INDEX

Equipment Equipment Q&A  [1-20]   [21-40]  [41-60]  [61-80]  [81-100]  [101-120]   [121-140]  [141-160]  [181-200]  [201-220]  [221-240]  [241-260]   [261-280]  [281-300]  [301-320]  [321-340]  [341-360]  [341-360]  [361-380]   [381-400]  [401-420]  [421-440]  [421-440] Catherine October 4, 2003 Indianapolis IN You are really the one I root for in all your tournaments and I need to replace a Don Carter glove. The glove is a ladies med. size 8 and has a pad in the palm of the right hand. Do you have an idea where I should be looking for this item? Thank you and more and more wins. Catherine Hi Catherine, Since I don't use that product, I really wouldn't know any sources for it. I would check with your local pro shop and ask them. If they don't carry the product, they should be able to order one for you or find another local pro shop which might have one. Thanks. Steven October 1, 2003 Springfield OR hey walter ray. this is steven . i wrote but i dont think that you would remember me .anyway how is it going. nothing much down here. first i would like to say that you i am your number one fan. when i get up to bowl and not be focusing ,i say to myself what would walter do .i know that sounds cray but it helps me focus back in to the game. i have a problem. i know that you roll with columbia, but witch kind? it just that only thing i dont know aboat your bowling. i watch every match you play and of course you do well.have you ever rolled with a icon 300 before? i yet am not ready for a ball like that. it is not the price it is just i am not ready for it yet. you see that i want a good hooking ball, like the icon, but it is just that i dont want to buy a ball that will hook for awhile and just hook when ever it wants to. do you know what i mean? i was going to get a zone, but they went out of business. i heard that you were getting a vido about bowling pretty soon. that is the best thing i have ever heard in my life. what is it about. i am for sure that i am going to buy it. well walter ray i am going to head off, but that last letter you wrote me was the best. i hope you get this letter. and good luck in bowling next year, what a second you dont need luck you are walter ray williams jr. later walter and thanks for your time. Hi Steven, I don't use Columbia products any more. Apparently the company didn't think it was a good idea if I used their products. As far as what ball you should get when you decide to purchase one, you should ask your local pro shop operator. Hopefully they have seen you bowl and would be able to help you make a good decision based on how you throw the ball and where you bowl. Good luck and I hope you enjoy the video. Richard September 28, 2003 Elwood IN Hi, walter ray my name is richard heflin. i live from elwood, indiana. i love bowling league and tournament. my avg 212. i love azo bowling balls. i like azo very excellent power hard hitting pins all strikes. i think to ask you try practice azo bowling balls? i did throw azo bowling balls condition lanes all synthetic and all wood. i wish pba approve azo bowling balls. thank richard heflin Hi Richard, It is up to AZO (or any other ball company) to make an agreement with the PBA. So, it wouldn't do me or any other pro bowler to practice with these non PBA legal bowling balls as we can't use them in PBA competition until they are product registered. Darren September 27, 2003 Rocky Point NY Dear Mr.Williams you recently answered one of my questions and thank you I have another I would like to submit.I noticed in the early 1990s you bowled with Ebonite equipment in the middle 1990s you went to Brunswick and then from 2000-2002 you bowled with Hammer Correct if I'm wrong but you seem now you are a free agent mainly on television using the Dyno-Thane Element and quite a few different Columbia balls why did you switch so often and will you eventually go to a ball company?Thank you for your time and congratulations on your victory at the Dream Bowl open Hope to hear from you soon.Your loyal fan Darren Nicholas Andretta Hi Darren, I did have a contract with Ebonite for about 7 years from the late 80's to the early 90's. Then I had a contract with Brunswick for about 6 years in the middle 90's to 2000. I had a 1 year contract with Faball in 2001. I am currently not under contract with a ball company, so I am free to use bowling balls from different companies. Gerald September 22, 2003 Lake Charles LA Hi Walter and Paige, I often wonder what it would be like to be a professional bowler and to bowl at that level. I can dream cant I? I think that you are two wonderful people who God has truly blessed. I can only imagine the amount of support you get from Paige while you are traveling and bowling on the tour. I know your schedule must be very demanding. Having a spouse that is willing to be a part of the team is probably one of your keys to your success. May GOd continue to bless you. Good luck on this comming season. I have looked at the arsenal of balls that you have. You have balls with the pin position above and below the fingers holes. Question: Under what conditions do you use