How can I tell if my bowling ball is "legal" for tournaments?

Question

for instance i'm going to bowl in the Hoinke Classic in Cincinnati and in the rules your ball has to be legal for weight, balance, etc...

I don't want to do the obvious and go to my house pro shop, just kinda figure out for myself really.

Answer 1

You should consult the rules guy at this tournament to know ahead of time b4 your game day.

Good luck!

Answer 2

You're not going to be able to figure this out on your own, but really, you shouldn't have to figure it out anyway.  Ball "legality" is a matter of weight distribution.  Here is the rule that applies directly from bowl.com:

"For a ball weighing 10.01 pounds or more:

a)  Not more than three ounces difference between the top of ball (finger hole side) and the bottom (solid side opposite finger holes).

b)  Not more than one ounce difference between the sides to the right and left of the finger holes or between the sides in front and back of the finger holes."

The reason I say that you shouldn't have to check this yourself is, any decent pro-shop operator checks the ball after it is drilled to make sure it is legal.  That's not to say that people make mistakes or some drillers are too lazy to check, but hopefully, the guy who drilled your equipment has already checked the legality.  I was not aware of the Hoinke checking equipment, but if they are checking, they are using a special scale used specifically for bowling balls that check the top and side weight.  I doubt you have one of these scales in your basement.  If you have any doubts, take your equipment to your local pro shop and ask them to check it.  I know that's not the answer you want, but it really is your only option.

Answer 3

I'm pretty sure unless you bowl an award score or finish high in the tournament they won't check your equipment.  But just in case, I would go to another shop in the area and have them check.

Answer 4

usually the ball will say if its usbc certified. it will have the usbc mark on it, but just in case go to a proshop or a bowling coach