My Brutally Honest Opinion About String Pins & The State Of Bowling!

[@jpoconnell999]

In my area, there are two alleys: One that is almost exclusively recreational/open play, and one that is more catered to leagues (and hosts PBA events). The former has string pins, while the latter has freefall. If you're a bowling center and the vast majority of people coming in could not care less whether the pins are string or freefall, it just makes sense to make the switch financially. That being said, a center hosting higher profile events on the regular should stay freefall if possible IMO.

[@hazmatt81]

100% agreed right here!

[@hankgolfer1]

Well said. Absolutely agree.

[@migv4272]

It's the greed of the higher ups. No one man or woman is worth the millions they get paid. Do you really think cost of bowling will go down if they install string pins? NO, just more money in the pockets of those greedy people.

[@Quentin687]

THIS

[@breadbasketsports4765]

Brother bowling alley owners are not millionaires 😭 there’s simply no return on investment

[@migv4272]

@breadbasketsports4765 Bowlero is a corporation with executives and CEO's.

[@notonyourlife7939]

​​@@breadbasketsports4765 Wow... Bowlero is a huge publicly traded corporation. There are shareholders making money with the acquisition of every (formerly) independently owned center. If there was "no return on their investment", then Bowlero wouldn't exist and Joe Average Day Trader wouldn't be buying and selling their stock.

[@ripvanrevs]

E J Tacket family bowling alley now has string pins.

[@thadrand5720]

Luis… I think we need bowling proprietor s to learn how to market bowling and treat customers so they will return and join leagues and open play. I grew up where every night there were two shifts of leagues and the houses were packed. Now you have evenings where the center is completely empty. String bowling is not going to save that center either. The only string bowling I had ever seen was in arcades on the boardwalk. There is a center that converted to string pins for merely a money reason, he stated it was his fault for not keeping the center updated and it was a “cheaper” alternative that renovating after so long. I really think the sport is dying a slow death. I really hate to see the sport I love so much going this way. Thanks …

[@allenthomas914]

It doesn't matter if they're string pins or not. I'll still leave the 10 pin, lol.

[@arcadesunday4592]

Haha! True!!

[@nkxzombietrix1897]

Felt this 😂

[@danfreiberger5137]

Wait! Don't forget about the string attached to the 6-pin that wrapped around the 10-pin ... it's about to topple the 10-pin!

[@adamnewcomer3754]

I'd rather pay more for bowling than have string pins

[@johnfoster1979]

The rest of the bowlers don’t seem to agree with you.

[@bigtyler3733]

I have not played on them yet but just from watching videos I agree with you I’m worried about this ruining bowling and would rather they upped game prices by a $1 then move to strings.

[@stevenschaefer5797]

Y do they need string pins.to me that's not bowling,if it's about making money then raise the prices.

[@johnfoster1979]

@@bigtyler3733 as a cost savings matter and the opportunity for more lane beds in general to start happening. Also I think it could move the sport into more of a standardized set up than what we currently have. Bowling has too many variances to make a legitimate Olympic sport. I do see where string pins could move the sport into a more standardized setting.

[@johnfoster1979]

@@stevenschaefer5797 most league bowlers don’t want to pay higher linage. If they did leagues would be full and centers wouldn’t be closing.

[@kst1983]

One thing to keep in mind prices won't go down when your center goes to string pins and a string pin "mechanic/string cutter". In fact I'd predict the prices will go up to offset the change over and once they go up they don't go down.

[@hankgolfer1]

In the long run the profit from strings centers will overtake the cost of having a mechanic and mechanical repairs and breakdowns from free fall pins centers.

[@AwesomeScosh]

The issue is that we are going backwards in technological advances for our sport. As someone who always looked at the future of bowling I always thought things would get smoother, faster, and better like most things as time progresses. This is a huge step backwards for what we hoped to see, also Bowlero as a whole company is making net profit every year for the past few years.

[@ParfaxGaming]

You say that but we have progressed so far in bowling balls that 300 isn't that special anymore. You could argue that string pins are progression. It may not be the progression you like but lowering the cost for centers is progression.

[@notonyourlife7939]

​​​​@@ParfaxGaming We put a man on the moon over 50 years ago... but somehow, more than half a century later, the best we can do as far as developing a cost effective means of standing up bowling pins is to tie them to a fucking rope? Yup, that's some state-of-the-art shit, right there.🤣👍 Please... nothing else has even been tried. If that's how we're going to define "progress", then society is doomed. String pins were never about progress, they're about business. Desperation leads to poor decision making, and when businesses are desperate to stay afloat, they will often latch onto the first cheap and easy "solution" that presents itself, having little to no regard for the consequences. More often than not, the results are just as disappointing as the original problem. And that's exactly what string pins will prove to be on a long enough timeline. They'll probably keep some struggling centers in business... but at the expense of bowling The Sport. Serious competitors want no part of this junk, and many will leave the game once this is their only option. What does that leave? Birthday parties and cosmic bowling for folks who do it twice a year. Bowling will be reduced to a purely recreational activity, barely distinguishable from skee ball. Progress my ass...

[@notonyourlife7939]

​​​@@ParfaxGaming The industry is in trouble... nobody's arguing that. But the idea that tying pins to a rope is "progress", is pure nonsense. If that's the best we can do towards developing a cost effective way to stand up pieces of wood, then we are doomed as a society. Desperation makes for poor decision making... and when businesses become sufficiently desperate to stay afloat, they will often latch onto the first cheap and easy "solution" that presents itself... usually with little to no regard for the consequences. That's what string pins are...a poorly thought out, reactionary response to an unfortunate situation. Also unfortunate is the fact that reactionary responses rarely turn out to be favorable for anybody.

[@KP206-vr6qi]

Maybe you should make a video of you bowling on string pins and see if you would actually enjoy it

[@itsgabegutierrez]

I think he made it clear he doesn't prefer it. He's just saying that he would rather play with strings than not play at all. I know I don't like them either but it's not stopping me from playing.

