INDEX

Equipment Equipment Q&A  [1-20]   [21-40]  [41-60]  [61-80]  [81-100]  [101-120]   [121-140]  [141-160]  [161-180   [181-200]  [201-220]  [221-240]  [241-260  [261-280]  [281-300  [301-320]  [341-360]  [361-380]   [381-400]  [401-420]  [421-440] Mark October 28, 2005 Roswell GA Hi Walter Ray, I have noticed that many of the pros such as Chris Barnes are sponsored by ball manufacturing companies. I was just wondering are those players allowed to use a different brand equipment during a tournament while under contract with another ball company? Good luck this year on getting your 7th POY Hi Mark, Normally when a player has a full contract with a ball company they are only allowed to use that companies bowling ball. Eric September 23, 2005 Cudahy WI I have a pair of Dexter SST's, and the soles keep falling off. Do they wear out, or is there a way to make them adhere better. Any help would be greatly appreciated, I almost fell twice yesterday. Thank you and good luck on the upcoming season! Hi Eric, I would take your shoes to the pro shop where you purchased them. I would imagine that shoes would eventually wear out. Maybe there is 'stuff' on the velcro that needs to be cleaned out or maybe get some new soles. If the shoes are new then Dexter might even replace them if they are defective. JC October 16, 2005 Omaha NE I'm a "spare ball" fanatic, and have been looking on line to find one of your Odor Eaters spare balls. No luck of course, a good friend of mine who owns a pro shop here in Omaha (Rich Abboud, you should know him from the Tour) can't seem to find me one either. He said "you better ask Walter" - neither one us knowing you had your own website. Anyway, any chance I can buy one somewhere? From you? I'll even plug up one of your old ones if necessary. Thank you Walter - I've been a fan of yours for years. JC Hi JC, The spare balls that the players use were never meant to be sold to the general public. I don't sell my old bowling balls. I am sure that there are a few extra balls lying around somewhere, but I don't know where they are. Good luck. Tell Rich "Hi" for me! Scott October 11, 2005 Hermitage PA Walter Ray, I understand that you don't like to give advise on drilling techniques and that says a lot about the person you are. I have talked to a few of your peers about drillings and some of them just try to lay something out similar to their equipment rather than saying they don't know much about it. I drill balls out myself and after looking at some of your equipment i noticed a few things. First, i see that you have a dropped ring finger, possibly the same for both finger? Just wondering if you did this just for comfort or to help you get around the ball a little when you have to circle the ball a little more. Also, I see that a lot of your stuff is label or leverage, in my opinion the best way to get even reaction when playing the lanes straighter. Just a few observations that i had. Keep up the great work, I believe you have the best all around game out there. Scott Hi Scott, I use the same drilling specs on all of my bowling balls. A dropped ring finger is what feels good to me. I know that different drillings will do different things, but the shell of the ball makes a bigger difference. Also different releases and speeds will do a lot also. Danny August 28, 2005 Dickson TN Walter Ray, I was wondering what brand of equipment you have had the most success with over the years? What would you suggest upgrading to todays conditions? I'm currently throwing a brunswick riot zone and an ebonite nitro R2. I carry a 201 average with both of these balls combined. Thank you for any help you offer! A Walter Ray Fan, Danny Williams Hi Danny, I had contracts with Ebonite for about 7 years, Brunswick for 5 & 1/2 years and Hammer for one year. But since then I haven't used any of those brands Jim August 17, 2005 Belleville IL Hello Walter Ray, im a right handed bowler,and the name of my ball is storm. sometimes it will hook to right,and there are times it wont hook at all. what am i doing wrong? Q. what can i do to get a consistant hook? Q. how much of a right hook should a ball have. Q is itpossible for one to place a cut onto there own ball? and how should it be performed? best regards, Jimmie Hi Jimmie, If your ball is hooking to the right that is called a back-up ball. It means that your fingers are closer to your body than your thumb and being lifted up that way at release. You want to get your fingers to rotate underneath the