m used to walking on the gutter caps and staying off lanes when making my photographs in standard tenpin centers In New England, they requested that I stay off the ball return track (which was above-ground) and instead walk down the CENTER of the bone-dry lane to reach the pins - a huge difference. Chelmsford, Massachusettsīecause the balls are small and travel fairly straight, there is no need for lane oil in either version. In the basement at North Chelmsford Lanes, N. Multiple proprietors and pro bowlers told me they believed a 300 in either sport is impossible. The candlepin record is 245 (achieved by two different bowlers), and the high duckpin game is 279. There has never been a 300 game in either sport. Pro duckpin bowlers average in the 140s, while a candlepin pro is in the 120 range. Most of the time, they only made my spare shots harder, as the ball would deflect off the dead wood and change direction literally inches from the pin I was trying to hit.Ī score over 100 in either game is decent. Fallen pins remain on the lane and can be used to help make a spare if you plan your bounces just right. The ball deflected and went into the gutter, and the 3-pin flew up and over the rest of the rack.Īdding further to the difficulty of candlepins, the pinsetter does not sweep the “dead wood” after each delivery. In candlepins, I also threw one shot that knocked down just the 3 pin. It’s not uncommon for duckpin bowlers to take the 1 and 5 pins straight back out of a full rack. In both candlepins and duckpins, the ball and pin weights being so close causes odd pinfall. Duckpin balls are a little larger, and the pins a little shorter and lighter, than their candlepin kin.Ĭollins Bowladrome, Billerica, Massachusetts, July 2014 In candlepins, the 2-pound, 8-ounce pins actually weigh about one ounce more than the ball. In standard tenpins, the pins (slightly more than 3 pounds) are no match for the ball (usually 15 or 16 pounds). The ratio of ball-to-pin weight plays a huge role. Hand-set candlepin lanes in a barn, Littleton, Massachusetts, July 2014 There was no need to select among an arsenal of different-reacting balls the way I would back home. After each delivery, I simply picked another ball and threw the next shot (three balls are allowed per frame in both games). In fact, house balls were lined up on the ball returns at every center. They fit in the palm of the hand and are thrown fairly straight. The balls are smaller, making both games tougher. Riverwalk Lanes, Amesbury, Massachusetts, July 2014 I’ve always wanted to photograph and learn about these regional cousins of tenpin bowling for the Vintage Alleys Project, but more importantly, I wanted to try them. It was therefore refreshing to experience duckpins and candlepins during a trip to Boston last summer. With them come an assortment of bowler complaints - some valid, many not. The evolving technology of bowling means an endless supply of debate topics. Lane conditions themselves are constantly being analyzed: Was there too much oil, or not enough? Were the lanes “fair” from pair-to-pair or even lane-to-lane? Did one style of bowler have an advantage over others because they found a way to “open up” the pattern? It seems to be magnified today with modern, porous balls that hook out of the box, soaking up oil and necessitating constant adjustments. In fact, controversies over lane conditions have existed in competitive bowling as far back as anyone can remember. They complain when one type of bowler has it “wide open” and another type (usually the type of bowler that the speaker happens to be) is “shut out.” I’m left-handed, too, and I can’t remember the last time I won a tournament where I didn’t hear someone point out the fact that I was left-handed - as if I needed reminding! Others don’t like it when they’re too hard. Some bowlers don’t like it when the lanes are too easy. ![]() Go to any scratch tournament and one is bound to hear plenty of complaining. And when I roll on a tougher pattern and don’t bowl well, and I look around and I see others who are scoring, I know there’s “a shot” out there somewhere. Personally, I like the challenge of bowling on a tougher shot, where strikes must be earned. ![]() Sure, some “shots” are way easier than others. I’ve been bowling long enough to realize that I’m not really good enough to complain about lane conditions.
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