Problem is that the costs savings WILL NOT be passed onto the bowler with string pins. I will rather quit than bowl on stringpin

[@billylusk3515]

True, that just never happens with anything

[@ak252m]

You aren't factoring in why cost savings are needed. Cost savings aren't just for more profit in this case, it's to not go under/go in debt/shut down a bowling alley. Business is business and change is inevitable. I'll still be bowling when I turn 50 so I can play with the seniors :P only 10ish years to go for me :)

[@sbarker300]

I feel it goes into much more depth than just what you said. For instance, Bowlero takes over a center and changes its hours to its normal 5pm-10pm nonsense and it's only open bowling. Where are the leagues at? You can pretty much expect lanes will be burnt to a crisp because they wont run the oil machine but once a week. What fun is that (free fall or string pins) if you are a competitive bowler. I dont care either way if they are free fall or string pins (certified). What I do care about is the continuation of leagues and local tournaments. They remove those and only do open play, then I wont bowl any longer.

[@augiedb]

It’s nice that people want to pay more for free fall bowling, but more money won’t solve the problem of a lack of people who can maintain the pin setters. The maintenance folks are aging out as fast as the free fall pin setters, too. I know it’s a tough problem to solve (Physics! Mechanics!), but I am surprised that there hasn’t been another solution for this, like some new kind of free fall pin setter that’s much simpler and easy to maintain. In the meantime, I’ll take string pins but I hope they continue to tweak the suggestions from USBC to get it even closer to free fall, if possible.

[@darylgould8923]

This is the best comment by far.

[@notonyourlife7939]

Amen... as far as I'm concerned the only possible explanation for the fact that we don't yet have a simpler, cost effective free-fall pinsetter, is that nobody has even tried. I refuse to believe that in 2024, with all the borderline miraculous technology that we have at our fingertips, that the best we can do for a cheap way to stand up pieces of wood is to tie them to a fucking rope.🤣 People tend to make stupid decisions when they're desperate... and the industry has simply chosen to go all-in on the first cheap and easy "solution" that presented itself. Consequences be damned... it's sad. Predictable, but sad.

[@Ken_Leivonen]

Luis, my issue with Bowlero is that they are not installing USBC Certified String Pin Setters. My local center installed String Setters last summer and just before our winter season started, we were told that they did not meet the requirements for certification, but they were going to upgrade them to get them certified. Then as our season was ending, we asked what was going on with the certification and would it be done before we started next winter? We were told that Bowlero is not going to do the upgrades to make them USBC Certified. But the leagues in the house will still be part of the Certified League Bowler Bowlero program which is not affiliated with the USBC. I have also bowled in Bowlero where the approaches do not have any markings on them to allow you to line up. If there centers were certified, I would go along with you position. What would you position be if the center you bowled in was not USBC Certified? Ken

[@ronduncan3969]

I’d rather pay more in lineage fees than bowl on String Pins. Parties/Cosmic Bowling are fine, been around forever, at the same time it FEELS as if 35 weeks committed to being in a house and buying refreshments, items in the pro shop, EQUIPMENT in the pro shop etc. is being downplayed by people at Bowlero and others, pretty crappy treatment to loyal customers IMO. The above being said, I will NOT spend $300 on balls and other items to play an arcade game, simple as that, I walked away from this sport for 15 years due to working Nights, I can do it again and free up time and $$ for other things. That’s just me, opinions will vary and I get it.

[@Mark-r2r9k]

Most pro shops are not part of the bowling center, they are owned separately.

[@jedikevin20]

String pins are just a very small bandaid to a huge problem. People have to be interested in the sport of bowling if alleys want to make money. Just a family coming once a year for a good time is not enough compared to having youth interested to bowl and continue bowling for the sport of it. Yeah string pins save some money but if it makes it more of event then something to do weekly then owners still arent going to make the revenue.

[@DawnBlum]

This is true. The issue is that bowling centers normally care more about casual bowlers than league bowlers. Why? because league bowlers won't pay $10 a game for lineage. Casual bowlers will pay $10 a game and a center can fill their house with casual bowlers. If they could guarantee a full house every night then they might break even v a 90% full house of casual bowlers. More likely not. What will save the sport will be when the ball manufacturers step in and start buying out alleys and converting them to league centers. Because casual bowling will only go so far. Brunswick used to operate bowling centers, so my guess is that they will be the first to do so. Btw, the main reason bowling centers make money is through alcohol sales. That bar over there pays the mechanics who are fixing your pinsetters.

[@SuburbAllied]

As I suspected this video became more or less a string pin defending one. It has to do with the unwillingness from USBC to invest research to develop more safety and cost-effective operating pin machinery, which has been a great concern due to workplace safety regulations.

[@drewskidapanda5489]

I personally don’t like string pins and fortunately only ever bowled on them when I wasn’t paying for it but I’m ok with the idea of having both free fall and string pins being a option at a center but I seriously doubt string pins will save centers. The only center I’ve ever noticed to be dying are the ones with bad board upkeep,lack of proper oiling on the lanes, and lack of leagues due to the previous mentioned. Leagues go a long way in terms of “word of mouth” advertising.

[@fussna]

The idea that they are fine because lucky strikes happen is rubbish ..the fortunate strikes you get on free fall are solely created by the bowler by the speed and revs he or she creates ...strings wrapping around pins to knock them over is completely different

[@endystrike000]

I totally agree with you Luis... Furthermore, I want to add a couple of considerations: 1) for 99% of the players, average won't change. 50% of the splits would be better (e.g. 3-10) and 50% would be worse (e.g. 7-10), so all in all, almost no difference on average for most of the players. 2) string pins mechanism leave the ball more clean as the pins don't roll with the pins after hitting the pins, that's a good advantage, mostly when you can use only a dry towel. 3) faster games without any need from intervention from mechanics... sometimes free fall mechanisms stuck and need lot of maintenance and lanes may get stuck and you always have to call mechanic to fix the problem 4) no bad racks 5) less costs for bowling alleys => no need to increase games' prices guys, you can tell whatever you want, but unless you're a real pro player level, on hundreads of games, your avg won't change significantly. Don't just focus on single differences, other aspects of the games are more significant (lanes conditions, oil pattern, oil type, your ability, etc... don't search excuses on string pins). Even with free fall pins there are a lot of differences between different bowling alleys: playing in a alley where Brunswick Max Crown are used is different than playing on another alley where Qubica/AMF pins are used, lanes are different too, lanes are different even in the same bowling alley because topography is not the same, oil pattern and oil type is different according to where you play... In the end, there are so many variables, that you can't just say string pins are the only problem for your game.

