I really, really appreciate this video, thank you so much. This is perhaps the most positive thing I have heard about returning integrity to the sport of bowling in decades.
It is absolutely sacrilegious that the PBA would use string pins. It’s because alleys these days are too cheap to hire anyone to fix the pinsetters much less buy decent equipment.. it’s the classic case of sacrificing quality for quantity. Companies like Bowlero can afford decent pinsetters….
Bowlero seems to be cheap, but most bowling centers are not huge money makers, so if they are going to pay the mechanics what they deserve to keep the old systems then people would just complain about increased cost to bowl because the money has to come from somewhere. And its not like all bowling centers aren't willing to pay, people just do not want to do the job. Its extremely physical, mentally tasking and never ending because even when you aren't working, people will tell you what is wrong with your center including times you are bowling at another center.
@@etarnkufecin This is the main reason why most bowling centers are prioritizing parties and open bowling. I have no idea what it costs to certify a center with USBC, but the cost of the lane conditioning machine and the cost of the pinsetting equipment is significant. I live in Los Angeles. 30 years ago, I could easily drive to 20 bowling centers within a half hour. Today, I've got five, and three of them are not what I would consider "league-friendly." I understand the reasoning behind string pins--lower startup and maintenance cost--but the physics are definitely different. Figure standard cost for _one_ new pair of free-fall lanes, including installation, runs about $140,000. The lane machine is another $30,000. String pin lanes run about $30,000 a pair. I'm not even factoring in the cost of the building, land, and improvements. To justify that expense, you have to have a customer base to support it. Especially in Los Angeles, there are a _LOT_ of things to do besides bowling, so you're going to have to have ownership who have more than a profit motive to open a new center. The economics are not on the bowlers' side at all.
If a bowling center moves from free-fall pins to string pins, would the bowling center lay off the existing mechanic staff you think? I'm aware that string pins require less from a maintenance perspective, but I'm curious if laying them all off is a bad idea or not.
String pins at the center I bowl at are not sanctioned so leagues are not sanctioned. 🫤. I wish there was a closer bowling alley with free fall pins and I would bowl there!!
We just need to build energy efficient motors for the pinsetters... We also need to look at other ways to be developed to capture and reset the pins up....
My favorite part of string pins is when a 15lbs ball hits the pins going 18mph and the pins do, absolutely not a damn thing. It’s so exciting to watch the extra drag the strings add to the pins to make them just lay down on the pin deck. The future of bowling is looking bright! /s
String pins just take away the trade off of more revs and power, as well as making the sport infinitely less visually appealing and less exciting to bowl on.
If all houses go to string bowling I will stop bowling. 2 things I noticed watching string pin bowling is that there are never any scouts and I have seen a string from one pin pull down a pin that should have not been knocked down.
String pins may be the future of bowling. I love watching bowling. I will not be watching if string pins are being used. I enjoy watching your journey. hopefully the journey has no strings attached. Good luck.
The mechanics at the house where I bowl are in their late 60's to early 70's, and the house has the "now hiring" sign on display but younger people/bowlers aren't biting. I suspect that salary range may be part of the reason their door isn't being beat down with applicants but I can't say for sure.
I will quit bowling if my center ever changes to string pins. I see nothing enjoyable about bowling on string pins. And the haters out there who will criticize my position on this can take all the jabs at me the like, I just laugh because they are too stupid to realize that criticizing me for my position on string pins isn't going to change my mind but further validates my feelings on the subject. String pins are nothing more than an arcade game, not a sport.
When I bowled on string pens during the summer I hated it I don’t like it but I know people have there opinions on it this is my opinion on it now I bowled on string pens in league doing the summer
It going hurt business when leagues and bowlers leaving the lanes cause not happy we want see without the strings alone so bowlers go different locations without string lanes
I actually disagree with some of this. I do believe that in the long run, string pin bowling will absolutely kill the "sport" of bowling, eventually. It will merely become an arcade game relegated to the occasional weekend evening family outing event. I have talked to many many people in our leagues about this subject. So far, without exception, 100% of them have responded that they will quit bowling. Our particular center is only alive because of league bowlers. We have 52 lanes that pack ever single night with leagues, plus the senior and youth bowling during the days. String pins would absolutely destroy our bowling center, and fortunately our owner and management understand this and vow they will NEVER change to string pins.
