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]  [321-340]  [341-360   [381-400]  [401-420]  [421-440] Curtis October 21, 2006 Riddle OR I just thought I would what top weights do to the roll of the ball? thx Hi Curtis, Generally top weight will help the ball go longer before hooking. But that also depends on your ball track on how much difference that will make. Typically the same amount of side weight will affect the ball more that top weight, but the maximum is 3 ounces of top weight as compared to 1 ounce of side weight. With the complex ball designs of today, the pin position seems to make a bigger difference on how a ball will roll. You might want to ask you ball driller what would be best for you on the lanes that you bowl at. Karl October 19, 2006 Australia Melbourne Victoria I have a Red Hammer High Rev. I have had it drilled by an AMF Ball Driller. I am a right handed full roller, the pin (dot) is on the right hand side of the thumb, is this correct for my style of bowling, or should it have been drilled with the pin on the left of the thumb. Your opion of the correct drilling will be greatly appreciated. I would be very grateful of a prompt reply. Yours in Sport, Karl. Hi Karl, I am not a ball driller. For a full roller I don't know the conventions for pin placements. I like to have my pins at 1 to 2 o'clock next to the fingers where the thumb is at 6. I would recommend talking to your local pro shop operator. Ron October 17, 2006 Lakewood IL What is your finger and thumb pitch? thanking you in advance for your answer. Hi Ron, Middle finger grip of 13/16 and 25/32 for my ring finger in 31/32 holes. I have a molded thumb grip which is a 15/16 hole inside a 1 & 3/8 grip. My span (cut to cut for the grip holes) is 4 & 9/16 for my middle finger and 4 & 1/2 for my ring finger. My middle finger has 1/4 left and my ring finger has 1/4 right with no forward pitch in either and a 1/4 inch bridge. My thumb has 3/16 right with no forward pitch. Valerie October 9, 2006 Farmingville NY Hi, I was just wondering if you knew if there was an official reason as to why (or if) you HAVE to wear bowling shoes to bowl. thanks. Hi Valerie, Most street shoes aren't designed to allow for a good slide which is the preferred method when releasing the ball. You don't have to use bowling shoes, but it is mainly for your safety. If I were to use sneakers when I bowl I would probably fall over and really hurt my knee. You might want to look at Dexter shoes, they have a huge variety of shoes in all sorts of styles, colors and price ranges. Chris October 4, 2006 Murray IA I was given my grandpa's old bowling ball. It's a 16# Brunswick Black Diamond rubber ball. I read that years ago when they quit using shellac on the boards of the lanes, the rubber balls quit hooking so much. Is there any way to increase the amount of hook I will be able to achieve with this ball on today's lanes? I use a finger-tip grip and impart a decent amount of spin on the ball when I throw it. Thanks! Hi Chris, The old rubber bowling balls are not going to hook very much on today's lane conditions. I would keep that as a good spare ball. You might want to look into getting one of the many modern bowling balls if you really want to get more hook. I endorse MoRich bowling balls. Check out bowling balls at your local pro shop. Jeffrey September 29, 2006 Sicklerville NJ Hi Walter Ray, this question may have been asked already by someone, but I happende on your site and liked it. Question: Is a reactive resin ball good for synthetic lanes? I avg 178-183 in 2 leagues. Wishing you a continued successful career. Hi Jeffrey, Reactive resin works on synthetic lanes. It depends more on which ball it is, how you throw the ball, and the lane conditions where you bowl. Arthur September 9, 2006 HK Hi Mr Williams, How many thumb tapes do you go through in a block of 8 games? We all know that you are the best in the business when it comes to throwing the ball end-over-end but what do you really mean. I have tried with the thumb at 12 o'clock and the fingers at 6 o'clock with the fingers coming up the ball to 12 o'clock and when done correctly, the ball rolls over the thumb hole. I have even tried rolling the ball down a ramp (the ones used in handicapped bowling) and it still rolls over the thumb hole (ball placed with thumb hole at 12 o'clock). Kindly help me. Thanks. P.S. Nice hat... Hi Arthur, I don't really have an end over end roll. If I did the ball wouldn't hook at all. But I don't put as much side roll as most of the other pros. My thumb doesn't change size that much. I may add or take out one piece of tape during a block. Laddie September 9, 2006 Glencoe (Chicago suburb) IL One of the things that really confuses me is when there is a "major" and the conditions are "major" tough and everyone that makes the show are using the most aggressive balls available. When a major is on the line and the prize money in 2 or 3 times normal and a 2, 3 or 4 year exemption is there for the grabbing why not use a "plastic white dot" if that's what it will take to have consistent ball reaction. Most of the guys (I think Norm Duke and you are the exceptions) are out there making fools of themselves trying to get an aggressive ball to behave. I know that there are ball contracts and I know that most of the amounts of these contracts are not widely public (except now with Chris Barnes' contract) but why look stupid on national TV. Why not have a clause in the contract that says in "major conditions" I am able to use any ball of my choosing or have the manufacturer produce a ball that doesn't have to cross 25 or 30 boards to try and hit the pocket. It's