ball so that your fingers are away from your body, kind of like tossing a football underhanded so that it has a spiral. The amount of hook is different for everybody. I don't understand what you mean by cutting your ball. You might look up a pro to help you with your release and your last question. Good luck and keep at it! Shawn August 14, 2005 Cincinnati OH What is a great inexpensive shoe to wear. what do you wear and how do they feel. Hi Shawn, I wear Dexter bowling shoes while I bowl, the SST6 model. They have some inexpensive models. My shoes feel very good. I haven't tested their inexpensive shoes, so I can't be sure how they are. But Dexter is a major shoe company which makes more than bowling shoes. Scott July 28, 2005 Lawndale North Carolina I just wanted to know why you have some bowling balls with thumb inserts and some not?Also on finger inserts do you use a certain style not brand?What "feel" are you trying to get? Thanks,Scott Hi Scott, I have thumb inserts that are a copy of a favorite thumb-hole from many years ago and are in all of my bowling balls. I like the soft finger grips. Ray July 21, 2005 Roulette PA Hey WRW, I've been bowling since I was 2 and I'm a huge fan. I'm 15 and I'm considering changing to fingertip grips.I just wanted to know what you feel on that subject.I aslo want to know how it effects your hook. Good Luck at breaking Earl's record. Sincerly, Ray Hi Ray, I would say that a finger tip grip is better than a conventional grip. And I like using finger tip grips. But everybody is different. I don't know how much finger grips would affect your hook. When I first used them, I hung on to the ball a bit more, but I figured out what to do with them. Thanks. Richard July 9, 2005 Cleveland OH Dear Walter Ray and Paige, I just wanted to say. To Walter Ray, I recently went bowling this past week,I bowled with my Brunswick Zone. I wanted to know when is it time to get anew ball. One reason I asked that question is becuase when I bowled I had to constantly keep trying to make my thumb hole bigger. I like my ball, should I just try to find another pro shop with a reputable ball driller. If that's the correct term. How so I go about doing so? Thanks. Richard P.S. Walter Ray keep up the hard work. Your an inspiration to bowlers likke myself. God Bless. Hi Richard, I now use a customized thumb grip, but when I used to get my thumb hole drilled I always made sure that my thumb hole was large enough so that it would never be too tight. I use a lot of tape and take it out when my thumb gets larger and add tape when my thumb shrinks. When to get a new ball is a personal choice. Many top bowlers like to have a new ball, but if it still strikes a lot I don't see the need. Devin July 6, 2005 Rocklin CA Hello, first thanks for this open forum to ask questions. I find it very informative. My question is in regards to equipment. How much does a certain ball really improve your game? I'm overwhelmed at Pro Shops with the technical details on the balls. I understand obviously the cover stock and needing some type of surface that allows a hook but some of the detail seems to be overkill. Isn't good bowling adapting to the conditions on the lane and mastering your particular ball to that? Instead of using a ball to fix a problem you are having. Seems adding a mix of balls would simply complicate what you are doing. I can't help but scratch my head when I see guys bring in 6 balls and talk technical details until my head is spinning. And they end up averaging 160's and 170's.. Hmm.. What's your thought? Thanks, Devin Stephens Hi Devin, I do agree with a lot of what you are saying. I probably use the least amount of bowling balls compared to other top pros. But every once in a while a different ball will give you that little bit of extra what ever to get those needed strikes. But when I find a ball that feels good and works well, I tend to use it a lot. Bob June 17, 2005 http://www.superbrackets.com Utica NY Hi Paige, Hi WR - I do understand that you have had contracts with equipment manufacturers in the past, and looking back at your responses, it's not surprising how some of the incoming questions have been answered due to your obligations at the time. My questions are about sponsorship deals: 1) Aside from the money paid to you by the manufacturer, do you prefer being a "free agent," able to choose any ball that you like, or being under contract, getting the newest products and treatments from a particular manufacturer? 