What is "Back Alley"?

Features

Advantages

Bowling Variations

Uses

Health Benefits

Revenue Generation

Leagues

Record-Keeping Software

Tidbits

Bowling Variations

Child Care
Healthy Bodies and Healthy Minds are the Future of our Society

  • Duckpins - The most popular of the small ball games in the 20th century
  • Rubberband Duckpins - A quieter and higher scoring version of duckpins
  • Skittles - The original game with pins

Duckpins
mention 325,000 in america in 1940, the game that pre-dates tenpins...explain 3-ball scoring system

Rubberband Duckpins
A quieter, higher scoring version of duckpins that has been around since 1930. While not prevalent in the continental United States, with only a couple of houses, it's still very popular in the French speaking provinces of Canada. The pins have thick bands around the bellies, and because of this, it's much easier to get a strike. Contrary to popular belief among those not familiar with Rubberband Duckpins, the bands actually deaden the pin action instead of making it more lively, and the players experience a game much closer to tenpin bowling. Players typically roll the ball with a back-spin motion. The reason for this is that Rubberband Duckpin lanes have a ridge in the lane that sits directly in front of the headpin. If the ball is rolling slow enough, it will cross this ridge, and will drop either left or right of this 'reverse dent' in the lane. If a ball is rolling at a normal to fast speed, it tends to glide over the ridge, and thus there's the possibility of the ball chopping straight through the headpin. Players only get 2 balls per frame in "Rubberducks", so if a player does chop the middle, it's very difficult to slide splits because of the band around the pin bellies.

Skittles

Skittles is actually the original game of "pin" bowling, which dates back to ancient Egypt in around 3200 B.C. Back in 1930, archaeologists found a set of bowling balls and pins in an Egyptian child's tomb, and these pins very much resemble one of several styles of English Skittle pins. Ancient artifacts (hieroglyphics) actually show a 9-pin setup in a diamond configuration that is the same as what was later evolving into "Ninepin" bowling. Other forms of ancient bowling are described to be the same as that of today's Lawn Bowling and Bocce. Skittles is played in English pubs in the United Kingdom and is basically a team game in which players don't primarily play for an individual score, although it is tracked. Each player's frame essentially is recognized towards a team total. Skittles is the most difficult "pin bowling" game, and the scores usually end up below 100 per person. There are many variations of Skittles, many of which include a 6-frame game, as opposed to the conventional 10 frames that are a part of the tenpin game. The pins have various shapes and styles, depending on what region of England and Ireland you're visiting. Each player gets 3 balls per turn.

From a business standpoint, a short phrase next to a Day Care listing/advertisement stating, "We now have real Duckpin Bowling" could lure parents to inquiring about the details of a Child Care provider.

Senior Care
There are No Age Limits on Fun

Senior citizens are a natural fit for the BACK ALLEY product. Benefits for this age group of players include:

  • Promotes hand-eye coordination, and steadies balance
  • Muscle tone building through repetition of rolling a ball
  • Provides a focus
  • Allows seniors to re-live past glories, and explore new variations of games (Skittles, for example, has many different, fun versions)
  • Low impact physically. With "small ball bowling", the smaller ball is much easier to handle than a conventional tenpin ball, and thus less jarring on the body. And, with BACK ALLEY, the 'slide' is not a part of the equation and therefore the chance of falling is much less of an issue
  • Relieves stress

Business Promotions"
Announce your 'Brand' to the Public with an Eye-Catching and Inviting Display

UNIQUE, ALLURING, MAGNETIC, ENGAGING: All these adjectives describe the BACK ALLEY unit, which are key factors in attracting customers to your brand. Why are these ingredients important advertisers for your business?

  • Unique: Something new and different gets a person's attention
  • Alluring: People see it and come to it
  • Magnetic: The fascination of seeing a game in action, played by others is entertaining
  • Engaging: There is a temptation to get in on the fun -- attendees soon want to give it a try

School Programs

Bowling as a Physical Education function -- In the 1960s, many high schools in the Washington area featured duckpin bowling as part of the "Phys Ed" curriculum. And back in 1997, a Colorado district featured duckpin bowling in its school educational awareness program.

Party Rentals

Rent a Lane parties are a "natural" for birthday celebrations. Birthdays are one of the dependent sources of revenue for bowling centers

Fire Houses

24-hour shifts can get pretty boring between calls. A bowling lane at the fire house can be a great diversion for our brave figefighters.

Amusement Businesses, Theme Parks, Arcades, and Carnivals

A Skittles lane is the perfect addition to a carnival. The difficulty level for rolling a strike or spare is deceptive, and a viable temptation for customers to give a try.