kind of like the PGA golfers that have switched clubmakers and went from 5th place on the money list to 123rd. Smart move!! I am sure that contract did not make up for the loss of revenue, not including endorsements. Keep up the good work out ther and reach 50 titles so there will be no question who is #1. p.s. have you ever seen a successful horseshoe pitcher that held it by the toe caulk and the toe caulk rotated 2 or 3 times in the air with the axis being the toe caulk line?? Just wondering. Hi Laddie, The reason most of the guys use aggressive balls is that the lanes have so much oil on them. Most players don't feel that a plastic ball (a straighter line) will strike enough for them. Players are always looking to make more money and most ball companies up their incentives at major tournaments and with the most recent equipment. Any player who uses a ball which isn't the best for them does tend to look a bit foolish, but they are the ones who ultimately have to make that decision. Anthony August 4, 2006 Fair Bluff NC Walter Ray, Congrats on the Espy award! Good job in the horseshoe competition also. I do have a question about bowling balls. I am NOT asking you to endorse any company and I am not particularly asking about a certain layout. What do you look for in a ball? I mean coverstock, core? WIth your personal bowling balls, you have said in other answers to questions that you have the pin at about 1:30 to 2 o'clock position. Do you have a balance hole in any of your bowling balls? I want to wish you continued sucess on the tour this winter and hope you get title #42! Hi Anthony, I am not that picky about my bowling balls, but with the tour using so much oil, I do tend to like very aggressive (sanded) balls. The guys who drill and map out most of my bowling balls to tend to use weight holes. Thanks, for the kind words regarding #42. I am going to try to keep going! Chad July 27, 2006 Richmond KY Have you been picked by any manufacturer yet? I can't wait to hear what you are using. I completely understand not discussing that in public. Do you have multiples of the same ball drilled differently? Thanks Hi Chad, I recently made a deal with MORICH ball company. Hopefully it will be the beginning of a long and mutually beneficial association. I do have several different drillings of the same ball, but I tend to be more interested in the surface of the ball. Guy July 23, 2006 St. Louis MO A 2 part question-1. How much do you practice for an upcoming tournament? and 2. what type of bowling balls would you use in a 4 ball arsenal? Hi Guy, I usually will practice for about a week before a tour segment using 1 hour practice sessions. I don't bowl much during the off season, so I should probably start practicing more than that to get ready for tour. Once the season starts, I don't normally do a lot of extra practice unless I feel that I am not bowling well. When I went to Japan, (sorry this answer is so late) I took a plastic ball for spares, a reactive ball and 2 particle balls. I also drilled three balls while I was there. Josh May 21, 2006 Gallipolis OH I know it must be difficult to answer questions regarding balls and such, but my question is simple. What is the difference between a reactive resin ball and a particle ball, and what ball would perform better on a medium dry to medium oily lane condition? Thanks Walter Ray, and by the way I am a tremendous fan of your bowling and horseshoe pitching. Keep it up Walter Ray!! Hi Josh, A reactive resin ball has a resin in it which allows it to hook more on the dryer part of the lane compared to a urethane ball. A particle ball has very small 'gritty' particles added to the shell of the ball of a reactive resin ball so that it hooks more on heavy oil. It depends on how you throw the ball and the amount of oil on the lanes on which ball would work best for you. But particle balls might be better for heavily oiled lanes. Zach May 16, 2006 Glassport PA Mr. Williams, I have been bowling once a week for about 6 months. I am right-handed and throw with a hook. My average is about 170 and my high game is 234. Currently I use a cheap plastic ball that I payed about 30 dollars for. Do you think a better ball would increase my average and if so do you have any recomendations? Thank you very much and good luck in the future. Hi Zach, If you want to hook the ball more then almost any reactive ball on the market will hook quite a bit more than a plastic ball. That will most likely help your average, depending on the lane conditions that are at the bowling center in which you bowl. Scott May 22, 2006 Cincinnati OH Hello WRW- I was curious what your opinion is the "standardized bowling ball" theory. Where every player uses the same ball and it's up to the indivdual to succeed with it. Do you think it would help eliminate controversy with everyone using the same equipment? Thanks, Scott Hi Scott, I am not sure that a 'regulation ball' is the total answer that Kegel thinks it would be. The problem I have is that lane conditions are a huge part of bowling influencing what types of players may have an advantage. With only one bowling ball, then the lane conditions with have even a greater influence. If the PBA has tournaments with these conditions for tour events I will probably participate if I am eligible. The idea has some merit, but I think it has many problems. Some players would rather have less oil than others and the lane man would dictate who has an advantage if they only have one ball to choose from. Alan May 23, 2006 Tallahassee FL There has been a lot of discussion recently concerning the WTBA's announcement that they believe a Regulation