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Are more restrictions — or even a ban — on urethane bowling balls under serious discussion at USBC? (Yes, USBC answers a day after this story published.)

JEFF RICHGELS | Posted: Monday, July 21, 2025 8:00 pm
Are more restrictions — or even a ban — on urethane bowling balls under serious discussion at USBC? (Yes, USBC answers a day after this story published.)
The PURPLE HAMMER, left, and Storm PITCH BLACK, right, are the only two balls reported to get soft with use. Photo by Jeff Richgels.
Are more restrictions — or even a ban — on urethane bowling balls under serious discussion? Update: One day after this story posted, USBC answered yes to the question above in this post at its Facebook page. The full post is at the bottom of this story. I started hearing chatter along those lines last week during the 2025 Junior Gold Championships, with urethane being a huge factor in some of the divisions. Then on Sunday night, the Sweep the Rack podcast brought up the topic after...