I heard what you said, but do you think your average bowler will want to learn to pay that much attention to ball motion? It sounds like it would be much more difficult for your average once or twice a week bowler to score well.
In the long run it probably won’t make a difference to anybody except the really high level players. Mikey will have to pay a lot more attention to ball motion so he can compete but the average league bowler who’s there to just have fun might see their average drop a bit or they can start paying ultra attention
@razorbear4222 I guess you didn't understand the question. Most league (semi competitive) bowlers don't want to pay THAT much attention. They're not bowling for a living, they're there to drink, socialize and have fun. If there is much less miss room and scores drop dramatically, they won't want to continue. It won't be "fun" anymore to have to pay that much attention. My question is regarding that mindset. Do you think that would have an effect on the sport as a whole?
As a person that bowls twice per week, I wouldn't mind if we moved to string pins. The only thing that I wouldn't like is if my cousin and his boss lost their job as the center's maintenance crew. From a bowling perspective though, I wouldn't care so much. I would certainly miss my messengers though...that's super rewarding and everyone gets hyped for those shots.
@@xouijit77 I understood, what I’m saying is that for the average league bowler there to drink and socialize it will drop your average and you can either respond competitively to that and start focusing more while sacrificing some of the other aspects or keep bowling the way you usually do and probably drop 5-10 pins (random guess but that’s about what I usually drop on string)
Strong pins will destroy bowling the way it's ment to be with pin action and letting bowlers bowl their way instead of changing their bowling to for to the strings
Best thing ever!. The scores need to come down . 900 series, people with 1000 300s. You have to learn to throw shots and learn how to carry again like in the past. Ball motion now means more like it did before reactive. I love it.
@@MrGamma-gw5zh I bowled before reactive. Threw straight up ten and carried a decent 205 average. Moves between game one and three were probably 5 boards total. I can't come close to doing that now and still carry a decent average.
@@fliboimoney where did i say he didn’t or people don’t throw it well? My point is that you dont need to anymore just rotate .you just can’t rely on half pocket or miss right light shot to carry. Its just harder.
@@MrGamma-gw5zh You have to learn how to throw shots again... people with 1000 300's. I don't think it's the bowlers fault. Ball companies have perfected making better competitive balls to combat the challenging lane conditions. If you know how to roll the ball these days, is not the same hand release and rotation is back in the '80s and '90s meaning I've been bowling for years. The sport has advanced the equipment in the back has not. The scoring boards have advanced, oil machines have advanced...but have the PinSetters become more efficient. Having string pins eliminates what bowling is really all about.. Free falling pins is what bowling is about... Handicapping the pins and making them harder to fall down is so silly.... Nobody's telling the bowling ball companies to quit their advancements. We only talking string pins because of what? Maintenance issuues? Wages? Bowling alleys closing down because PinSetters are too high to operate and is more efficient to have string pins?
String pins will probably end up only being used in lower level competitions (when there's little to no money involved) and international events (as installation and running costs of bowling alleys overseas is absurd compared to US). I don't think they'll be dumb enough to use them in national competition
Sounds like the pins are heavier. So leave 9 pounds and drive. So asymmetrical balls won't do well when bowling on strings. I'll do great on string lol ha ha
Have we thought about solar panels on top of bowling alleys...... Some type of tax credit break for the proprietor.... I'm advocating for better technology to save money to keep mechanics, to keep those jobs... I mean this is a big deal.... Almost sounds like a monopoly... And the lack of further development or better in advanced technology...
If they could come up with something that would detect string interference so that pins that are knocked down by the strings are respotted that would make it a little bit better other then the pin carry there's not all that much of a difference other than the false strikes, false spares and the pins being limited in movement a bit.
Everyone that is anti string pins need to slow their roll... no pun intended.. String pins take away the advantage of high rev rates and places the focus on accuracy and ball motion. Unless any of you complaining have high rev rates or bowl two handed you should want this. After getting torched by two handers in a PBA league because of their pin carry on bad shots, I'm all for this!