[@notonyourlife7939]

1) I don't care if my average doesn't change by a single pin. The strings fundamentally alter the physics of pinfall, making it a different game. Trading fewer strikes for converted splits that are all but impossible without the cables is not a "plus" merely because it makes the math even out in the long run. 2) You think it's the pins that make your ball dirty? 99.97% of scuffs, gunk, dents, and dings all come from the belts, ramps, and rails in the ball return mechanisms... and those things aren't going anywhere. 3) I have bowled on strings. Tangles are far more frequent than they admit to in the brochure... so unless you're used to some very poorly maintained free fall machines that break down on you every time you bowl, the notion that you'll finish league night faster on strings is total fantasy. 4) No bad tracks is the first true thing you've said. 5) If you actually think that proprietors, be it Bowlero or independent places, are going to stop raising prices after they install string pins, then you are in for a seriously rude awakening. Advertising drivel notwithstanding, businesses don't "pass savings on to the customer"... they just want you to think that they will. They'll cut their overhead, and charge you exactly the same amount per game that they were before. They win, you don't.

[@famoterlhh4993]

Between semi dysfunctional free fall pins at my regular alley or replacing them with new pinsetters and equipment that won't fail as much, I would take the string pins but ONLY if they remain affordable Bowling rates are a little cheaper here in singapore but generally that means centers here have older equipment that aren't as reliable

[@JRBowling1997]

Or they can buy the new Brunswick NXT Pinsetter

[@famoterlhh4993]

@@JRBowling1997 too bad I think they’re barely making a profit after staff and maintenance fees

[@aydengianes2515]

The reason I hate the strings because no mechanical pinsetter sounds from a a2 or amf and you can put random pins in the rack like colored pins and of course they fall funky.

[@simonsardine2925]

I feel like once all the large centers move to strings, its going to spawn a handful of smaller centers/bars that are free fall one way or another. At least in the more populated regions. These likely will not be 32 lane centers but smaller like 2 to 4 pairs to keep costs lower but still attract enough people to consistently sell their food/drink.

[@oginaz]

I wouldn’t quit bowling if my house went to string pins, I’d just go to a center that didn’t have string pins. If bowling became just string pins, I’d quit. Sorry but the game, to me, should be free falling pins not harnessed pins that have a string that can knock over other pins.

[@machinethesun9243]

2 Bowleros in my area in CA... and very few people do the big bowling parties since Bowlero took over. It's simply too expensive, and for the money there are way better alternatives: mini golf, the beach, backyard bbq, disneyland, nice meal at a vineyard, concerts, etc. Same for open play. Maybe we are an anomoly due to the all year nice weather, but most of our centers are league bowlers and not open play bowlers. And the few that do come play, only bowl 2 games and they are gone, compared to what it was like before Bowlero took over. And as far as string pins go, all the decent competitive league bowlers left the one place that went string pins. If it survives the next year, it will be a miracle.

[@chrisstones2038]

I've bowled a little on string pins at Brooklyn Bowl here in Vegas. They definitely fall different but if thats what keeps places open, then we adjust. Averages may come down a bit and it will take getting used to but at least its still bowling.

[@randymelissabutton2159]

I think the threat to Bowling is real. Centers are closing every year, and I agree that keeping a center open with strings is better than losing them all together. However, what if we lose every free fall center simply due to greed....that threat is also real and it scares me a little to think that un certified string pin bowling may be the only thing that exists, except for a few certified string centers in the very near future. If I have a choice in my area to drive 40 minutes to bowl on free fall or 5 minutes to string pins... Imagine a bowling Center that makes the change and then loses a great deal or all of it's League play, would that center be able to draw enough open play on Monday-Thursday to make up for the lost league play. I could see a very real situation where a Center make a move to try and generate more profit, and ends up closing instead, especially if there is another Center that does not make the move. An empty Lane on 3-4 nights a week is not selling soda, beer, food or keeping a Proshop open. Imagine how a PSO would feel if the center that use to have League every night, and regularly hosted tournaments suddenly went to uncertified strings? Are we going to pretend that open bowling is where he makes his money?

[@danfreiberger5137]

Open play is where he makes his money .... as long as he has enough leagues to cover the costs of his operations. Back in the day, it was "leagues pay your bills, open play is your profit."

[@jlewis1998]

I haven’t bowled on string pins so I’ll reserve judgement till I do because I love bowing. My main complaint about Bowlero is the inconsistency with cleanliness and maintaining the approach area. We have two Bowleros in my area and while I agree that open bowling and parties do pay the bills, it is still frustrating when you come into a center for league or tournament and there is still spilled soda or food from open play or a party and the ball returns are either not working properly or literally falling apart. If string pins are going to save money maintaining the aging free fall pin setters I hope that some of that is used to repair/replace ball returns and better maintain the approaches.

[@notonyourlife7939]

Bowleros are not inconsistent with regard to cleanliness... they're all filthy. 🤣🤣

[@notonyourlife7939]

There's no inconsistency with cleanliness... they're all filthy🤣

[@nkxzombietrix1897]

I'm lucky enough to still have a family owned bowling alley in my town. They have raised prices on bowling and food etc. We still get the usual discount for being league bowlers which is great. They have redone the flooring, new scoring, new tvs. Huge improvements but they do struggle with mechanical issues more often with the older machines. I've heard the owner mention the string pins will eventually come and so many are against it. They're also against the higher prices but nobody seems to realize all these improvements cost money and they need to pay them off. I'm not thrilled about the idea of string pins but like Luis I'd rather bowl at my home alley and support this family. They've done a lot for me in general as a bowler and for the bowling community. I will adapt.

[@kst1983]

Good points but what happens when 25% of the people in leagues quit due to the crappy carry/play of string pins? Remember this includes all the real money tied to league - drinks and food. I would be one of the 25% that just hangs it up and I bowl two 30 week leagues a season. I'll pay significantly more for league play before I bowl on strings.

[@AMFthereturn]

Congrats on the 40k bro. Great work. Coach C. Is looking forward to seeing you mext month. As far as strings go, they will help the smaller centers that are still owned by families to survive so im all for them. Once it hits 7.00 a game tho i might have to consider setting pins up in the driveway haha. If we are honest most bowlers could use the one or two pins the strings might add on. So im not mad about them.

