At the Core: Authentic Skee-Ball® Balls

Skee-Ball balls, at the core, are a symphony of sounds reminiscent of some of our fondest memories. 

"The balls are all released at once and proceed down the ramp in unison, one after the other, so they all come to a near-simultaneous stop when the bottom ball reaches the base of the ramp - producing a spectacularly satisfying Click! sound that resonates throughout the room. 

The appeal of the click - which is actually comprised of eight separate and distinct mini-clicks, separated by a nanosecond as each ball collides with the one in front of it - is hard to describe, but it's one of those exquisitely perfect noises that's exciting and comforting all at once."

Ah...we can just hear it now. One might wonder: what are Skee-Ball® balls made of?

What are Skee-Ball® balls made of?

The click is also an unmistakably organic sound, because Skee-Ball balls are made of wood -- or rather a wood composite, which is a blend of things like wood, sawdust, and other compound additives. 

In introducing our Skee-Ball alleys designed specifically for the home, is was imperative to mimic the full arcade-sized alleys, with alleys scaled down to 80% of the size for a more home friendly footprint. With the scaling down of the cabinet, also came the scaling down of the game balls, just slightly. The Skee-Ball Premium Home Arcade alley comes with slightly smaller balls, made of the same wood composite material. 

Regulation size Skee-Ball® balls are 3.25" round, while game balls designed specifically for home Skee-Ball alleys are slightly smaller, measuring 2.75" round. 

There is a slight difference with particular Skee-Ball alleys, however. It was made clear that some families and home settings were more conducive to "home friendly balls." Our Skee-Ball Deluxe balls are made of high density rubber. The game play is the same, but the feel is different as it is a lighter weight ball. Or as we say a "dry wall" friendly ball!

Wood composite, huh?

Preserving the traditional feel of the authentic, original Skee-Ball balls is extremely important, and the woodgrain composite material does just that, in a way that offers a promise of greater durability as compared to pure woods. 

In a similar way you may have heard of wood composite baseball bats, these Skee-Ball balls have a significantly longer lifespan, especially with repeat use, force, and activity - that is sure to come with game after game of your favorite pastime.

How many balls do you get in an authentic Skee-Ball® game? 

In classic 9-ball Skee-Ball games, each player rolls nine (9) balls up the ramp into the targets, high score wins. Various Skee-Ball models come with varying numbers of balls included, simply because the ball return mechanism is different on each - requiring more or less balls fed back simultaneously. 

Other variations of games you can play on an authentic Skee-Ball alley, create a fun "change of pace," and include games like: 

Three-Ball: A twist on Classic, each player rolls three frames of three (3) balls each, high score wins.

Speed: Players roll balls as fast as they can for 30 seconds, high score wins.

Countdown: Players roll three (3) balls at a time to countdown from 310 to exactly zero. First player to zero wins. Note: If you bust, your turn is over for that round.

Light ‘em up: Players roll three (3) balls at a time, aiming to hit each target once. The goal is to hit each target with the least amount of balls. Note: You only need to hit one of the ‘hundo’ targets.

Blackjack: Each player is dealt a random card. Roll one (1) ball at a time to reach exactly twenty-one. Don’t bust or your game is over. Game ends after completing the round in which any player scores a twenty-one.

Ever made up your own game while playing a Skee-Ball alley? We want to hear about it!