One can’t go south to compete in the sport of Five-Pin Bowling, but our Canadian neighbors invite us to cross the border (after we have all been Covid vaccinated) and leave your regular size bowling balls at home.

Five-pin bowling is a bowling variant which is played in Canada, where many bowling alleys offer it, and it is still popular today. 

The layout of the bowling pins is shown in the diagram.

The five-pin bowling was devised around 1909 by Thomas F. Ryan in Toronto, Ontario, at his Toronto Bowling Club.

The game came into reality in response to customers who complained that the ten-pin game was too strenuous. 

What they did was cut five tenpins down to about 75% of their size, and used hand-sized hard rubber balls, thus inventing the original version of five-pin bowling. 

The Canadian 5 Pin Bowlers Association (C5PBA) have now approved balls with holes made by one manufacturer.

At the end of the lane there are five pins arranged in a V. They are midway in size between duckpins and ten pins, and they have a heavy rubber band around the middles to make them move farther when struck. 

Unlike any other form of bowling in North America, the pins in five pin bowling are worth different scoring point values depending on their location in the V-formation.

The center pin is worth five points if knocked down, those on either side three points each and the outermost pins two points each, giving a total of 15 points in each frame.

In each frame, each player gets three attempts to knock all five pins over. Knocking all five pins down with the first ball is a strike, worth 15 points. A bowler who takes two balls to knock all the pins down gets a spare, which means the first ball in the next frame counts double.

Five-pin bowling allows for more strategy in its play than the ten-pin variant because of the point value for each pin.

An interesting different version of our sport of bowling. We want to try this game and will have to put this on the agenda for the next trip across the border.

Agapito III Bowls 300 and 741

Pedro Agapito III of Liberty recorded a nice 741 series off a perfect 300 game and a 215, 226 in the Tuesday Mixed league October 25 at Memory Lanes (formerly Port Jervis Bowl).

Agapito bowls in several leagues at Memory Lanes and maintains a 234 average in the Tuesday league. He bowls with the Renegades team and teammates TC Conklin, Robert Ulrichs and Robert Jahn.

Bowling Tip by Mike Luongo

The tip this week deals with the upper body position when delivering the bowling ball.

Many bowlers worry too much about their steps and footwork, giving little thought to their upper body position. 

In the past, most new bowlers were told that you must use a four-step approach and push the ball away on the first step. This advice was generally imparted by someone with the word “coach” lettered on their shirt. Unfortunately, this advice is pure rubbish.

First, all bowlers have different body types, different flexibility and different lengths to their arms and legs.

So how is it possible that everyone can effectively use the same four step approach? They can’t.

If you look back at the legends of the game, did any two bowlers have the same style? No.

The most important thing is to get the bowler’s body in the correct position. Head over the ball with the bowling shoulder tilted to the ball side. In this way, the feet will go where they must so that you do not fall.

The bottom line is, if you are someone who works with new or youth bowlers, you must understand that everyone has different physiology, so you need to help them get their body into the correct position and not focus on how many steps they take (or how these steps are taken) to get to the foul line.

Local Highlights

Memory Lanes

(Formerly Port Jervis Bowl)

Monday Night Mixed

Carena Collura 188, 514, Jaryl Scott 264, 700, Vinnie Collura 254, 704, Mike Scuderi 235, 629, Paul Minton 248, 684, Marianna Monaco 254, 669, Bill Schubert 249, 650, Kevin Stackhouse 247, 680, Keith Smith 215, 611, Victor Claisse Jr. 246, 604, Chris Morgan Jr. 267, 681, Lincoln Ranich 268, 738.

Tuesday Mixed

Marisa Waehler 218, 600, Peter Waeher 268, 642, Richard Gaglione 237, Wayne Sniffen 239, 697, Fran Luzzi 236, 613, Kyle Felter 245, 692.

P.J. City League

Matthew Terwilliger 236, 641, Derick  Brown 225, Jeff Brown 236, 639, Shrek 246, 662, Francis Luzzi 227, Stewart Stevens 228, Derek Delaney 273, 676, Kyle Stevens 255, 725, John Jashembowski 278, 709, Justin Traynor 249, 616, Steven Fairweather 235, 605, Pat Morgan 235, 670, Chris Morgan Sr. 225, 623, Pedro Agapito III a 269, 699, Chris Morgan Jr. 290, 764, Tom Hinkley 235, 661, Gary Kinne 247, 700, Joe Miedema 219, 602, Marcus Guzman 214, 620, Mike Holt 259, 736, Tommy Palmer 226, 653.

Thursday Women’s

Sandy Short Marchese 201, 516, Erin McDonagh179, 509, Carol Flynn191, 501, Kim Witkowski 190, 476, Michele Macedonio 192, 467, Carrie Ann Greiner 189.

Ray Willis Sr. Memorial League

Doug Romer Jr. 245, 700, Brigette Willis 184, 509, Brett Romer 238, 637, Jacob Loske 247, 632, Wayne Sniffen Jr. 287, 703, Justin Drew 240, 651, Steve Hess 232, 623, J R Drew213, 600, Brooke Csencsits 223, 619, Jason Csencsits 247, 689, Otto Banghart 232, Anka Scott 258, 611, Jaryl Scott 236, 680, Steven Knapp 223, 625, Kyle Felter 223, 620, Lincoln Ranich 227, 639, Junior Morgan Jr. 276, 745, Michele Bensley 208, 570, Sean Pittack 234, 640, Ray Willis Jr. 247, 671, Neal Bensley 224, 617, Greg Robinson 250, 665, Sherri Laird 194, 545, Matt Shauger 227, 672, Jason Markle 244, 709.

Fox Bowling Center

Wednesday Independent

Doc Bolduc 267, 657, Shane Dirig 265, 698, Mike Dufton 248, 672, Chad Gardepe 263, 701, Bill Gleim 215, 625, Paul Gordon 222, 617, Rob Johnson 226, 692, Dan Keesler 245, 649, Donnie Marino 230, 683, Mitch Persbacker 279, 704, Aaron Phillips 252, 601, Zuke Wormuth 257, 669, Jay Wormuth 226, 634.

Thursday Night 3

Ray Cornwell 257, 686, Shane Dirig 222, 615, Paul Gordon 235, 600, Dennis Leonard 248, 606, Rick Mills 237, 657, Anthony Seely 243, 651, Chris Wadeson 225, 658, Dan Wormuth 220, 648.

Friday Couples

Andy Bullis 225, 622, Dale Conklin 241, 636, Melinda Conklin 212, 540, Missy Dunlap 180, Brianna Meres 201, 582, Chris Meres 245, 633, Rick Mills 267, 684, Jay Wormuth 234, Jeremy Wormuth 230.

Sunday Mixed

Mike Bowker 235, 687, Don Marino 225, 651.

Fox Youth Mixed

Joshua Dunlap 126, 352, Landon Fuller 161, 317, Landyn Robinson 161, 390, Blake Stanton 116, 305, Carter Wormuth 180, 472, Cooper Wormuth115, 299, Luke Wormuth 117, 314.

Quinnz Pinz Middletown

Wednesday 3 Person

J.J. Wilhelm 205, Jon Wilhelm 246, 614, Tom Belgiovene 214, Larry Whipple 198, Keith Smith 198, Kevin Stackhouse 213, Kyle Giodano 279, 748.