[@hazmatt81]

Just like you, i don't like the way they hit, fall, etc, but it's still fun in my opinion. Like another person said here, if one or a few houses around your area can be the "traditional free fall" lanes and host major events and cater to more leagues, tournaments, etc, then the rest can be "recreational houses" just to keep the sport alive. I've been out of bowling for over 15 years and just rolled today (got a new ball drilled out) and the house, which was one that I spent a great deal at between leagues, practice and fun, has adopted the string pins. It was so odd visually and yeah, they seemed to not hit the same, but the skill was still the same, tempo, footwork, hitting your mark. And...the most important part, it was still fun! It will be interesting to see how this plays out over the next few years with adoption. I just don't want to see this sport go away as it was a huge part of my childhood into my early 20's. And looking to get back into it (league play), I definitely hope it can stay around for more generations to come!

[@davidmckennett3308]

I bowled at a bowling center that I’d never been to before. After a few frames I noticed the strings. I’ve bowled for 50+ years and I had never heard of the string attached pins. It didn’t affect my play in any noticeable way except maybe a slightly longer delay between frames. I agree “Better ANYTHING than closed because closed is the worst option”!

[@bobstone6764]

If my choice comes down to string or no string, I'll never bowl again if string pin bowling is my only choice. I have other entertainment options. I'd just choose another option.

[@DaMaxchi]

I lived in New England where we had duckpin, candlepin and free-fall tenpin. I think string pins will become just another form of bowling; nothing wrong with that. However, if there comes a time when there are no free-fall lanes in my local area, then I will stop league bowling as well as practice and just bowl occasionally once or twice a twice a year with friends on social occasions using alley balls and shoes. I didn't enjoy duckpin and candlepin bowling and while I haven't bowled with string pins, I don't think I'll enjoy it enough to devote as much time, money and energy into it as I do now with free-fall.

[@johnchristopher3083]

Cool video and coming from a bowling center owner that is moving to string pin usbc certified coming up this may. There are lots of reasons for the change here.. 1 mechanics my mechanic is pushing 65 I’m 50 and we are all that’s left in the area that can work on machines… there are only 26 centers left in my whole state as around 30 have just closed down and the main reason is because of finding mechanics and let’s be honest the generation now doesn’t want to learn how to work on them because I’ve literally tried to train 30-40 in my lifetime and most are here recently and they just quit because it’s too hard.. #2 is the cost saving I’ve traveled and bowled on strings and trust me was a hard decision for me as I grew up on free fall like most of us here.. but my electric bill is 13,000 a month so I went to a similar center and got cost analysis and their electric bill went from 10K to 4500 a month.. my spare parts a year is 150,000 I have A2’s his string machine spare parts are running roughly 25,000 then there’s the mechanic mine is going to retire as he’s been in the business for 50 years… so I’m not firing a mechanic but I can’t run fixing pinsetters running the front ordering food/beer/liquor make sure everything that needs to be done is getting done it’s just too much on me I do have a GM and he’s great but only so much he can do in the hours he has to work.. as far as going up on leagues I haven’t raised my linage in over 6 years and this year I went up a dollar and bowlers went crazy over that.. I’ve had to quit bowling so I can run the back and do day to day in the bowling business.. so as far as that I don’t see owners putting these string machines in as a way to go up on prices on leagues.. I’m doing it to survive because as everybody can see bowling the sport is dying we use to have multiple leagues a day now we have 1 a day Tuesday-Thursday… state tournament is obsolete pretty much.. but overall what you said Luis is 100% spot on as I don’t want to change but it’s more of a I have to change..and eventually all centers will be strings or closed.. just my 2 cents as an owner

[@itsgabegutierrez]

I bowl once a week. I don't care for the strings but it's not the end of the world. I agree with Luis. I would rather bowl with strings than not bowl at all.

[@mauriciomoguel8862]

I actually play in a string bowling pins (after 14 years of stop beacuse the last bowling Center in My city close. Maybe si not the bestfor My play but i think I VAN BOWL AGAIN, and that make me happy I can see old bowlers Friends again and have 1 day to play and fun. All of us start to Buy equipment and in 2 months play our first regional in 14 years

[@CliftonDon74]

Good one Lou... aside from the cost perspective, it's getting increasingly difficult to find spare parts for the traditional machines. I am a traditionalist, but I also am open to the evolutions of bowling technology. I remember back when wood lanes were switching to synthetic and how many people thought THAT was going to ruin the sport of bowling.

[@notonyourlife7939]

I have to ask... do you actually consider tying pins to a rope an "evolution in technology"? Pin boys were more high-tech. If puppet-pins are the best we can do to develop a cost effective way to stand up pieces of wood, then we are utterly doomed as a society🤣. The truth is that a struggling industry grasping at straws to stay alive has latched onto the first cheap and easy "solution" that presented itself...with no regard for the consequences. Will it save some struggling centers? Sure it will... but at the expense of bowling 'The Sport'. Serious competitors want no part of this pale imitation of the game they love, and many will leave it altogether once this becomes their only option. That will leave kids birthday parties and cosmic bowling for the date- night crowd who bowl 2 or 3 times a year. So bowling will continue to exist... just not in any form that anyone takes seriously once the outcome is at the mercy of a bunch of cables swinging around like Tarzan and knocking pins over.

[@JRBowling1997]

Only if you have old AMF and Brunswick machines. When you get GSX or NXT you'll be able to find parts for them.

[@aaronspringborn34]

Also to make another comment, obviously I’m with you. I’d rather bowl on string pies then not at all, but it takes out the pureness of Bowling . I may have done that once or twice at a arcade that had a miniature Bowling alley and it kind of made sense but I’m definitely not in a traditional Bowling alley.

[@dereklane3232]

Luis, I agree with you 100%.

[@hankgolfer1]

You are 100% correct. I am not a fan of string bowling because of the outside element of strings affecting the true action of pins. BUT bowling establishments are closing, having strings lowers the cost of maintenance and repairs. Better to have strings and get to bowl then have no house to bowl because it had to close for financial reasons. The future is string bowling, unfortunately. But fortunately bowling centers will begin to thrive and you get to bowl.