I agree with your all your observations, but not your conclusions. I've been bowling on string pins for a few months now and I like them. I feel that they've brought some integrity back to the game. Advancing ball technology has made it too easy to create power and wild free fall pin action.
the way to make it less easy is to update/upgrade the difficulty of the oil patterns, including house shots. The pins should be untouched if the idea is to preserve integrity. The physics of pin action and reaction is being removed and that’s a net negative
My practice lanes are strings and I enjoy it. It's different and so what? Wood boards,/synthetic... Plastic/reactive... free-fall/stings... play and adjust.
🙂 Your review was well thought out and honest. As a viewer I definitely don't like it. I guess a bowling center can't have both so they better decide. I agree keep it away from the PBA tournaments. As for league bowlers I'm afraid that's the future. 🔮
Synthetic pins are almost just as bad as string pins imo. Absolutely no pin carry whatsoever they might as well be string. There is no way to replicate natural gravity/kinetic energy in bowling. I'd hate to see the switch
I’ve bowled on them like 10 times prolly more and while it’s already a crappy bowling alley the way you described it I think is pretty perfect thinking about it now I can’t remember ever throwing a mixer. So yea whatever keeps bowling alleys open is what I’m in favor of
I pray that this string pin stays in the bowlero Family, and not take over the small businesses because everybody's crying about the price of energy. I think developing more efficient motors should be a topic.... Or redevelopment of the pin setters themselves.... Something nobody's talking about. String pin is not the way to go for this sport. Maybe metal tips and some type of magnet development.... But I have not enjoyed watching the string pin trial and competition over the last couple weeks.... Complete trash for the sport, only benefits the proprietor...
After hearing this, I love the thought of string pins. There are SOOOOOOO MANYYYYYY House hacks and inflated averages that if string pins makes people focus more on having correct ball motion then that only helps the sport of bowling.
TC and Bowlero want strings. Strings will be a PBA event. For better or for worse. How much weight were you rolling? Seems to me if you feel the ball is being "pushed around" a heavier ball might help? Thanks for the review. I haven't seen a string setter since duckpins in the 70s. Might have been in the 60s.
The physics involve in the action of the ball hitting the pins and the strings attached to the pins is completely nullified. The strings just takes away how the pins react one way or the other when hit by the bowling ball plus by other pins. It restricts the free movement of the pins when the strings get tangled with each other or restricts the pin when is going one and stops it. This idea of string pin bowling is a very very bad idea. Bowling will go down the crapper. Is this another one of those DEI or Woke progressive movements?
I agree with you. String pins are nice as a recreational activity, but not for PBA events or regional tournaments. I personally would be open to bowling on string pins, but not in competition.
Yeah I will definitely quit bowling when I get stuck with no free fall alleys around me.
I don't like the idea much myself but I will be damned if I am going to quit bowling over it.
I’m sure bowling will go on without you.
Heaven forbid the game is 11 pins a game harder for you and your opponents
QQ cri moar
No one cares. Bowling will live on without dukeofearl11 trust me
@@remoevans7847 - See, this right here is the comment I am talking about .. just another despicable idiot breaking wind again.
Plain and simple it is less natural pin fall...
I really, really appreciate this video, thank you so much. This is perhaps the most positive thing I have heard about returning integrity to the sport of bowling in decades.
It is absolutely sacrilegious that the PBA would use string pins. It’s because alleys these days are too cheap to hire anyone to fix the pinsetters much less buy decent equipment.. it’s the classic case of sacrificing quality for quantity.
Companies like Bowlero can afford decent pinsetters….
Bowlero seems to be cheap, but most bowling centers are not huge money makers, so if they are going to pay the mechanics what they deserve to keep the old systems then people would just complain about increased cost to bowl because the money has to come from somewhere. And its not like all bowling centers aren't willing to pay, people just do not want to do the job. Its extremely physical, mentally tasking and never ending because even when you aren't working, people will tell you what is wrong with your center including times you are bowling at another center.
@@etarnkufecin This is the main reason why most bowling centers are prioritizing parties and open bowling. I have no idea what it costs to certify a center with USBC, but the cost of the lane conditioning machine and the cost of the pinsetting equipment is significant. I live in Los Angeles. 30 years ago, I could easily drive to 20 bowling centers within a half hour. Today, I've got five, and three of them are not what I would consider "league-friendly."