2) Does a typical sponsorship contract preclude you from using another manufacturer's equipment? If so, is this "ban" limited to TV, or are all public appearances censored? One more thing....let me know if I'm off-topic....Do you know if the PBA Tour has any plans to adopt the new USBC ball restrictions? Thanks, folks, keep up the good work and goodwill that you both lend to our sport! Hi Bob, I would rather have a contract with a good bowling company. But I also would like to get paid somewhere close to what I feel that I am worth. Most of the companies will require players to exclusively use their brand during competition and exhibitions. The PBA normally follows the same rules as the ABC/USBC during competition. There are a few exceptions, but the PBA normally uses stricter rules than the ABC/USBC. Aaron June 23, 2005 Chippewa Falls WI Hello....I have a question about what kind of ball would be best to purchase according to the problems I have been having the last few years.....I have been using a Raging Inferno this last year.....I works very very well until I get to the last part of game 2 and all of game 3.....At the end of game 2 the oil push down is killing me....It is causing me to leave a ton of back line single pins....It is totally killing my average....What would be a good ball for me to purchase to help me at that point??? How should I have it drilled....My normal approach is that I have my right foot at around the center dot of the approach and throwing out to about the 4 to 6 board and letting the ball work into the pocket when it gets to the back end...I play that line because my inside line is very poor and I don;t have anytime right now to work on it due to spending all my time with my 3 year old Son....I would love any kind of input that can get me through the last part of the series Thanks Aaron O'Connell Hi Aaron, You need to ask your local pro shop operator who can watch you bowl and knows the lane conditions you bowl on. Since I haven't ever seen you bowl, there is no way I could offer you advice on equipment. Good luck! Casey June 8, 2005 Torrance CA I've been watching Walter Ray bowl recently on ESPN Classics. I was wondering, why are so many pros these days opting not to wear a bowling glove? Hi Casey, In the past, the bowling wrist glove companies paid incentives for the players to use their products on TV. Most of the pros don't really need the wrist devices as their wrists are strong enough. In the case of most of the young power players, the wrist devices would actually hinder their hooking power. Aj April 4, 2005 Rhinelander WI Hi, The one question i have for ya is this. What is your choice of cover stocks on either types of synthetic or wood. Im a cranker i play deep useing a pearlized coverstock obviously that helps it make it to were i need to go. But when you encounter these houses that have synthetic lanes with longer oil patterns it seems to me i cant play any line, whether it be outside, swinging it or right up the boards. If i need to change coverstock, then what should i go with? Or is it me and pearlized can be efficent. To help you with the way my game is the pin is centered above my finger holes like maybe a 1/2 inch. I play between 3rd and 4th arrow (right handed) take it just outside the ten board on a typical league pattern. Im always learning this game. Its my 6th year average 202 amd im just looking for suggestions and advice to improve my game and keep having fun. Thanx for the help. Aj Hi Aj, I don't really worry about what the surface of the lane is. What I am most concerned about is the oil pattern and how much my ball is hooking. If the lanes are hooking too much then I will tend to get a shinier/polished ball and if the lanes are going very straight then I will get a duller ball. It sounds like your bigger problem is that you are used to bowling on the typical house shot where there is hook to your right and when that isn't there you don't know what to do. When there isn't as much room on the lane, a la tough lane conditions, you need to execute better shots to score well. Sometimes you need to play a different part of the lane. It would be impossible for me to accurately advise you on what type of ball you need to use for any condition as I have never seen you bowl and don't know the exact nature of the lane conditions that you bowl on. Thomas April 4, 2005 Clark NJ Hi Walter Ray, I am a big fan of yours and would like to know what kind of ball do you through when dealing with a heavy