[@userid579]

I don’t need to quit since I don’t bowl on string pins. But if I had I would quit

[@joerhinehart2980]

I live in oregon , and our local center has video lottery to supplement income , so who knows if my center will change over in the future , a close by center 8s converting to string pins this summer , so I will try them to see what it's like - but in my area - we're a captive audience- so I would rather bowl with string pins and still have my league - but only time will tell.

[@kevinmueller6737]

I'd prefer free fall pins, but would deal with string pins versus no bowling. My biggest issue with my local bowling alley is their service. It's packed most nights for leagues, with at least 32 of the 40 lanes taken by usually 2 leagues and the other lanes always full with walk-ins and they usually only have two servers, with most people ordering drinks and many ordering food. Not a huge deal if you're on the end where the bar and food window are, but that's only half the lanes. Giant pain in the rear on the other end. They are losing so much money by missing out on the drinks and food people would have ordered if they could get service in a timely manner. It can often take the fun out of league bowling for me. Slightly different topic, but all under the umbrella of making money. And yes, this is a Bowlero. I don't mind them other than this one issue.

[@surfacetension]

I don't have an opinion on strings yet, because I've never bowled on them either. I agree with your point that it's a money driven decision, although I disagree that centers would go out of business if they didn't switch over. Rather, it means Bowlero investors would get $0.08/stock dividend instead of $0.10/stock dividend, something like that. Making the rich richer. But, like I said, I'm withholding an opinion on strings, and I'm keeping an open mind since I'm certain that within the next year or two, my home center will switch over.

[@feddyvonwigglestein3481]

Apparently there isn't anybody in the industry looking for ways to make automation easier and cheaper, either. When's the last time a true innovation was made in the design of freefall machines? Who even knows the difference between the different designs in the first place? There's a lot of knowledge about things like that in bowling that are known by a select few - pros, mechanics - but that knowledge doesn't filter down to the average competitive bowler. Makes it more difficult for me to come up with a valid opinion when I don't know these things. However ultimately you nailed it on the head. It's about cost and if a center isn't afford freefall machines anymore, they're going to switch or sell to Bowlero. Simple. This topic is too nuanced for one comment really, but your assertion about costs is definitely true and the ultimate timstr deciding factor for these businesses.

[@notonyourlife7939]

Agreed... but even without insider technical knowledge, here's what I find particularly difficult to believe: That in 2024, with all the borderline miraculous technology that we have at our fingertips, that best we can do for a cost effective way to stand up pieces of wood is to tie them to a fucking rope. 🤣 Really? Clearly no one has seriously tried anything else, or we'd have it already. String pins are just a quick and cheap "solution" to the problem... and most of the time, that kind of problem solving doesn't end well.

[@arcadesunday4592]

Good video. Personally, I fully understand the business prospects of stings. Business means "making the most money with the lowest cost to said business". Full stop. It's a terrible place to be though (for serious bowers), and string bowling vs free fall (for me who enters the occasional tournament, and at the professional level) prefer the traditional free fall pins... so how does business and pro-am / pro bowling work together? There is no answer. I FULLY agree that the smaller / casual centres can convert to string (to reduce costs) but this saving MUST be handed down to the consumer. Sure, I can play for fun and do some practice at a string centre, but tournament level ? Regional level? Pro level ? No. Free fall centres and string / hybrid free fall centres NEED to exist to keep our sport alive.

[@rngerfanbaby]

I will never bowl on them I will quit first !! My opinion and I will stick with it

[@lockedonlaw]

Strings change the center of gravity of the pins. All one need to do is watch how many string pins slide several inches off their pin spots and don't even wobble. It's not because the pin decks are not being stripped. Having said that, the reason so many bowling establishments are struggling is because they had a bad business plan. It's a lot more cost effective to maintain a 24 lane or smaller center than it is to maintain a larger one with a bunch of entertainment added. It's also cheaper to build, requires less land, lowers startup costs, lowers insurance costs, lowers utility costs, lowers the number of employees needed, and might, at worst, cause a center to be too small and not be able to cater to both league and open play at the same time. If you look, it's easy to see the centers that are surviving are the ones that split the difference between being a massive family entertainment center and a minuscule mom and pop shop. I'm not going to argue that paying mechanics is cheap. I am going to argue that anyone who owns or manages a bowling center should know their pinsetters / pinspotters, scorers, and other equipment as any mechanic would. You can't fix a simple problem if you're not knowledgeable enough to know the problem is simple.

[@LuisNapoles]

I stopped reading when you wrote watch. The eye test is not reliable because you WANT to not like the strings. The data shows the carry is virtually the same.

[@KwuNorthstar]

I live in Upstate NY in the Albany area and to be honest whether they convert or not i dont see myself bowling much longer, they barely put any oil out, League is no longer fun any more, if i want oil i have to open bowl, Everything is Handicapped, Scratch leagues are very rare, Prices of everything has sky rocketed since everything came back from covid. The game isn't competitive in my opinion anymore, so i dont like String Pins but i can see every alley in my area going towards them at some point. The lack of oil is making not just me but many other bowlers just walk away. I understand the reasons i am just sad that it has gotten to this point i been bowling since i was 12 and i remember on the weekends every alley was packed, you could never open bowl because there were leagues every night even on Sundays. Half of my arsenal i cant throw because there isnt enough oil i am selling crap on ebay now.. i am just fed up with bowling and all the excuses that come with it. I dont wish bad on no one but i am sorry my pockets can only go so far and at the least if you are going to charge me 11.99 for 5 chicken tenders and extra for condiments can i at least get some oil on the damn lanes... The lane surfaces suck we all sucked it up and paid the high prices and the quality of bowling we have gotten for it is worse than ever. To me i see bowling like being in a bad relationship that has gotten Toxic where only one person is taking and not giving.

[@RobertPerkins-z9z]

Tinker AFB went to String pins this year. You can get a string pin strike every once in awhile (6 pin wraps around the 10 and the string pulls it down). But we have not seen very much difference in average. The USBC has set out very strict guidelines after a lot of testing. It’s not like when string pins first came out in arcade type houses. After 7 weeks of bowling you don’t even notice it or pay attention to it.

[@LuisNapoles]

Are they certified string pins ?

[@mjfreeman]

Our local pro shop has a pair of lanes with the most up to date string pinsetters and they are better than first version but very different from free fall. Better but still not the same they don’t fall the same. I’ll take free fall lanes as long as they’re around.

