What is the best way to score high at skee ball?
The only article I could find on the Internet says to bank it off the sides, because that target was closer – that seems good for making 30’s, but Chuck-E-Cheese pays a huge bonus at 50’s. Any skee-ball masters out there?
Absolutely bank it off the sides. I have had my best scores doing so. You will consistently get 30’s minimum if you do it right, not to mention the occasional 40 and 50. On a regular 9-ball machine, you’ll get an average of 300 points per game, which is pretty good when compared to rolling head-on (at least from my experience). I guess it’s because your target is only half-way down the alley, as opposed to the full way down. Whatever the reason, banking off the sides is without a doubt, in my experience, the preferred skee-ball method.
[On a side note, does anyone know where I can buy a skee ball machine cheap? I thought of building one myself, but it wouldn’t be the same. I’d love to have one for my basement. I’ve found some online, but they were new and cost thousands of dollars. Maybe an arcade-supply type store? Do these exist?]
I disagree. I’ve found that feeling for the right “bump” in a head-on shot works best for consistent 50’s. Release the ball briskly and as late as possible. If it rolls smooth and not too fast, it should hit the bump just right for a 40 or 50. If the ball sounds sharp when it hits the lane, you can forget it. It takes some practice and not every lane feels the same.
I don’t mean to brag, but at Dave & Buster’s one night I was able to score 8 out of 9 50’s using the bank method (my first shot was a 30). I actually drained the machine of tickets, and had to wait for the manager to come out and give me the rest.
I have never been able to replicate that, or even come close, but I do normally get pretty good scores (300 avg is probably about right) with the bank.
I didn’t realize that other people had written articles about the bank shot. I figured it out after watching a coworker’s 7 year old rack up about 350 points by wildly flinging them, most of which went off the sides.
A couple of years ago a laudromat near my apartment was selling off their video games and skeeball machines. IIRC, the videogames (standup arcade systems) were about $500 -$800 (I bought their Tempest for $600) but the skeeball machines (lanes? ramps?) were something like $2000. I was quite shocked at that, especially since these ones in particular sucked, they were really short, like about a 6 foot total run.
I just checked, and there are actually a couple full sized ones on sale at ebay for a lot less than that.
I’m not sure there’s a right answer here, so I’ll send this over to IMHO.
I learned that training myself to release the ball at the right time and with the right amount of force, sending it right up the center, was a lot easier to do than bank off the sides. You still consistently get 30s, but it takes some practice.
There are few things more disappointing than seeing a skee-ball aimed directly for the 50, but bouncing off a divider and rolling sadly into the 10 hole.
Sounds like a great debate to me.
I’d consider asking a pool or billiards expert what the effect of the bank is. But I would suspect that since you are starting at a certain point and aiming much closer, the friction/reaction in the bounce is going to tend to flatten range of angles that are possible when it comes off the side. So once you find the right spot to aim for it will dramatically improve the aim.
[homer simpon} skeeee balllllll. [/HS]
Is there anything out there that is more addictive and legal and fat/carb free than skee ball?
I wish I could save up the coupons for something useful, like a new car.
No?
Crap, just give me the monster sized day-glo-orange toy store reject for 9,000 points please.