In the past, bowling ball motion was examined using visual analysis. That analysis led to the conclusion that bowling balls go through three distinct phases of motion, skid, roll, and hook, in that order; however, that conclusion was proven inaccurate when USBC Equipment Specifications and Certification department researchers examined the results of the
Bowling Ball Motion Study, which, through the use of equations and graphical data analysis, definitively proved that the actual progression is
skid,
hook and
roll.
United States Bowling Congress (USBC) test robot E.A.R.L. recently made headlines as the cover story of Design News magazine’s Mechatronics supplement.
Design News is a leading technical resource, providing technology news, opinion, and analysis, for engineers and engineering managers. The article detailed how designers created E.A.R.L. (Enhanced Automated Robotic Launcher) with the ability to release a ball with precise accuracy under a wide range of velocity, loft and axis rotation variables.
The United States Bowling Congress has named Herman Glenn (pictured) to the position of Director of Equipment Specifications for the sport's national governing body. Glenn will oversee the USBC team which primarily performs advanced testing and research on bowling balls, lanes, pins and lane dressing to ensure that all equipment meets guidelines set by the organization before it is used in USBC competition. Glenn, a USBC Bronze coach studied electrical engineering at the University of Toledo. 
In an epic battle of man versus machine, the newest member of the Equipment Specifications and Certifications team at the USBC showed off its skills against USBC spokesperson and PBA star Chris Barnes (r.) at the International Bowling Campus on Tuesday. Barnes prevailed, 259-209, but he knows the score does not reflect how
significant E.A.R.L. ultimately will be in industry research. 
After months of calibrations and testing, the newest member of the Equipment Specifications and Certifications team at the United States Bowling Congress is ready to be introduced to the world on Oct. 19. The new addition isn't a scientist, however, it's a state-of-the-art ball-throwing robot named E.A.R.L. (Enhanced Automated Robotic Launcher), which is designed to be able to simulate any type of bowling style with an accuracy and consistency on the lanes that no human bowler can achieve.
The United States Bowling Congress has approved a new specification for bowling pin permit renewals. The change is designed to ensure that pins manufactured annually are comparable to the material of the originally approved pin. The new specification requirement will be enforced for the 2010-11 season and only affects manufacturers. "This specification will confirm that the materials within an approved pin do not change from year to year," USBC Vice President-National Governing Body Neil Stremmel said.
Keeping up with the modern and complex work of ball drilling and ball motion is now easier than ever with the Ball Motion Analysis Form and accompanying video tutorials by the USBC Equipment Certification and Specifications team. Let USBC Technical Director Steve Kloempken (pictured) guide you through a series of helpful video and written instructions that detail the process of identifying key bowling ball dynamics such as axis tilt and axis migration.
When a heavy bowling ball rolls down a lane, it hits the pins and knocks them over. That's all there is to it, right? The United States Bowling Congress knows there's more to it than that. That's why the sport's national governing body has started a multi-phase study to expand on earlier research and gather data about how bowling pins - the 3-plus pound, 15-inch tall objects that stand at the far end of a lane - interact with bowling balls in today's bowling environment, which has changed dramatically over the years.
The United States Bowling Congress has hired Dave Nestor as a senior technician in the organization's Equipment Specifications and Certification Department. Nestor, 43, of Parkersburg, W.Va, has received extensive training from the International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association, is a USBC Level II coach and has more than 20 years of experience in pro shop and bowling center management and operations. As a member of USBC's Equipment Specifications and Certification team, Nestor will perform testing and research of bowling equipment and products to understand their influence on scoring. 
The United States Bowling Congress has announced that 2008 University of California-Davis graduate Donald Benner (pictured left) has been hired as a test engineer. Benner, 22, earned a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering while also competing for the Aggies' varsity bowling team, which placed third at the collegiate national tournament in 2007. Benner's many responsibilities include: compiling, analyzing and interpreting bowling databases resulting from field testing; assisting in the design and development of testing and research equipment; assisting in research that examines bowling equipment and products to understand their influence on scoring.