[@LuisNapoles]

Agreed but like I said in the video, I would rather bowl than not bowl

[@johnnyrock852]

I pretty much agree with what you are saying. The house I bowl at is toying with having both and keeping leagues on free fall and most open strings. Not sure how it will play out. The other thing to keep in mind is, messengers look cool, but... that also means you are not hitting the pocket and going b through the pins correctly. Still cool looking...lol In the end, I just want bowl.

[@addictedTobowling]

My center is closing. Now I have to drive even further to bowl. If string pins woulda saved the center i woulda been all for it.

[@mca312]

string pins seem inevitable. I wonder if people would complain if we had string pins for 70 years and then all of a sudden we switched to free fall. Would we be complaining about messengers? I think I'd be fine with string pins, as long as the lanes are oiled properly.

[@daviddixon6408]

You know they would. They probably complained when they went from pinboys sitting pins by hand to free fall machines back in the early 1950s.

[@vagabonds5526]

I actually bowled the PBA event which was conducted on strings. I was extremely skeptical. After having bowled competition on them, I think they are just fine. In fact, they require more accuracy and you can’t get away with most of the off-hits. On TV the pin carry looks worse that it is actually. In general, pretty pleased with the experience. Ok, they do fall in a different way but once you get accustomed to that, I am sure most of the bowlers will be happy with them.

[@chrishansen6908]

Luis, Great job discussing. I came to the same conclusions after doing some research on the topic. Also, I live in Dallas and was fortunate enough to participate directly in the USBC certified string pin testing that was done at ITRC. I participated in multiple games (2 of string pin and 2 freefall) on two separate occasions and my average scores for the 4 games were the same for two different types of pin arrangements. I will admit as a stroker, it is probably less of an issue for me. I think they have tried to optimize string length to keep the strings from wrapping around to a minimum. My personal preference would be free fall. However, I want to see the sport stay alive and centers stay alive. The cost of new string pin machines is much lower (and you don't' need the mechanic - which you may not get or keep) and the electricity usage is also much lower (50% less I believe) can help keep some centers alive.

[@jamiejeffery9556]

You right so bowlers would rather biwling die then change I been bowling on string since Aug 2023 and seen average drop by about 15 pins yes you get odd falls but your strikes have to be more sweet to get them to strike amd once the machine run In alot of the odd falls get less and since they have gone in the bowling alley is setting to upgrade thing as they make more money where before they couldn't afford upgrading like new furniture new oil machines etc and plus the next bowling alley to be is a hour and 45 mins away so for us it's saved own bowling in the area

[@seand.3085]

I agree with the sentiment, however it's not switching to string pins or cosmic bowling and open play that upsets me, it's that when they implement those things they all but completely abandon lane maintenance. If they still kept the lanes at a decent to professional condition while saving all that money on string pins and doing more open/cosmic bowling, it would be acceptable.

[@PiattTheDeveloper]

My center is getting string pins soon and I’m looking forward to it. My reasoning? I’m a bowler and I’m competitive. The first tournament I bowl in with string pins, im going to have an advantage on people who have never bowled on them. Plain and simple. The lanes have not changed. Just the pins. I bowl with guys who bowled in the rubber ball era, of all the major changes to the sport over the years, this one feels the least intrusive to me. And all the people concerned about how the string is going to get in the way and knock over pins … I’ve watched pins get struck and slide 3 feet without falling. I’ve seen pins fly around the pit and come back onto the lane to trip pins. Black magic has always been a part of bowling. Unless we see a change in frequency of this black magic, I don’t wanna hear it. Weird shit happens every time I bowl.

[@notonyourlife7939]

The frequency is EXACTLY the problem, though... as you will soon discover. The truly weird "black magic" stuff that happens with free-fall is much more frequent on strings. I've seen it first hand. You will too... whether or not you'll be OK with it, only you can decide. But unless you genuinely don't care, it'll be hard not to notice....and even harder to ignore the more it happens.

[@jeremyfranklin1510]

I think the string pins should be used at entertainment places, like a bar or nightclub that has one, not at a bowling alley where league and pro bowling tournaments want more pin action plus I love messengers.

[@dustygerlach7618]

Luis do you bowl at any centers with strng bowling, and if you do how is the carry have seen no messengers

[@robeckel4965]

I think the argument that string pins will save bowling centers is flawed. The fundamental problem isn't that bowling centers don't have string pins, nor is it that people are demanding string pins. The problem is customer demand for bowling isn't strong enough to support the centers. Sure, going to string pins may reduce costs for the center, but it also has the potential to reduce demand. I believe demand is the fundamental thing that needs to increase, and decreasing it would be counterproductive. I wish I had a solution to offer to increase demand, because I'd like all these centers to thrive. String pins may be able to make centers in smaller cities, where there is no other competition, viable. However, in larger cities, people who take bowling seriously at all will likely just move their business to different centers that still have free fall pins. In the end, the failing centers will still fail. I have a trip coming up in the next week and plan to make a stop at a center that has string pins, so that I can try them out for myself. I haven't been impressed by what I've seen so far in videos of them on KZbin, but I think I should experience them firsthand before I draw my own conclusion.

[@brianschumaker5912]

I don't like string pins. But. I do see a place where they could be beneficial. And thats for practicing spares. With string pins , you can program any spare possible and practice that spare over and over again.

[@patrickj1628]

Certified strings is not that bad. Does it stop messengers yes, is there crazy hits and can strings once in awhile interfere yes, but free fall has weird hits and with strings you get a more of a true rack. Strings promotes accuracy instead of power and revs that make pins fly around.

[@magicalday4431]

If string pins take over my local center, I’m done. String pins are for arcades not competitive bowling. I bowled when there were 2 shifts of bowling every night and open bowling didn’t start till after midnight. We got a lot more for our money from the house and ABC back then.

[@tonybdesigns]

Ya my league and house has been on strings for the past 2 years now it seems. It’s different for sure but 100000% I’d rather have strings than no bowling at all. But at least they turn the lights on for league night.

