Pat Tropeano and his friends play shufflepin, a shuffleboard/bowling hybrid game, once a week. The game is similar to traditional shuffleboard, but requires a bowling pin towards the front of the ranking zone, according to Tropeano of the Village of Dunedin.
Shufflepin, according to Tropeano, keeps him mentally focused because of the technique involved. Although physical strength isn’t needed, you must be a good judge of how much energy you put into each turn.
The aim is to play a typical shuffleboard game without hitting the pin over. If you hit the pin down, you will lose ten points.
Tropeano advised, “You have to really plan out your shots. You want to make sure you place them (the discs) right in the middle of each scoring zone because if your disc touches a line it doesn’t count.”
Tropeano added that you must also acknowledge when your rival takes their turn. “They could place a block with one of their discs you have to go around, or they could knock one of your discs that scored a point out of place.
Shufflepin entails a considerable amount of planning. What appears to be a decent shot at the start of the round could end up costing you a lot of points by the end.
Tropeano explained, “It’s a mixture of offensive and defensive playing. You want to play hard to make sure you get more points first, but you don’t want to leave yourself vulnerable.
The team is comprised of players who use a range of offensive and defensive strategies.
Even though the team can become competitive during games, everyone realizes that once the games are over, they will all be friends again. Also, a little playful taunting or mocking during games will make them perform better.
Tropeano said the players sometimes get together for lunch after games, but it isn’t something they do every week.
“It’s a fun way for us to keep hanging out as a group.”
– Attributed Source, The Villages Daily Sun