Bowlers in Dauphin may notice something new on the 10-pin lanes at Parkway Lanes.

The local bowling alley had the latest 10-pin string machines installed last week.

These highly efficient systems represent a major step forward in bowling technology.

Parkway Lanes proprietor Frank Scinocca said the facility used to use the free-fall system.

“And these new machines are on strings. And they’re highly efficient,” he said, adding it is the same pins that go up and down, so they will have to rotate the pins every so often.

“That’s part of the maintenance to replace the pins, because certain ones get hit more often,” Scinocca added.

Scinocca said the USB 24-volt 10-pin String Pinsetters system will likely be in most bowling centres.

“It’s just the latest technology and they’re even using it on the pro tours now. So it’s certified and accepted, even by professionals,” he said.

Bowlers may not noticed much of a difference. In some other bowling centres, Scinocca noted, the strings knock over the corner pins.

“The ones we put in are top of the line and they guarantee the strings will not knock over the corner pins,” he said.

Scinocca noted there are few breakdowns with the string system.

“You can go a week without an issue, which is wonderful, really,” he said.

The machines are made in Italy. But, Scinocca said it is cheaper to bring a small order like his through the US.

“And then we have to pay the dollar difference,” he said, adding the cost is approaching $200,000.

Scinocca first started thinking about it three or four months ago.

“All the proprietors who put these in are so happy. They said in some cases they got their life back instead of sitting back there all day and set pins or fix jams,” he said, adding there is still maintenance to it, but not as much as the old system.

Work began, Oct. 14, and was expected to take about a week. The work was done by a company which travels around the world doing such replacements.

“We want to try them out while they’re still here and work out any kinks, any issues at all, which would be nice,” Scinocca said.