a ball with the pin under the finger holes, and what type of ball reaction are you looking for when you use them? Hi Gerald, Most of my pins are in the 1 to 2 o'clock position. Most of the times a pin position above or below the fingers will cause my ball to go much straighter and I hardly ever need that to happen. Thanks for all of your nice comments. My wife does help me a lot when I am traveling and am glad that she accompanies me. It is a nice life that I have and I know that I am extremely lucky. T G September 15, 2003 What ball company makes the hardest hitting balls? what ball did you use the most this past season? Hi TG, I guess that would be determined by your definition of "hardest hitting". Some people think a hard hitting ball leaves solid 10's. I used several different brands this last year and since I am not under contract to any ball company, I don't see why I should advertise for them. I hope you understand my position. Allen August 22, 2003 Romulus MI Hello Paige and WRW, I am have problems with my bowling ball that I bought recently. I'm a Power Tweener/Cranker and recently had a 15 lb Brunswick Monster Frenzy (This ball is really aggressive) that hooked way too early and would go brooklin every time (even if I slide in front of the gutter). I took some advice and dropped down to a 14 lb Frenzy with a layout that gave me the longest length. Well guess what? It's still breaking about a feet too early and going brooklin. I even tried using Clean and Polish by Track Magic and on top of that I put it in the Luster King for about 2 minutes (Yes, these lanes are oiled because my new plastic ball would only hook about a board or 2 for me). The Frenzy still breaks a feet too early and can sometimes hook into the gutter. And it's like that with several centers I bowled in. I want about a feet more length on the ball before it breaks and also want to stand more outside when I bowl with this ball. Actually at one centers the lane was dry enough for my plastic ball to have a nice smooth hook into the pocket (exactly the way your ball did at the Worlds). And thats the kind of response I like from my Frenzy ball on slightly oilier lanes. Is there anyway to modify the cover stock to do this? or maybe even to get a smoother arc into the pocket? Thank You for your time. Frustrated bowler. Hi Allen, It sounds like you need to get a different ball for those hooking lanes. Some of the new aggressive bowling balls don't work very well on the hooking lane conditions put out at some local centers. You might want to find some of the 'older' balls which don't hook as much, a 3 piece reactive ball or even a urethane (again older) ball. It sounds like you have done most reasonable things to your bowling balls to get them to not hook as much, but some of these newer balls hook quite a bit no matter what you do to them. Good luck. Diane August 1, 2003 Grandin FL Hi! Again. I gave the wrong e-mail address the first time so I thought if I wanted an answer I may have to try this again. My husband and I both enjoy watching you. Good Luck in the fall tour. Is there a pro shop is Ocala, Fl. that you have used and been satisfied with or do you know of one that is knowledgeable, I am not that far from Ocala and want to buy my next ball there. Thank you Diane Hi Diane, There are at least 2 pro shops in Ocala. Jeff Edens operates the Pro Shop at the East location and Brian Brazeau operates the Pro Shop at the West location. I am sure that either one or even another Pro Shop operator can help you with your bowling ball selection. George July 30, 2003 Port St. Lucie FL Dear Walter Ray, I'm George and im 12 years old and i carry a 205 average.My question is what company or ball would be best for heavy oil? Thanks and good Luck! Hi George, A 205 average at 12! That is remarkable. There are many ball companies which have many good balls for heavy oil. On extreme oil I would recommend a particle ball or maybe even a reactive ball. It depends on how the lanes are oiled, the type of pattern. It sounds like you are doing just fine. You might want to ask your local pro. Keep it up Rodolfo July 29, 2003 Nogales AZ Hey Walter Ray, I'm your fan # 1 i am from mexico and i buy a direct tv to see tour games and i have a question wich ball do you recomended to from columbia for heavy oil. im right handed and throw in the arrow 2 Hi Rodolfo, Columbia had many good balls as to other companies. You might want to ask your local pro shop operator which balls (s)he might suggest for your particular game. It is impossible for me to suggest specific balls, since I have never seen you bowl. Hope you understand! Good luck and keep bowling. Jeff July 28, 2003 Rutland VT Have you ever changed shoes during a televised match? Hi Jeff, I don't believe that I have changed shoes or soles during a TV match yet. Hopefully I don't have to since there are many other things going on and that is one of the last things I want to have to worry about. Jack July 25, 2003 Oviedo FL I aquired two bowling balls. Brunswick(black) LT-48 and a green Ebonite Firebolt SO. Can you tell me something about them or a