Bowling ball Bowling ball A bowling ball is a piece of sporting equipment used to hit bowling pins in the sport of bowling. Balls used in ten-pin bowling are typically hard spheres with three holes drilled in them, one each for the ring and middle fingers, and one for the thumb. Regulating bodies such as the USBC maintain requirements for the properties of bowling balls, including size, hardness, and number of holes, as well as maintaining a list of bowling balls approved for competitive play. Other bowling balls, such as those used in five-pin bowling, candlepin bowling, and duckpin bowling are smaller,
Bowling pin Bowling pin Bowling pins are the target of the bowling ball in various bowling games including tenpins, five-pins, duckpins, and candlepins. Pin specifications are set by the United States Bowling Congress (USBC). World Bowling, formerly World Tenpin Bowling Association, has adopted the USBC specifications. Pins are wide at their widest point and tall. They weigh , pins weighing up to are approved. The weight of the pin was originally based on the idea that a single pin should be around 24 percent the weight of the heaviest bowling ball within regulation, . Duckpins are shorter and squatter than standard tenpins.