I understand the reasoning behind string pins--lower startup and maintenance cost--but the physics are definitely different. Figure standard cost for _one_ new pair of free-fall lanes, including installation, runs about $140,000. The lane machine is another $30,000. String pin lanes run about $30,000 a pair. I'm not even factoring in the cost of the building, land, and improvements. To justify that expense, you have to have a customer base to support it. Especially in Los Angeles, there are a _LOT_ of things to do besides bowling, so you're going to have to have ownership who have more than a profit motive to open a new center. The economics are not on the bowlers' side at all.
If a bowling center moves from free-fall pins to string pins, would the bowling center lay off the existing mechanic staff you think? I'm aware that string pins require less from a maintenance perspective, but I'm curious if laying them all off is a bad idea or not.
String pins at the center I bowl at are not sanctioned so leagues are not sanctioned. 🫤. I wish there was a closer bowling alley with free fall pins and I would bowl there!!
We just need to build energy efficient motors for the pinsetters...
We also need to look at other ways to be developed to capture and reset the pins up....
My favorite part of string pins is when a 15lbs ball hits the pins going 18mph and the pins do, absolutely not a damn thing. It’s so exciting to watch the extra drag the strings add to the pins to make them just lay down on the pin deck. The future of bowling is looking bright! /s
🙄
Sooo if the pins go straight back that would suck for 2 handers since they rely on alot of mixups.
Mikey awesome video buddy. I totally agree with your conclusion
Cut all the strings!!! Fight back lol
Are any of these events being played on the Brunswick Boost ST String Pinsetters? All seem to be on the Edge machines.
Is it more like the old days with rubber balls and single void pins?
String pins just take away the trade off of more revs and power, as well as making the sport infinitely less visually appealing and less exciting to bowl on.
I agree with you completely.
Careful. As much as they had the announcers blowing smoke about how wonderful the new strings are, you might get in trouble.
If all houses go to string bowling I will stop bowling. 2 things I noticed watching string pin bowling is that there are never any scouts and I have seen a string from one pin pull down a pin that should have not been knocked down.
String pins may be the future of bowling. I love watching bowling. I will not be watching if string pins are being used. I enjoy watching your journey. hopefully the journey has no strings attached. Good luck.
Heaven forbid the game is 11 pins a game harder for everyone
QQ cri moar
what about the 7-10 split
String pins are an abomination
It’s going to eventually take over because the younger generation don’t want to be bowling mechanics.
@@kickstandkurt9698 thay might be the dumbest excuse yet for string pins
Free fall even worse
@@EricSmyth4Christ i can't think of a stupider comment in the history of bowling
The mechanics at the house where I bowl are in their late 60's to early 70's, and the house has the "now hiring" sign on display but younger people/bowlers aren't biting. I suspect that salary range may be part of the reason their door isn't being beat down with applicants but I can't say for sure.
I will quit bowling if my center ever changes to string pins. I see nothing enjoyable about bowling on string pins. And the haters out there who will criticize my position on this can take all the jabs at me the like, I just laugh because they are too stupid to realize that criticizing me for my position on string pins isn't going to change my mind but further validates my feelings on the subject. String pins are nothing more than an arcade game, not a sport.
When I bowled on string pens during the summer I hated it I don’t like it but I know people have there opinions on it this is my opinion on it now I bowled on string pens in league doing the summer
It going hurt business when leagues and bowlers leaving the lanes cause not happy we want see without the strings alone so bowlers go different locations without string lanes
I can see them being used on a national PBA tour. I would see it more along the lines of only using a plastic ball bowling event.
I actually disagree with some of this. I do believe that in the long run, string pin bowling will absolutely kill the "sport" of bowling, eventually. It will merely become an arcade game relegated to the occasional weekend evening family outing event. I have talked to many many people in our leagues about this subject. So far, without exception, 100% of them have responded that they will quit bowling. Our particular center is only alive because of league bowlers. We have 52 lanes that pack ever single night with leagues, plus the senior and youth bowling during the days. String pins would absolutely destroy our bowling center, and fortunately our owner and management understand this and vow they will NEVER change to string pins.