website that I can find information on them. Thank you for the help. Hi Jack, You have 2 very old bowling balls. The LT-48 has a couple of models. One came out in the late 70's and was a rubber ball with the other release coming out in the early middle 90's and is a reactive ball. The Firebolt SO is a urethane ball which came out in the late 70's but was designed for short oil, thus the SO. The rubber ball is going to hook the least amount with the reactive ball hooking the most. I doubt that the websites for those respective companies has much information on those bowling balls, but you never know. If those bowling balls don't hook as much as you would like, there are many balls out on the market which are going to hook a lot more. Contact a local pro shop for advice! Ken July 23, 2003 Philadelphia PA Dear Walter-Ray, congrats on your ESPY award. I hope there was no sour grapes with the people that didn't get an award, perhaps there should be a roll-off for the award. I'd like to see you and Feldman go head to head. It's also interresting that they did not separate the the category for womena and men like they did in tennis. On to my question: I roll a local tourney in a wood house that has an extreme wet/dry shot; short oil too, bone dry outside 5. They also use Twister(plastic) pins too. I couldn't do anything with any resin ball in that house. I tried a mild urethane ball and it seems to carry much better. Could a ball hit those pins too hard? Are they different from regular pins? thanks again, Ken. Hi Ken, As far as I know there weren't any sour grapes about my winning the ESPY award this year. However, there have been several times when I personally thought somebody else should have won including one of the years that I won the award. I have bowled in the same tournament with Michelle Feldman back when we had some doubles events. She is a very good bowler. It was kind of a shame that bowling wasn't separated into a men's and women's category, but before the last few years women weren't even nominated. Hopefully they won't group us all together next year. The Twister pins do seem to fall differently than wood pins which are coated with plastic. But I would say that the most important part is the lane conditions. With a wet/dry condition a reactive ball might not be the best ball. Sometimes I will use my plastic ball to combat those types of lanes. Jeff July 23, 2003 Lake Forest CA Hi walter ray, I was wondering if the odor-eaters spare ball is available to the general public for purchase. Also, how many odor-eaters balls do you bring with you to tournaments? Good luck in the coming season! Hi Jeff, For right now the spare balls with the team logos which the pros use are not available to the general public. I normally only bring one of them with me, since it is mainly for shooting my spares. Jon July 20, 2003 Lansing MI Hi there Walter Ray, I know you have touched on the fact that you aren't currently sponsored by any ball company and don't want to give any company a free endorsment, but how do you feel about those companies using your name on their websites and other advertisments. Do you get any benifit from this? Thanks, Jon Hi Jon, The bowling ball companies which have me on their websites did compensate me, as they do most players, when I used their balls on TV. I don't think they have been using me in advertisements though. Thanks for taking an interest and "keeping an eye out" on my behalf! Jordan July 10, 2003 Ulster PA What do you think of the icon 300? Hi Jordan, Since I am not under contract with any ball company, I really don't feel as if I owe them any "free" advertising. Therefore, I would rather not give any testimonials to any bowling balls. Sorry, but thanks for asking. Marvin July 6, 2003 Overland MO would like to buy a glove that u may have used alonge with don carter/dick webber.it had a pad in the center of the glove. thank you Hi Marvin, There are many bowling gloves out there if you feel you need one. Since I haven't needed the use of a bowling glove for over 20 years, I don't know specifically what glove you are talking about. I would suggest you go to your local pro shop or online bowling supply place, they should have a good selection. Some gloves don't really do much, while others help your wrist stay in a certain position during your swing. Most amateurs can use the support of a wrist device to keep their wrist from collapsing. Sorry I wasn't able to be more help! Matthew July 5, 2003 Tallahassee FL Walter, I am a senior in college and have been bowling collegiately for the past three years for Florida State University. I watch you on tour and some of the Florida tournaments and am amazed at your skill. Can you give me some advice as to what kind of layouts work for you? In college, I compete with a lot of crankers who love to "wheel" the ball in the middle. I am a stroker similar to your style and find it hard to compete with these super crankers. Any tips will help. I apprectiate anything you can do for me. I congratulate you on your continued success on tour and I wish you luck in the future. P.S. If you're ever