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Technique 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] [281-300] [301-320] [321-340] [341-360] Mike February 26, 2004 Started bowling in Jan. this year. Listened to advice and my average got to 130. I then tried what I was comfortable with. When holding my ball, it is with the palm stright up and even (level.) When I approach and release, palm literally stays the same with my thumb at approx. the 2 o'clock position. My thumb makes a very light sucking sound as it comes out. People look at me like I'm from another planet. Yet, my average is now 169. So, I ask, why the weird looks? Is there a better approach holding the ball? What am I doing improper to get such stares? (By the way, I don't get blisters anymore this way either. And, my ball stays consistently within the 1/2 board 99% of the time as I release.) granpabassmike@hotmail.com --- 53 yrs. and stinking! Hi Mike, The sucking sound from your thumb hole just means that your thumb fits perfectly in your thumb hole and that is the air rushing in as your thumb exits. You don't mention if you throw the ball straight or with a little bit of a curve. Your description almost sounds like you might be throwing a 'backup' ball which for a right hander curves from left to right. There aren't too many pros who throw a backup ball as their regular shot, but there are some good bowlers out there who do use it. Good luck, it sounds like you are doing very well. Tony February 25, 2004 Harvey LA Hello Mr. Walter Ray, I have been trying to bowl with a style similar to yours (Straight). I emailed you awhile back and you told me to stand on the 12 board and aim for theh 7th board. I cant seem to get the ball to go str8 and then curve into the pocket at the end. It always seems to go directly to the middle leaving me splits. I was wondering if you could tell me some different hand positions in which i would hold the ball. I dont want to be a big time cranker. I just want to be a consistent straight bowler with a little curve at the end. I also would like to know whatt line of bowling balls are good to use. PLEASE HELP !! Thank You, Tony Giang Hi Tony, Are you sure that I told you where to stand and what board to shoot at? Every place is different and what works for one person probably has to be adjusted for somebody else. If standing on 12 and hitting 7 puts you through the nose, then you probably need to move your feet and target left. I don't know how you release the ball. It may be that the lanes you bowl on don't use much oil, in which case your ball will hook more. To throw the ball straighter, you could try more speed. As long as you aren't bending your elbow or cupping your wrist you shouldn't be getting too many revs on the ball. If you do those things, then try not to do them. Hand positions might help, but most people get their hand back in the same position in the back swing. You might want to find a coach to work with you. It might be something simple that they could suggest for you. It is very difficult to give advice to someone who you have never seen bowl before. Good luck. Dan February 24, 2004 New York NY Hi Walter Ray First of all, congratulations on having a great second half of the PBA season so far. I have a hunch you'll win again before this season is out. My question is about bowling left handed. I read in your horseshoes report how you have done some pitching left handed, and I wonder have you bowled left handed? And if so, how did that go? I named some of my fish after you; one is Walter Ray and one is Paige :) thanks ~dan Hi Dan, The second half of the season is going very well. I don't know if I will be able to win another tournament since there is only one more this season, but I will try. When I was younger I broke my pinky finger and then later my wrist on my right hand. I wasn't much of a bowler at that time, but I was really into pitching horseshoes. So I practiced left handed and got pretty decent. I don't really bowl left handed. I throw the ball much slower as I am not really that comfortable bowling left handed. Chase February 23, 2004 Germantown MD Hi Walter Ray, First off, I want to congratulate you on an incredible 2nd half comeback of this 2003-2004 PBA season. I was inspired by your determination this second half. I have three questions for you if you have the time. 1) I like throwing the ball the way you tend to. Ive never enjoyed playing a wide sweeping hook, but can at times if necessary. My question is, I want to go pro when I am older and of course, strive to win some titles. Playing a down and in shot, anywhere from playing straight up the twig to up 10 is my comfort zone. With today's reactive and particle balls and players who seem to want to hook the whole lane, do you see this type of shot still being able to win titles, 5-10 years down the road? You have shown the dominance you can have playing this line, so do you still see it being succesful later in time? 2) With the new Exempt tour rules, how tough do you think it will be for a bowler to make it onto the show in the years to come? Granted, im only 16 and have many years to consider my options, but it seems to be that it will become very difficult for new bowlers to make it onto the telecasts to compete for titles with many of the spots being taken by previous winners. 3) My last question is; I compete in a house which is said to be tougher than most by my coach. Currently I am averaging 180 in my league there and could probably average 200+ in the other local houses. Should I stay and bowl at my current house and make it tougher on myself to achieve a PBA qualifying avg? Or try and see how I do at the other houses near me. Thanks for all of your time and good luck on the tour for years to come! Chase Hi Chase, 1) I think that in a few years there will be very few top bowlers who will be great at throwing the ball straight. At times, it is a distinct advantage to throw the ball straight. I would advise any young bowler who is ambitious to be a professional to learn how to throw the ball fairly straight as well as hook it quite bit. 2) I think it will be very difficult for any new players to get out on tour. And then the problem is staying out there. In my years of being out on tour, very few players really learn how to bowl on tour in one year or less. With the new format being 64 players and all match play I think it will be tougher for a top player to make a lot of TV finals which will make it tougher to win a tournament. However, in my opinion it will be easier for one of the lower ranked players to make a TV final. 