[@munkeynutz13]

I dont know about open bowling bringing in more revenue. I can guarantee my Friday night league here in Michigan (5 man, 24 team, full house) spends way more on food and alcohol and lineage than they would make by only having open bowling that night. And considering the prices they make well over 200% profit just on alcohol sales. 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@billwelch7023]

Why can’t they go back to pin boys/pin setters ? I did that as a kid and made decent money, but way cheaper than everything else. I could set faster than a machine as well, so it is win/win

[@rcbro3765]

Have you ever been to Los Angeles at my Mall Santa Anita Bowlero open up string pins narrow lanes and hard to get strikes

[@DG-ih1qu]

I hurt my back in 2017 at work ended up i broke back .and i missed bowling at that time I did i was at the top of my game i was bowling 3 times a week carried a230 average at that time i bowled all the time. One of the hardest things I had to do was stop bowling for a year with my back. I saw the direction that bowling was going and decided to stop bowling and so i did. I have not been in a house since then. Im not going to lie i do miss it but now that I see bowling is at a turning point i think I did the right thing for me. But that not saying it write for someone else to bowl with string pins. It not for me. Just my opinion that all

[@userid579]

I will never bowl on string pins. I'd rather quit.

[@daviddixon6408]

Well, quit then. 😀

[@ibpsupplyman]

@@daviddixon6408 Not a good reply >>>> disrespectful of another's opinion

[@volcombrdr20]

Then quit. Bowling won’t miss you. Let’s see if you miss it if you quit.

[@qu1zz3r97]

I would rather not bowl than bowl at a wacky carnival looking game. No chance. I'll sell all my equipment first and never go into a bowling center again.

[@Whatisthis373]

Brother as the owner of a string pin bowling alley I can tell you life is much simpler my clients are extremely happy and most of my profit is made from the bar and restaurant. The only people who sit here complaining are the self proclaimed “amateurs” who have one other bowling center in the country and 2 of their machines are constantly falling apart because they don’t have a mechanic, at the end of the day this is a business and I’m gonna do what’s best for my team and my family… whether It be strings or free pins

[@geejr]

It is unfortunate but either raise prices or do the string pins. That simple.

[@bennyglaze-u3k]

Great Topic Luis I haven’t bowled with string pins but from what I’ve seen there is a difference But if it keeps centers going and staying open It’s a good thing

[@SuperWillie44]

String pins are the death of the sport

[@liquidrock2u]

I'm all for string pins for commercial use. Just not in USBC sanctioned leagues and PBA.

[@glen4688]

I can’t speak to every area, but where I typically bowl, the 1/3 of the center that is reserved for parties/open play is always empty. If not for the 32 lanes of league going, the place would be a ghost town. No way in the world they are making more from open play than league.

[@nightkillian]

I have bowled on USBC String pin lanes before and I just do not enjoy the sport of bowling knowing I can cheese spare shots like you can with string pins. Now the oddball string tangling split conversion doesnt always happen but I managed to do it a few times. I understand that bowling allys need to do something to cut cost and make a profit, but I think cutting the costs will take a core amount of your league players away if the center goes with String Pins. Then you'll have to rely on open play which is not a stead source of revenue like leagues generate. I think the best things a bowling ally can do to make this work is a hybrid solution where part of the lanes are for parties and open bowling only and the other part is for leagues and open bowling spillover. But lets just be honest, bowling is sadly a dying sport rather people want to admit it or not. The sport isn't getting any younger as far as the interest it had when I was young. But I can say that if my center goes 100% string pins, ill also stop bowling as well.

[@banditjimmy35]

Bowling centers would do much better financially if all employees would be required to get some sort of Customer Service Etiquette certification. Every bowling center I step into has abysmal customer service, as if it's some sort of inconvenience that people decide to show up to bowl and give them business. For the open bowler, this not a welcoming environment and not good to help grow the sport. Most houses are lucky to have leagues, because it's the only way they can keep their lights on.

[@Phenomenal0ne]

Luis you got to bowl on sting pins before you make an opinion. I recently went to a local center that just put in string pins and due to the pins getting tied up they malfunction about once every half hour to 45 mins and it take 5 to 10 mins just to fix. Your leagues will go longer because of it meaning less time for other leagues. Like if you got a 5pm league and an 8 pm league the 8 pm league ain’t starting until at least 9pm. String pins interrupt play way more often than free fall and I’d honestly rather pay more money than bowl on string pins. Once again gotta bowl on string pins to form an opinion that would be like making an opinion on a restaurant and you’ve never eaten there but you eaten food similar to it.

[@robkorkosh5222]

I have travelled to a nearby city to bowl on certified strings a few times now. My experience is nothing like yours…I only saw one tangle in probably 20 games of bowling and it took 10 seconds for the guy to fix. There were times it looked like the pins were going to tangle and the machine picks up it and it appears to raise and lower the pins a couple times and they untangled on their own. I also didn’t mind the pin action but I am a guy who only gets one messenger a season! I agree that one should bowl on strings (certified ones) to form an opinion. Saying you don’t like the way the pins fall in terms of aesthetics when you haven’t bowled on them isn’t a fair statement.

[@sheldonfrost1213]

So the business model that worked for litterally 100 years doesnt work anymore, and this was within months of becoming a publicly traded company on wall street. And y'all think bowlers have a duty to accept whatever changes needed to help the stock go up, no matter what it does to the integrity of the sport? Luis do you have stock in the company? I suggest we support the independent houses if corporate centers cram string pins down our throat and tell us to like it cause it makes them money. I make a decent wage and bowl close to 200 times per year, glad to take it to a place that respects me and my sport.

[@redcat5697]

I watched the video of the PBA 50 tournament in Florida last week and I hated the way the pins fell ! What a ucken nightmare 😳 for the players there! Raise the price of bowling and carry on. Maybe we should experiment with the string pins and make it more similar to real bowling 🎳 🤔.

[@patrickerving890]

My house makes their money from alcohol. The Wednesday night men's league gets 150 blue collar dudes who pound 8 dollar shots like the alley is giving them away.

