4 ms·

If you have a 7-10 split, generally you will want to pick up the one point (almost guaranteed) instead of trying for a trick shot that is almost a guaranteed gu

• panda-giddiness 6y ago
  This was my impression, too, until I watched the video linked elsewhere in this thread [1]. Frankly, we were wrong. Your reasoning holds for why certain splits aren't converted (eg, the Greek split, as explained in the video), but that's not the reason 7-10 splits are almost never converted. Essentially, 7-10 splits are rarely converted because they're virtually impossible. In fact, the only reason they can be converted is because it's possible for the pin to bounce off the machinery -- it would be impossible for a human to throw a ball such that the pin flew 90 deg from impact towards the other pin. Notice that a rubber (?) mat protects the machinery behind the pins, thereby removing energy from the collision and making the shot even more difficult. So even with skill, the shot still boils down to almost entirely luck. Moreover, the strategy for hitting a 7-10 split isn't much different from just hitting a single pin; the only difference when attempting to convert the split is the amount of force the bowler applies on the ball (apply as much force as possible). The shot really is just that difficult. --- [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26786469 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26786469