JEFF RICHGELS | Posted: Tuesday, July 15, 2014 11:00 am

Example of a certified lane being within legal specifications only at the three distances mandated for measurement by USBC. The rest of the lane is out of specification. Kegel says this situation is common. Illustration by Kegel.

The biggest source of inequity in bowling isn’t lane conditions or ball technology or anything else most bowlers might think of. It’s lane topography, a relatively unpublicized factor that only recently started being recognized for its significant impact as it was studied thoroughly. Extensive research by Kegel and Lou Trunk’s Bowling Installations has proven the significance of flatness, or lack thereof, of bowling lanes. When it was demonstrated to Pete Weber, he...