[@notonyourlife7939]

Everybody understands the money part of the equation... nobody's gonna argue that centers aren't in trouble financially. However, what the "I'd rather bowl on strings than not bowl at all" crowd either can't grasp, or is wilfully ignoring in the hope that it won't come true, is that string pins will only save RECREATIONAL bowling. Your Wednesday night league is playing on borrowed time. The purely recreational game will live on, but AT THE EXPENSE of the demise of competitive bowling. For those of you who take your game seriously, enjoy it while you can. You might think that it won't bother you to bowl in the dark, next to a bunch of screaming 5 year olds...but that's gonna get old quick when it's EVERY TIME you lace up your shoes. And I'm sorry, but you can't practice effectively with strobe lights and little dancing pancakes projected onto the lane... and before long, that's gone be 95% of the centers in the country. So will strings "save bowling"? Yes, most likely... but not for your scratch league and weekend tourneys. The only beneficiaries will be little kids on a rainy Saturday, and the twice a year date night crowd... and of course the share holders of you- know- who. The Sport as we knew it is on life support, folks... and string pins are the morphine drip at The End. They sure as hell won't be it's savior. A show of hands for anyone who wants to see titles won and lost because a string took out the 10 pin, or clotheslined a split? Nobody? Me neither. End of rant.

[@shanetoler9905]

The bowling center makes more money from open bowling and birthday parties. I also heard that the string tension can be adjusted. Hmmm.

[@ThomasMason-go1eq]

I'd rather play disc golf than bowl on string pins. The real question is, are string pins ever fair in a competitive setting? I would argue it's not.

[@kellydavis4954]

If they are so great then why doesn't the pba use them for pro bowling on t.v. and as for me ill never bowl using string pins

[@ahampel22]

Bowlero charges $13 a game in NJ

[@billylusk3515]

Guess we wouldnt have to wait 10 minutes for somebody to get the dead wood out of the gutter? Watching the messenger is one of the coolest things about bowling. Belmonte will be crushed by not getting all of those messenger strikes! I think i might just quit bowling if it comes to that, would have to try it first i guess

[@richrothmansky1388]

String pins is Dave and Buster's bowling...but I would rather not see a center close.

[@Edgewoodbowl417]

to replace our machines would be very costly. Our center is small. There could be an easier way…. One pin setter freefall company and AI to help diagnose all the potential problems. There could be better ways to support mechanics. It’s not a topic we discuss much in the bowling proprietor realm. The game will not get cheaper for the bowler. It will always go up.

[@LuisNapoles]

Agree to disagree

[@darylgould8923]

If it takes strings to save bowling then I"m all for it. Your comments are spot on Luis.

[@malcolmedwards1472]

Perfectly said! Ill be in a string pin house this fall. It will be and adjustment, but at least im able to bowling weekly.

[@DavidRodriguez-mp9nh]

Im with you Luis. I would rather pay more for freefall as option 1. Option 2 is string pins. I have bowled at a Main Event center (like a Round 1 competitor) that had string pins. It was 18 lanes or so and set up for the entertainment crowd. The lanes were new and oiled proper. The obvious nature of the strings was evident but I still had to hit my mark. The equipment did not malfunction and I came to the conclusion that freefall is better but if it goes away I can bowl at a center like this. My home center is slated to get demoed and made into condos. The next nearest center is a Bowlero 15 miles away. The next nearest center is 30 miles away and owned by a pro bowler. The growing costs will eventually force freefall centers to seriously consider converting. We shall see. Thanks for the topic. It is a big one in our sport.

[@aaronspringborn34]

Luis how are you? I do not know the Bowling business model like you do other people so from a business point of view, I would agree with you however practically speaking I’m completely disagree with you because you’re taking the fun out of Bowling with the ball hits the pins and you’re not gonna get the crazy pin action, especially those messages in any sort of way. Plus, inflation that side of the political aisle you’re on it’s affecting everybody so it’s making it from bad to worse and I’m for businesses making money but on the other hand, I’m against price gouging. The only Bowlero that I know of my area is one county where I grew up. It’s called Berks Lanes. The reason they sold was not because of lack of profit because the owners wanted to get out of it and they were older that was pretty much with mine. I did not know this until last year but this happened three years ago and 2021. The people there are nice, and also on the Bowlero website, there are no prices on the website. They say it changes that often all of my independent bowling alleys that I go to no matter the time or day weekday weekend evening or a special they are transparent about their prices online first my first ball for my IQ tour solid last year around this time. I went there on my day off because of them in there in two decades because I moved and such. rental play three games by myself it was about $28! I never paid that much before and never paid that much since. Personally, I am against glow bowling and may be a good party atmosphere but now I’m getting more serious about Bowling . You can’t see as well it is a distraction. I don’t mind noise and music if I’m going to a regular party/dance event but I’m OK with being a little dark with party lights going but not Bowling when you’re trying to score.

[@Mulelicious]

Absolutely right. My Bowlero has ancient equipment that is constant maintenance. When bowling centers close, they never come back. I'm cool with string pin, and its quiet, less machinery. My Bowlero has equipment from 1953-1969.

[@rafael.s07]

Recently bowled with string pins. I didn’t even realize it until the third frame. For the most part, the pins reacted as I would’ve expected. I was just bowling for fun and didn’t personally have any weird string interference. I did see some shots from others cause the strings to take out pins that wouldn’t have fallen normally. I’m with you on the fact that I’d rather be bowling somewhere than nowhere. String pins or not, we still get to throw the ball down the lane the same way. Every time something changes, there will always be neigh sayers.

[@jcappucino]

All the changes to bring more people in as far an open play and cosmic bowling etc. has nothing to do with string pins in my opinion. People were not waiting for string pins that they didn't know existed to frequent a bowling center. It's just a complaint for bowlers who don't like what the string pins do to pin fall which I agree with, and you can't compare pin fall and messengers to the action of string pins because regular pin fall is organic no matter how it happens. The strings will alter the pins movements no matter how slight or great it is and I have no problem not liking that.

[@LuisNapoles]

bowling over not bowling

[@jcappucino]

@@LuisNapoles It's not an absolute, unless you know the future and string pins saves money for the bowling center it's not a magical tool that will bring more bowlers to the center. And it will take time to find out if it even makes centers more profitable but, in the meantime, it will just make the serious bowlers have an unfavorable experience.

[@BillyScott-sr1nx]

Please go bowl on string pins, and please give us your real opinion. I've bowled on them and it's definitely a totally different way of bowling. I get "would you rather bowl on them or not bowl at all " but we don't have to like them because of that reason. I'm not a fan of them and probably will try to stay away from them as long as i possibly can.