Why Andy Varipapa's Trick Shots Still Hit Different

Is this worth your time?

If you have any soft spot for vintage instructional shorts or just want to see a guy in a crisp shirt make a bowling ball do things that shouldn't be physically possible, then absolutely yes. It’s short, it’s punchy, and it doesn't try to be anything other than a showcase for Andy Varipapa’s absolute wizardry.

If you're looking for a plot, or character arcs, or some kind of profound statement on modern life, keep walking. This is just a man, a ball, and some pins. And honestly, that’s plenty.

There’s something hypnotic about the way Varipapa grips the ball. He explains the form with the kind of casual confidence you only get from someone who has spent more time at the lanes than in their own living room. He makes it look like breathing.

Then the trick shots start. It’s like watching a magic trick where you know exactly how it’s done, yet your brain still refuses to believe it. He’s throwing two balls at once, he’s hitting pins that shouldn't be in the line of fire, and he’s doing it all with that same polite, steady smile.

Oddly specific things I noticed:

• The way the sound of the ball hitting the pins feels so much crunchier in these old films compared to today's plastic-on-plastic clatter.
• The complete lack of digital scoreboards. It’s just people and math, which feels strangely refreshing.
• Varipapa’s shoes. I don't know why, but they look like they’ve seen a thousand strikes and not a single complaint.

It’s funny how much more interesting this is than some of the over-produced sports documentaries I’ve seen lately. There is no swelling orchestral score trying to force me to feel inspired. There is just the sound of the ball rolling and the pins flying.

Watching this reminded me a bit of the simplicity in The Awful Truth, where the focus is entirely on the performance and the rhythm of the scene. You don't need a massive budget to hold an audience’s attention; you just need someone who is legitimately the best in the world at whatever they are doing.

There’s a moment where he sets up a shot that looks like total nonsense. You think, there is no way that ball is hitting anything but the gutter. And then it curves just enough. The pins scatter like they’re afraid of him.

It’s not a masterpiece. It’s just a cool thing captured on film. Sometimes that’s all a movie needs to be to win me over. 🎳