This story has not been corroborated by any direct sources.
Say it ain't so!
Multiple sources are confirming that Herrill Lanes/ Bowl 360 New Hyde Park and certain Bowlero centers will be converting over to the new string pinsetters starting this summer. One source, who is not directly affiliated with the center, but has been in the past, said that on July 1st, the center will be putting in string pinsetters on 8 different lanes, with 8 additional pinsetters being added every week.
Another source said that the center will take it on a "success" basis, meaning they will start with 8 and add additional string pinsetters until the house is complete, assuming that all goes according to plan and the community is pleased with the new pinsetters. This same source said that Herrill had to decide on string pinsetters now or be placed on a 3-year waiting list behind Bowlero, who may also start putting them in certain centers starting August 1st, which is when they can be sanctionable. The source, who requested anonymity, said that a "string" average would be implemented, but no other source has corroborated this claim. This source claims to have received this information directly from Herrill management, though, again, it has not been corroborated.
String pinsetters have been the talk of the town in recent times. Centers have reluctantly begun considering putting them in centers due to their cheaper associated costs, however the community backlash has put a damper on the potential plans. And with the USBC's official announcement certifying string pinsetter usage, it seems centers are even more inclined to add them to their centers.
The community backlash has been fueled by multiple videos of what seem to be incredibly poor, yet rare, pin action occurring with string pinsetters. As you can from the videos below, some of this pin action involves pins falling without even being hit.
Herrill Management was not available for comment on this story.
Again, this story, while told by multiple sources, has not been confirmed by anyone with direct knowledge of the situation.
