Ten-pin bowling duckpin bowling (conceived in 1895), popular in the Northeast United States, as well as Canada's own sport of five-pin bowling, all three of which use smaller diameter, lighter weight bowling balls when compared to tenpin bowling, without the necessity for finger holes in them. The , lane is bordered along its length by semicylindrical channels called "gutters", which are designed to collect errant balls. The overall width of the lane including the channels is . The narrow lane prevents bowling a straight line at the angle required to consistently carry (knock down) all ten pins for a strike. Most skillful
Bowling ball lighter, and without holes, so that they may be held in the palm of the bowler's hand. Most bowling alleys provide balls for patrons to use within the establishment, often referred to as "house balls." Key properties of ten-pin bowling balls include surface friction, porosity, and mass distribution, which affect the motion of the ball as it rolls. These properties are varied to control how much a ball will slide through the oily surface of a typical bowling lane, and how easily a ball will change direction when the roll is combined with rotational motion. Friction and porosity are variables