We’ve had 5 regionals on strings
It’s all good
I heard what you said, but do you think your average bowler will want to learn to pay that much attention to ball motion? It sounds like it would be much more difficult for your average once or twice a week bowler to score well.
In the long run it probably won’t make a difference to anybody except the really high level players. Mikey will have to pay a lot more attention to ball motion so he can compete but the average league bowler who’s there to just have fun might see their average drop a bit or they can start paying ultra attention
@razorbear4222 I guess you didn't understand the question. Most league (semi competitive) bowlers don't want to pay THAT much attention. They're not bowling for a living, they're there to drink, socialize and have fun. If there is much less miss room and scores drop dramatically, they won't want to continue. It won't be "fun" anymore to have to pay that much attention. My question is regarding that mindset. Do you think that would have an effect on the sport as a whole?
If the uneducated hack league bowlers quit, maybe scratch leagues make a comeback.
As a person that bowls twice per week, I wouldn't mind if we moved to string pins. The only thing that I wouldn't like is if my cousin and his boss lost their job as the center's maintenance crew. From a bowling perspective though, I wouldn't care so much. I would certainly miss my messengers though...that's super rewarding and everyone gets hyped for those shots.
@@xouijit77 I understood, what I’m saying is that for the average league bowler there to drink and socialize it will drop your average and you can either respond competitively to that and start focusing more while sacrificing some of the other aspects or keep bowling the way you usually do and probably drop 5-10 pins (random guess but that’s about what I usually drop on string)
String pins should be outlawed.
Strong pins will destroy bowling the way it's ment to be with pin action and letting bowlers bowl their way instead of changing their bowling to for to the strings
Quality video mate
A lot less pin carry, especially on light hits
Best thing ever!. The scores need to come down . 900 series, people with 1000 300s. You have to learn to throw shots and learn how to carry again like in the past. Ball motion now means more like it did before reactive. I love it.
That’s the comment I was looking for
If it made the game 3 pins a game easier I wouldn’t be happy
11 pins a game harder?
Much better
@@MrGamma-gw5zh I bowled before reactive. Threw straight up ten and carried a decent 205 average. Moves between game one and three were probably 5 boards total. I can't come close to doing that now and still carry a decent average.
I think all of us throw the ball very well....I'd be curious to see how you throw on strings pins.
@@fliboimoney where did i say he didn’t or people don’t throw it well? My point is that you dont need to anymore just rotate .you just can’t rely on half pocket or miss right light shot to carry. Its just harder.
@@MrGamma-gw5zh You have to learn how to throw shots again... people with 1000 300's. I don't think it's the bowlers fault. Ball companies have perfected making better competitive balls to combat the challenging lane conditions.
If you know how to roll the ball these days, is not the same hand release and rotation is back in the '80s and '90s meaning I've been bowling for years. The sport has advanced the equipment in the back has not. The scoring boards have advanced, oil machines have advanced...but have the PinSetters become more efficient.
Having string pins eliminates what bowling is really all about.. Free falling pins is what bowling is about... Handicapping the pins and making them harder to fall down is so silly....
Nobody's telling the bowling ball companies to quit their advancements. We only talking string pins because of what? Maintenance issuues? Wages? Bowling alleys closing down because PinSetters are too high to operate and is more efficient to have string pins?
String pins will probably end up only being used in lower level competitions (when there's little to no money involved) and international events (as installation and running costs of bowling alleys overseas is absurd compared to US). I don't think they'll be dumb enough to use them in national competition
Sounds like the pins are heavier. So leave 9 pounds and drive. So asymmetrical balls won't do well when bowling on strings. I'll do great on string lol ha ha
You’re still on a 5 game streak for free fall
Have we thought about solar panels on top of bowling alleys...... Some type of tax credit break for the proprietor.... I'm advocating for better technology to save money to keep mechanics, to keep those jobs... I mean this is a big deal.... Almost sounds like a monopoly... And the lack of further development or better in advanced technology...
Dublin Bowl has those
@@EricSmyth4Christ has what?
