Double Check Your Bowling Ball Specifications

bowlingball.com, Originally Posted: 4/4/2014; Updated: 11/21/2022

Before traveling to a tournament, double check your bowling ball specifications. Tournaments which have official bowling ball weigh-in procedures will decide if your equipment passes USBC specifications based on their own scale and weigh-in methods regardless of your pro shop specifications.

There have been numerous times when a tournament players thinks his or her bowling balls will easily pass USBC certification before traveling to bowl and then encounter a problem upon weighing in the equipment with tournament officials at the event site.
When you ask your pro shop professional, as example, to map out your ball with maximum top weight or use a layout which places side weight or finger weight close to or at the maximum allowable weight under rules of the USBC, the pro shop scale may vary slightly from the scales used by tournament officials and you may end up having to either alter the given bowling ball or not use it at all during tournament play.

It pays to be on the safe side and not drill your equipment where the ball approaches the maximum allowable weight limits. In doing so, you rarely, if ever, will have to make adjustments or toss out a ball you brought with you to a given event.
There is nothing more frustrating than not being able to use your favorite bowling ball on a tournament condition and learn that the tournament officials do not clear the ball for use.
The same holds true for surface hardness. Make double sure that each bowling ball you bring to a tournament easily passes hardness specification limits of 75 on the Durometer device.

Some tournaments do not weigh bowling balls until the player has qualified for a prize or for some form of finals competition. The safest and surest way to avoid problems is to weigh the bowling balls before you begin tournament competition to ensure each ball passes muster.

The USBC allows for 3 ounce  variation from top to bottom and up to 3 ounces of static weight, thumb or finger weight, provided the ball does not have a balance hole (Balance holes have been illegal in USBC sanctioned events since 2018).
The maximum total weight of the ball must not exceed 16.0 pounds after drilling.

Be smart and make sure your equipment is ready for use before traveling to any event where weigh-in procedures are in effect.
If you have any doubts before traveling, get to your local pro shop and double check your equipment.
Know your bowling balls, prepare the surface texture on each ball the way you think best to match with given lane conditions, check inserts for worn areas (if they are used), and enter the tournament with confidence that your equipment is ready to go.