You may be a casual, once-in-a-while bowler or you may be the certified league bowler, but the USBC is responsible for the equipment you are allowed to use in bowling. Let's go over some of the basics of equipment specifications for the sport of bowling.

The United States Bowling Congress (USBC) is the governing body tasked with certifying all the equipment used in our sport. Without the USBC, there might be chaos. There would be no standards nor would there be rules and regulations.

Here are some of the basics you should know regardless of which category of bowler you fit into:

1) The bowling ball is about 8-1/2 inches in diameter. The total distance around the ball (circumference) is 27 inches. There is no minimum amount that a ball can weigh; but, the maximum is 16 pounds. There are various types of materials that the ball can be made of such as polyester, urethane, particle, and reactive-resin.

2) The bowling pin is 15 inches tall and 4-11/16 inches at its widest part.. Each pin can weigh between 3 lbs 6 oz and 3 lbs 10 oz. In the normal bowling centers, the lower weight pins are used. The Professional Bowlers Tour was authorized to use the heavier weight pins starting in 1998.

3) The bowling lane is 60 feet long from the front bowling pin (the #1 pin or "headpin") to the foul line. It is 42 inches wide. From the center of the headpin to the very back of the bowling lane is 2 feet, 10-3/16 inches. This makes the overall length or a regulation lane 62 feet, 10-3/16 inches.

4) The approach area where you walk to deliver the ball down the lane is 12 feet from the foul line to the first line. It is an additional 3 feet to the second (or back) line. The total length of the approach area cannot be less than 15 feet.

5) The width of the playing area of the lane, as previously mentioned, is 42 inches. It is comprised of 39 "boards" which are marked in groups of 5 (the triangular arrowheads on the lane playing surface) from side to side.

There are no defined specifications for bowling bags and bowling shoes, however, manufacturers continue to strive for better fashion and practicality. Multiple-ball bags have made it easier to carry your arsenal to the bowling centers.

The personal bowling shoes have the sole opposite the sliding foot made of a non-slip surface for better traction as you walk on the approach to release your ball. For the sliding foot, there are now accessories (foot sock) or Teflon sole surfaces that allow you to slide even if you step in liquids.

Looking over the history of bowling, 2-holed, wooden bowling balls were replaced by 3-fingered rubber bowling balls. They were then replaced by polyester (plastic), urethane, particle (a hybrid particle), and reactive-resin bowling balls.

As far as pins are concerned, they have evolved from "wooden sticks" to a more durable wood-core with a plastic coating around them. Recent technology has brought to existence "synthetic pins."

Bowling lanes themselves have come from three different types of wood to the now more common synthetic lanes which are more durable and tend to last longer than the older wooden type.

As far as you are concerned, items #2 thru #5, above will more than likely never vary from the currently established standards.

What you should watch are the advancements in bowling ball technology and bowling lane oil specifications. These two variables are the most likely to change in the near future as the sport of bowling continues to advance in popularity and participation.

A Hui Hou! (See you again)