oil pattern. Thanks Tom Donah Hi Tom, On heavy oil I will tend to use a dull or sanded ball. James May 2, 2005 Gainesville FL I was just wondering, what kind of ball do you throw? I'm sure you throw a few but what brand? Also, do you have some idea of the winningest brand of ball on tour (Or just the most popular)? Thank you. Hi James, I don't have any bowling ball endorsements so I don't give any. If bowling ball companies don't feel that I am worth having "on staff", then I don't feel that they are worth recommending. Hope you understand. Brandon April 15, 2005 Sandusky MI Dear Walter Ray and Paige, I need some pointers if you will. I currently throw a 16 pound Brunswick LT 48 ball and have been averageing a 180-190. Im 16 years old and unsure of the proper relese. Some times i get a good ball and it gets me a strike. Others i can throw the same ball and leave the 10. Now, as a pro do you have different releses to fit the lanes or do you use the same relese? Thank you for your time and the best of luck to you on the tour. Brandon Swoffer Hi Brandon, Leaving a 10 pin doesn't always mean that you threw a bad shot. My goal is to throw a good shot so that the ball hits the pocket and when I do I will strike around 70% of the time. Likewise it is possible to strike when missing the pocket, I don't consider those good shots. That is part of bowling. I do have different releases, but those are for playing different types of shots for different lane conditions. T. April 12, 2005 Virginia Beach VA Hi Walter Ray, i was hopeing you could help us out with a argument we are having about cleaning a bowling ball during leauge play. can a luster king ball cleaner be used during leauge play? help us pleae thanks t.sawyer Hi T, I don't bowl in league and am not 100% sure about the ABC rules pertaining to league. I do know that in PBA tournaments and at the ABC Masters once competition begins you can't alter the surface of the ball. You might want to ask a league director to look up the rule in the ABC rule book. Susan April 8, 2005 Memphis TN I recently bought a columbia 300 white dot 13 pound bowling ball. I was told it was a urethane ball and someone told me it was a plastic ball. what is the difference with the two. Which one is this ball urethane or plastic. Hi Susan, That should be a plastic or polyester ball. A urethane or polyurethane ball will grab the lanes a bit more while a plastic ball will go the straightest of all the balls on the market these days. Phil March 29, 2005 Louisville KY Hello again Walter Ray, I had the problem of getting "stuck" in the ball" since I asked the question I have answered it for myself. It turns out that by leaving my thumb partialy out of the ball this problem is eliminated. In fact, since I got straight with my new equipment I have bowled a personal best, 213 , game and a personal best series, 500.However Im told that leaving your thumb out a little is not proper form.Does this really matter?, or should I just stick with what works for me? What are the drawbacks, and advantages of this technique? Hi Phil, If your thumb is getting stuck in the thumb hole, then your thumb hole needs to be enlarged. I guess it is possible to bowl with your thumb only partially inserted in your thumb hole as there are some bowlers who don't even use their thumb hole. But normal convention says that it is much easier to be more accurate by using your thumb hole. Good luck. Grant March 21, 2005 Aliso Viejo CA I have been bowling pretty regulary for a year now. I'm 23 yr old 6ft and 170lbs. I really want to improve my average. I'm currently around a 154. I use a 12lb storm with a finger tip grip. I can go about 7 maybe 8 games before I start getting really tired. I know when I first started with my Ball I was done after 3 maybe 4 games. So my question is I want to move up in wieght where do you think I should go next? 13 or 14? Will this really help me knock down more pins? Hi Grant, It takes time for you your hand to develop the extra strength it requires to throw a finger tip grip. But I would suggest going to 14 or even 15 pounds. You should notice a much better driving ball especially if you hook the ball a little bit. After you get used to the weight, you should notice your average going up. Equipment Q&A  [1-20]   [21-40]  [41-60]  [61-80]  [81-100]   [101-120]  [121-140]  [141-160]  [161-180  [181-200]  [201-220]  [221-240]  [241-260]  [261-280]  [281-300]  [301-320]  [341-360]  [361-380]   [381-400]  [401-420]  [421-440]