Spots: The Perfect Game for Solo-Relaxation

Although shuffleboard tables are great for get-togethers, you don’t have to limit the gameplay to when friends or family are around. In fact, if you want some alone time to get your mind off of the stresses of the day, there are games you can play on your own that are great skill-builders and the perfect outlets to vent your frustrations.

Spots is the name of one game that challenges both a player’s lagging and sticking abilities. What makes this game unique is that the only competition a player has is against themselves, as they work to better their score with each round they play.

The game is split up into eight different frames, with the player alternating which end of the table they shoot from each frame. Three blue weights are placed along the left side of the table at different intervals, while the fourth blue weight is set aside for the time being. The first blue puck is placed a few inches away from the left gutter on the closest foul line. Halfway between the first and second foul lines sits the second blue weight just touching the left gutter. The third puck should be straddling the gutter on the second foul line.

From there, the player uses all four red weights to knock the blue ones off the table, earning them a point as long as their red weight doesn’t fall into the gutter. Should the player get all of the blue pucks off the table, the extra blue weight that was set aside in the beginning can be used to score an extra point. A perfect frame could give a shooter five points in total.

This first frame is called lefts down, while the second frame, because you switch sides this time, will be called lefts up, as you will still place the blue weights along the left gutter given your perspective. You then switch it up for the next two rounds, aiming for the right gutter instead of the left, and for the fifth and sixth round, up the ante by aligning the pucks down the middle of the table. For the last two frames, the player makes an arrow in the far foul lane and shoots testing their lagging ability.

For this game, you can either challenge a friend or practice on your own.