in Tallahassee stop by Florida State University campus Crenshaw Lanes and ask for Matt. GO NOLES! ----Matt Eustace Hi Matt, I tend to use a ball layout which has the pin at 1 or 2 o'clock. Some lane conditions are an advantage for crankers and others are better for straighter players. You need to let your accuracy keep you in play when they have the advantage and help you score better when the shot comes to you. It might not hurt to figure out a way to cover more boards, since you need to have another option when your favorite shot isn't there. The more you play your "alternate" shot, the more comfortable you will be with it. Then you can "hang in there" when you don't have your "A" game available and really go for it when you do. Versatility is the key to consistency! Reggie June 25, 2003 Sun Valley CA Hi walter ray i just wanted to know where you got your cool odor eaters spare ball and do you know if the company is going to start selling them anytime soon. thanx Hi Reggie, The logo spare balls are supplied by the PBA to the players. The spare ball I used this last season is only available to PBA team members at this time. I don't know if they are planning on selling the spare team balls or not. Sorry I couldn't be of more help! Ryan June 14, 2003 RousesPoint NY Mr. Williams i had this new ball but it sometimes work the way i want it to but then sometimes don't is this cause the guy that drilled it drilled it wrong it wasn't drilled by a pro shop person. it was drilled by a local guy did mess up my ball. he didn't do that good on it i paid 200 dollars for it please tell ok you are a good bowler. Hi Ryan, I don't know why you would have somebody other than a pro shop operator drill a bowling ball for you unless it was somebody you trusted. It is possible that the ball isn't drilled correctly for you, but is also possible that you aren't throwing the ball the way you need to be throwing it. I would take the ball to a local pro and have him watch you bowl and look at your drilling. They might be able to tell you what the problem is. Sorry I wasn't able to be more help. But, it is hard to help since I am not a ball driller and haven't seen you bowl. Kim June 6, 2003 In light of my favorite baseball team the Cubs & the Sammy Sosa bat-roversy, does the PBA x-ray bowling balls before tournaments? If something is illegal are they fined, suspended or what's the punishment? Also I have read that Paige is a gambler at times. Will either of you be betting on Funny Side tomorrow? Since I own a gelding myself, I'll be with the track rats tomorrow hoping for the Triple Crown Hi Kim, The PBA does a random check of the bowling balls used by those that cash in PBA events. Players found to be using 'illegal' bowling balls are subject to fines and disqualification. Paige is more of a gambler than I am, but neither of us really follow horse racing. Dean June 3, 2003 Schiller Park IL Dear Walter Ray and Paige, I really enjoy watching the PBA on television and of course when Walter Ray makes the finals I really love watching him play the game, I think he is the "best bowler" I have ever seen. I've played this sport since I was a small child and have seen it change over the years, but I still try to be competitive on an amateur level. I practice at least 20 to 30 games a week but sometimes without somebody watching you practice and you can't practice on all types of conditions it seems that sometimes I make the same mistakes over and over. One of the things I can't seem to overcome is when I set the ball down it seems to take a double bounce and I do not know how to correct this. I have tried to get down at the line with a deeper knee bend but this did not seem to help very much. I was wondering what you think the problem is and how to correct this weakness. I am now 51 years old but I do keep myself in shape. I was also wondering on the pitches in the finger and thumb holes. Is it better to have forwad pitch or reverse pitch in these holes or is it just a personal preferrence? I have purchased two Dyno Thane ball the "Thing" and the "Element". I really enjoy them. I hope everthing is going is well and I wish you both the best in the future season. Keep well ! Sincerely, Dean J. D'Alessandro Hi Dean, If your ball is bouncing down the lane then there are several possibilities. You could be dropping the ball into the lane which means that you might want to get a better grip on the ball. You could be lofting the ball more than you want which means that you would want to let go of it sooner. Or the lanes that you bowl on might be a bit bouncy. I would recommend asking a local coach if they think that you need to adjust your game. The ball bouncing really shouldn't hurt your scoring unless the ball is bouncing left or right. I don't use forward or reverse pitch on my fingers or thumb, but I am probably a little unusual in that respect. Equipment Q&A  [1-20]   [21-40]  [41-60]  [61-80]  [81-100]  [101-120]   [121-140]  [141-160]  [181-200]  [201-220]  [221-240]  [241-260]   [261-280]  [281-300]  [301-320]  [321-340]  [341-360]  [361-380]   [381-400]  [401-420]  [421-440]