The Basics of Shuffleboard Bowling

10 pin fanatics with shuffleboard tables, get ready for your new favorite game… Shuffleboard bowling! Though you may already be familiar with many of the common tabletop games, shuffleboard bowling is a new take on a classic game that combines two fun activities into one. Unless you live at the White House, you’ll have to head to the local bowling alley to fulfill your bowling needs. However, with a shuffleboard table at home, you can turn it into a miniature lane so that you can bowl to your heart’s content.

The Setup Of Shuffleboard Bowling

At McClure Tables, we offer shuffleboard bowling pins crafted to the proper scale of of our tables. Available in plastic and wooden varieties, you can also purchase a set with or without a wooden rack. Similar to the racks used in billiards or lane setters on a bowling alley, this device simplifies the setup process and provides you with a neat and clean triangle formation for your pins.

The main difference between shuffleboard bowling and regular bowling is that shuffleboard bowling nixes the bowling ball in favor of — you guessed it — shuffleboard weights or pucks. The well-crafted, smooth surfaces of shuffleboard tables are perfect for use as bowling lanes, and you’ll even build up strength as a shooter for traditional shuffleboard play.

Apart from setting up the pins, which you can do very easily if you have a wooden rack to use, the rules of shuffleboard bowling are pretty similar to the rules of conventional lane bowling. If you don’t have a rack to use, line up four pins along the 3-point section, three pins in front of those within the 3-point section, two more pins in front of those in the 2-point section, and one more pin in front of those within the 2-point section. All the pins are lined up and spaced apart identically to regular bowling pins.

The Scoring Of Shuffleboard Bowling

Another fun aspect to shuffleboard bowling is that you can play with as many people as you like. Each player gets two turns with their shuffleboard weight. If all pins are knocked down on the first try, you have yourself a strike. Rather than scoring 10 for the frame, the player will score 10 plus the total amount knocked down during both turns in the next frame. If all pins are knocked down on the second try, you have yourself a spare. Instead of scoring 10 for the frame, the player will score 10 plus the total amount knocked down during the first turn in the next frame. As you can see, scoring is the same as regular bowling as points are tallied based on how many pins are knocked down.

Shuffleboard bowling also consists of ten frames, so each player gets twenty opportunities to knock down the pins while also working on their shooting skills. Just as in regular bowling, if a strike or spare is scored on the last frame, the lucky shooter gets one extra frame to bowl. The winner is the player with the highest score!

The Strategy of Shuffleboard Bowling

The basics of shuffleboard bowling aren’t much different from the basics of traditional bowling, so anyone who casually bowls can hop right in and play. Shuffleboard players will have to adjust their shooting techniques since shuffleboard bowling calls for a different kind of strategy. Traditional shuffleboard play doesn’t require that you aim for the center, whereas shuffleboard bowling does. While you might normally shoot from the side of the table, that may not be an effective move for bowling.

It’s important to bowl your weight down the board evenly and smoothly, so you can avoid the shuffleboard version of a gutterball. Feel free to try using both hands to send your weight flying, as you will have increased control and the potential for improved accuracy. On the other hand, using only your palm to move the weight could grant you better balance. Try a few different methods to create your own unique shuffleboard bowling style.

As if you needed another reason to add a shuffleboard table to your life, now you know that they can double as mini-bowling lanes. Shuffleboard aficionados and casual players alike can appreciate the variety in gameplay, as well as the chance to help you hone your shuffleboard skills. For hours of entertainment and a fresh use for shuffleboard tables, you just can’t go wrong with shuffleboard bowling.