A variation on the standard 10-pin bowling experience, duckpin bowling is often considered a more challenging version of its 10-pin counterpart. The main reasons for this can be attributed to the smaller pins and balls. The game is so challenging in fact that no one has ever recorded a perfect game in duckpin bowling, with the closest being attributed to a Connecticut man in 1992 who bowled a 279.
While the duckpins are arranged in the same way as a traditional 10-pin, the smaller pin size, the space between pins and the smaller ball make it challenging to get a strike. The game is so popular that there’s actually a National Duckpin Bowling Congress (NDBC) that hosts many tournaments, leagues and even ranks bowlers in the top 20 nationally.
The rules are also slightly different in a duckpin game. While duckpin has a 10-frame game, bowlers actually get three balls per frame in duckpin. For points, a strike earns 10 points plus the next two balls rolled for a max of 30 points. A spare earns 10 points plus the pins in the third roll and “ten” is knocking down all 10 pins in three rolls.
The New York Times published an article a few years back about the world of duckpin bowling. While many likely didn’t realize duckpin bowling has been around since the early 1900s, it is experiencing a revival of sorts, but not in the traditional bowling alley or duckpin alley venue. Many entertainment and food and drink businesses are starting to incorporate duckpin experiences into their venues to offer bowling without having to take up the space traditional bowling does.
BrewDog Brewery Case Study
We recently completed an installation in Germany for our friends at Brew Dog, an international brewery chain that is known for offering unique customer experiences at their locations. It was a custom job and we were tasked with incorporating the duckpin lanes in a way that fits in with the brewery’s aesthetic and theme.
From a business strategy perspective, the incorporation of duckpin bowling offered several benefits for the brewery. In addition to another revenue stream, the lanes help to increase time spent at the business, and therefore increase the likelihood of more spent on food and drinks than they would if they were simply coming to eat and drink.
In addition, there’s the “wow” factor that patrons experience when coming to the brewery. Even if they don’t play a game of duckpin, the bowling atmosphere creates an energy and excitement that is memorable and unique, especially since most breweries don’t offer this kind of entertainment for their guests. So in addition to being memorable, it’s a key competitive differentiator.
Conclusion
While the game is slightly different than the traditional 10-pin bowling experience, duckpin offers a unique bowling experience for non-traditional bowling venues. From bars and breweries, entertainment centers and arcades, duckpin is a great option if you’re looking to incorporate the bowling experience, add a new revenue source and keep people having fun for hours. Duckpin also makes a great bowling option for an in-home installation that doesn’t have enough space for a traditional lane.
For more on Funk’s duckpin offering, click here, or feel free to contact us with any of your questions.
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