Ball on Multiple Conditions is the format they need for their tournaments. Norm Duke, Brian Voss, Danny Wiseman, Michael Machuga, all showed up at the headquarters of Kegel and were trying out the prototype WTBA regulation ball, and Billy Hardwick was there as well, all apparently endorsing & showing support for this concept. What are your feelings with regards to whether a Regulation Ball/Multiple Conditions event can be a good test of bowling skill(less aggressive non-flaring ball on appr. 75% less volume of oil condition as we commonly see today). Would you like to participate in Regulation Ball/Multiple Condition Tournament and do you think such a format has a place in the sport of bowling? Hi Alan, I am not sure that a 'regulation ball' is the total answer that Kegel thinks it would be. The problem I have is that lane conditions are a huge part of bowling influencing what types of players may have an advantage. With only one bowling ball, then the lane conditions with have even a greater influence. If the PBA has tournaments with these conditions for tour events I will probably participate if I am eligible. The idea has some merit, but I think it has many problems. Some players would rather have less oil than others and the lane man would dictate who has an advantage if they only have one ball to choose from. Paul June 18, 2006 Maple Heights OH Hi Walter Ray, my name is paul and i recently went from a 16lb ball to a 15. i have similar game to yours, i play alot straight up the boards. i noticed an increase in 8-10 splits, although my average hasn't suffered alot it is frustrating. my friend told me he saw you on a broadcast saying you went back to a 16lb ball due to 8-10 splits.my average is in the 220's and i am happy with that, my question is should i stay content or go back to a 16lb and hope to improve? i believe i can still handle a 16lb. i seem to control a 15 lb. ball better. thanks for your time. sincerely, paul Hi Paul, I did go back up to 16 #'s this year, but I have also left 8-10's with that. But for as much oil as we bowl on and as straight as I throw it compared to the other bowlers, I felt like it wouldn't be a bad thing. I don't know if it really makes that much difference, but I think I will stay with 16 for a while. Jared May 02, 2006 Jonesboro AK Hi Walter Ray, At 16, I have already accomplished a lot in the game (300s, 802 etc.)and have acquired a vast knowledge from all of my experiences. However, I new technical problem has come up that you might have some insight for. I am getting a new 400-grit, hi-flaring, reactive ball (we'll leave companies out of this) and I am seeking a drilling for control on oily sport conditions. I know this isn't quite your area of knowledge but I was just wanting to know what some of your favorite control drillings for oily conditions and if you wouldn't mind sharing those Thanks in advance, Jared Wolf Hi Jared, You need to ask your local pro shop operator who knows how you bowl for advice on how to drill your new ball. I drill most of my bowling balls with similar drillings, pin around 1 to 2 o'clock. Gary April 26, 2006 McAllen TX I personally think most people put an incredible over emphasis on equipment. Matching up to a lane condition, to me, is a combination of how you throw the ball and the ball (layout / ball dynamics / coverstock). Since balls can't really make minor adjustments that you'll definately have to make in competition, how you play the lanes is going to be superior. To me it seems like drilling your equipment with the same type of layout (mainly pin distance from pap) but using coverstock to adjust what part of the lane you really want to read is all that really matters. Technique after that controls how you want the ball to read. Do you agree with any of that said and second, do you tend to drill most of your equipment the same way? What goes through your mind when choosing a piece of equipment? How much the lanes are hooking or do you take into consideration on what kind of layout? I know you're one of the bowlers who doesn't carry a lot of equipment and to me the only way to do that would be to have a variety of coverstocks and not concerning yourself with many different layouts. So why do you pick a ball you do and what is your opinion on what I said? I appreciate it =) Gary Hi Gary, I basically agree with a lot of wrote you wrote. For me, coverstock is very important, so I want to have the right surface for the right lane condition. Of course I don't always make the right decision. But the player has to make the right decisions on how to play the lanes and repeating the shots that need to be made. David April 16, 2006 Orlando FL Hi Walter Ray. I just wanted to ask you what bowling ball you used in the finals of the world championship this year is it available to the public Thanks, David PS Congrats on the win Hi David, I don't have a full contract with any bowling ball company yet, so I don't like to give them 'free' advertising. Hopefully this will change. Mike April 2, 2006 Granville MA Hi, I have always had a moderately hooking ball. One time I picked up a house ball and it hooked about twice as much. Looking at the finger holes I noticed that the right hole was about 1/2 inch lower than the left hole. This pattern seemed to force the hook. Am I imagining this? Hi Mike, Usually this grip is used to cut down the hook of a player. It is also unusual that a house ball would hook so much. You might want to see a pro shop operator and ask them about the other grip and maybe about a new ball. 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]  [321-340]  [341-360]   [381-400]  [401-420]  [421-440]