Skeeball Tips

Ha! Bad timing to ask this question I guess....But it did bring up some questions. I have watched plenty of others play skeeball and surprised at how different many approach the game.

For instance - I try to smoothly roll the ball similar to my bowling motion and shoot for the 40 spot - easy to hit and if you miss the result is not drastic.....

But - I have seen some other wild styles like

-- Curving the ball, similar to a hook ball in bowling

-- Throwing the ball as hard as possible and hitting the netting and rebounding into the scoring area....

-- rolling to ball to hit the side boards and deflecting into the scoring area....

Hey! All you skee ball pros, how do you play the game? And what tips would you suggest to someone with their eye on a choice prize...!!!!

My dad taught me (at Cedar Point in the 70's no less) the off the side-rail method.. I think part of it may have been he's a lefty and I'm a right handed person. Some things are difficult to teach based on that alone.

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MF 2000 - 269 laps

MF 2001 - 68 laps as of (6/4/01)

Also an off-the-rail shooter here. Taught by my uncle at Kennywood.

Although he didn't explain it as such, the physics of coming in at an angle are more forgiving on a bad shot than coming in straightaway.

I remember going to the park for community picnics, always knowing where he'd be. I'll bet he'd go through 50 bucks worth of dimes each trip.
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Duane Cahill
Coming soon to a park near Sandusky!

Dimes.....oh those were the days..lol For me..the off the rail thing works too..seems if you try to do it nice and straight..you almost dont do as well. Its kind of like..if you do it perfect..its bound to fail..mess up and you score. Now I have a question..is there anyone out there that can do that game with the circle you have to put around the metal corksrew wire without touching the sides? (forget the name of it) Seems i always get close but never win...is speed the key factor in this game? Seems the more you hesitate..the worse you do and end up backing up farther than what you were...

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The more you ride it, the more you want it!

~~~Darla~~~

Wacky-Wire.. and yes.. I can do that.. but I kinda had an inside line.. My sister worked that game at CP for a summer.. So she explained it to me.

Matter of fact, on May 10th, she flew into town from Portland, we went to CP on the 11th. End of the day, as is tradidtion with my sister and I, we stopped at Wacky Wire.. She walked around.. looking for the tell tale signs of an easy win (the top part of the game is easy.. it's the 2 last turns at the bottom that get you, always find one with a longer straight-away at the bottom, more forgiving).

She walks up.. gives her $2 for 3 tries.. and messes up the first one, as she paused when she should have gone for the kill.. Stepped back.. and got it within about 15 seconds.. She picked her prize (which always seems to end up belonging to my daughter, she has a prize from that booth from every season the past 5 years).

I took the 3rd try and paused like she did and messed it up. I love that game...

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MF 2000 - 269 laps

MF 2001 - 68 laps as of (6/4/01)

I prefer playing the straight down the lane method. I seem to score better doing that. When I play off the rail the deflection varies the speed of each throw. By the way did you ever notice that most skee ball lanes always have one ball that is totally oblong preventing it from rolling true.

yes, especially if you dont pay attention. I actually try to move the ball in my hand to feel the concentricity so to speak.....and also like to roll with the dark brown stripe in the center to see the true roll and how I am rolling it....Also, staying at the same machine when I find one that seems to work....

I am nearly a scratch bowler, so I do find the "down the lane" method to work for me, when I am in a groove, I can rack it up.....The biggest problem for me is nerves, when I get to that key ball, I tend to think about it too much....Might tend to throw it too hard, etc....

I will certainly try the "off the rail" method, which may take the pressure off of a key ball.

I am also a bowler and I use the strait down the middle technique...it seems to work for me, just gotta get into a groove...

I'm an off the side rail guy, too. As explained to me by my Grandfather (on a miniature golf course, but it applies equally well here)...it is easier to consistently hit a given point that is closer to you than one that is further away. Us "side guys" are trying to hit a spot that's approx. 8 feet away (have no idea the length of the Skeeball alley), while you "middle guys" are trying to hit a spot that's 10 feet away. When the Skeeball attendants are working on a machine and have to get rid of the balls up the alleys, most that I've seen use the side rail technique. Is there any way to get the 100 point target up top and off to the sides? The only time I've ever seen people get those is by rolling too hard and getting a crazy rebound.

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He's a Skeeball wizard...how do you think he does it? (I don't know!) What makes him so good?

I just bank my shots off the side walls, when I am wamred up I can get perfect 360 games (9 40 point scores) I already won the huge 12ft long choice prize in the main arcade!

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daniel j. haverlock
'01 magnum: 302 (now thinking about 1000)
'01 force: 16

Can I have your prize Dan? And can you autograph it for me...you big T.V. star you!
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The more you ride it, the more you want it!

~~~Darla~~~ *** This post was edited by tohot2se on 6/9/2001. ***