@@fliboimoney solar panels
If they could come up with something that would detect string interference so that pins that are knocked down by the strings are respotted that would make it a little bit better other then the pin carry there's not all that much of a difference other than the false strikes, false spares and the pins being limited in movement a bit.
If i had a freefall bowling alley let bowlero go to string pin take all there business
They should not be in regional tournaments becouse when they reach that level its the PBA next.
Everyone that is anti string pins need to slow their roll... no pun intended.. String pins take away the advantage of high rev rates and places the focus on accuracy and ball motion. Unless any of you complaining have high rev rates or bowl two handed you should want this. After getting torched by two handers in a PBA league because of their pin carry on bad shots, I'm all for this!
I’m a high accuracy low rev 2 hander
I will like them too I think
I agree with your all your observations, but not your conclusions. I've been bowling on string pins for a few months now and I like them. I feel that they've brought some integrity back to the game. Advancing ball technology has made it too easy to create power and wild free fall pin action.
the way to make it less easy is to update/upgrade the difficulty of the oil patterns, including house shots. The pins should be untouched if the idea is to preserve integrity. The physics of pin action and reaction is being removed and that’s a net negative
Two strings pba events E J the best in the world a 2nd and a first still.
This string pin craze pisses me off. Not real bowling
My practice lanes are strings and I enjoy it. It's different and so what?
Wood boards,/synthetic... Plastic/reactive... free-fall/stings... play and adjust.
🙂 Your review was well thought out and honest. As a viewer I definitely don't like it. I guess a bowling center can't have both so they better decide. I agree keep it away from the PBA tournaments. As for league bowlers I'm afraid that's the future. 🔮
🙂 One more thing: The PBA should pay for the mechanic costs for any PBA run tournament on the regular tour.
Synthetic pins are almost just as bad as string pins imo. Absolutely no pin carry whatsoever they might as well be string. There is no way to replicate natural gravity/kinetic energy in bowling. I'd hate to see the switch
I’ve bowled on them like 10 times prolly more and while it’s already a crappy bowling alley the way you described it I think is pretty perfect thinking about it now I can’t remember ever throwing a mixer. So yea whatever keeps bowling alleys open is what I’m in favor of
w
I pray that this string pin stays in the bowlero Family, and not take over the small businesses because everybody's crying about the price of energy. I think developing more efficient motors should be a topic.... Or redevelopment of the pin setters themselves.... Something nobody's talking about.
String pin is not the way to go for this sport. Maybe metal tips and some type of magnet development.... But I have not enjoyed watching the string pin trial and competition over the last couple weeks.... Complete trash for the sport, only benefits the proprietor...
After hearing this, I love the thought of string pins. There are SOOOOOOO MANYYYYYY House hacks and inflated averages that if string pins makes people focus more on having correct ball motion then that only helps the sport of bowling.
Amen
Great observation
TC and Bowlero want strings.
Strings will be a PBA event.
For better or for worse.
How much weight were you rolling? Seems to me if you feel the ball is being "pushed around" a heavier ball might help?
Thanks for the review. I haven't seen a string setter since duckpins in the 70s.
Might have been in the 60s.
Most pros throw 15 I’d assume he does. 1 pound wouldn’t change this
@@razorbear4222 Interesting opinion, thanks!
Heyy mike!!! ❤
The physics involve in the action of the ball hitting the pins and the strings attached to the pins is completely nullified. The strings just takes away how the pins react one way or the other when hit by the bowling ball plus by other pins. It restricts the free movement of the pins when the strings get tangled with each other or restricts the pin when is going one and stops it. This idea of string pin bowling is a very very bad idea. Bowling will go down the crapper. Is this another one of those DEI or Woke progressive movements?
I agree with you. String pins are nice as a recreational activity, but not for PBA events or regional tournaments. I personally would be open to bowling on string pins, but not in competition.
Why would you be opposed to string pins for competition? Everyone would still be competing on the same conditions. 🤔
@@remoevans7847 it’s just my opinion, and I agree with a lot of the things that he said. It’s not that I’m totally opposed to string pins.
The playing field is even for everyone
Strings are poo poo trash can
I’m pretty sure that string pins take away messengers so that is very likely to even the playing field. Good or bad it’s here to stay.