3) I would encourage learning how to bowl on tough lanes. In the long run that will make you a better bowler. But, if the only way to achieve the minimum PBA average is to bowl in an easier house then that may be what you have to do. Maybe you could consider doing both? That way you would get the experience of bowling at the tougher house and still be able to meet the PBA requirement. But, if you can't average 200 on a really tough condition, then you might not be ready for the PBA. But you can also pick up experience bowling in PBA regionals, which is one of the ways to get out on the PBA tour. Gary February 23, 2004 McAllen TX As we all know, you accelerate your follow through. Do you accelerate upwards or outwards towards your mark? I don't understand how you can have an end over end roll and have the ball still hook. Does that have to do with the ball you're throwing? I prefer the more straight line like you but practicing it is very difficult because the shot we get doesn't put oil on the outside of these lanes. I practice it with a spare ball sometimes. The margin of error is so minute that it's very difficult to strike. When you first started off, I'm guessing accuracy was your main area of focus? Once you had some accuracy down, did you notice problems with inconsistent ball speed? I have a tendency to hit up on the ball and it makes it dive through the nose (hence why I asked you about excelerating through or up the shot). GET THOSE TITLES!!! SAY MY NAME ON TV! :):):) jk Hopefully will get to see you soon (practice practice practice!) and the best of luck to you and your family. Gary Hi Gary, All I try to do is accelerate my arm swing during my release. My hand is basically going in an arc. So it would be both up and out. I don't really have an end over end roll, but compared to the other pros, I do. When I was first learning how to bowl, I wasn't thinking about a whole lot of things. I was having fun. And after a while I got better. I would guess that I had more problems with my accuracy as opposed to my speed, but that is a guess. Jim February 21, 2004 Chula Vista CA I am 37 years old and have been bowling either competitively in leagues or tourneys since the age of 7. I am currently working for a law enforcement department in the San Diego area and have been bowling in a touring law enforcement "league" since 1996. I'm a190 avg. bowler striving to go pro (just to tell my 2 ½ year old Daughter I was) , however, I'm looking around me and I see others do much better than be and they all have high revs on their ball. I'm a low rev bowler but would like to put more revs on my ball but can't figure out how to do it. When I try, I mentally see the ball coming off my fingers, but at the same time, I physically feel pain in my right ring finger that shoots through the finger and into my wrist. QUESTION: How can I get more revs and get better pin action, but at the same time, lose the pain? BTW. I met you at the US Open. Thanks for the autograph! Jim Kelley San Diego, CA Hi Jim, It sounds like you need to have some lessons to work on your release. But to get more revs, you should try to bend your elbow and/or cup your wrist. You might want to check with a local ball driller about your finger and wrist. Something might be wrong with the grip you have. Good luck on becoming a pro. Marcus February 17, 2004 Bell CA Hey Walter Ray, i just want to know if my ball speed is too slow. im 17 years old 5''11 and 185 pounds and i throw the ball at about 12-13 miles. i can throw the ball about 20 miles if i wanted to but i cant controll it. the coach at my bowling allley said i should be throwing it at 17 or 18 miles and i told him he was crazy. i told him why throw it faster when i can control my ball and know whats its going to do now. oh well...i just wanted to know if theres anything wrong throwing it 12-13. all i know i'd take accuracy over speed any time...THANKS ALOT p.s.: i throw the ball with sort of a big hook and i think i have med rev rate?...i dont know if that matters... Hi Marcus, 12-13 mph does sound a little slow, but if you are comfortable throwing the ball that slow and your average is OK with you, then I would keep throwing the ball with that speed. However, there may be a time when you would might need to throw the ball a bit harder, so you may want to practice that once in a while. Dave February 17, 2004 Altoona PA Dear Walter Ray, Your advice has helped me several times in the past and I come to you with a new problem. Probably a problem you have heard from most bowlers, how do I get more revolutions on the ball. I don't have a problem with my acuracy any more your advice helped me there. I just can not get enough revolutions on the ball to increase my strike percentage. Any advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated. Thank You, Dave Noye P.S. It is good to see you back on TV again because you always bring so much to the game. Hi Dave, I don't know that more revolutions really helps you with getting a higher strike percentage unless you are getting less than 6 revolutions on your ball. More revolutions will amplify the lane condition that is put out, which can help and can hurt. I don't get an excessive amount of revolutions on the ball, but if you cup your wrist and elbow on your downswing that should increase your revs. However you will probably lose a lot of accuracy at first. Keep practicing and that should be better. Good luck. Shea February 16, 2004 New Albany IN Mr. Williams Jr., I've been practicing the hook but haven't gotten the hang of it yet. I have always just thrown a straight ball that I am to the right side of the head pin. But my family, which goes bowling together for money, has told me that in order for me to be more of threat I should learn the hook. Because I'm 21 and stand 5'2 I don't see me getting any bigger but could lift weights more often. I do know that the ball is supposed to come off the fingers a certain way, which is what gives the hook, but it just seems to fall off of my hand instead. My ball is a 10 lbs, couldn't throw the 12. I love the way I bowl but I'm willing to try anything to be better. At a loss as to what to do now. Just this past year I finally figured out how to use my weight to get more pin action but for some reason my ball has a backspin on it, do you know why? Thanks for taking time out of your busy day to listen. Sheabird Hi Sheabird, It sounds like your wrist is in a weak position when you let go of it. You might want to try and cup it a little bit. That is hard to do when you are bowling, but that should help you to not throw a back up. Keep working on it. The lighter ball should be easier to hook, but if it is a house ball it won't hook very much anyway. Doing wrist exercises would probably do more good for you. Gerald February 15, 2004 Macedonia OH I just received your new video on Secrets to Better Bowling. In it you state to keep your pinky finger in and the index finger out when placing your hand in the ball. I am plagued with hanging up two or three times a series where I come out of the ball with my thumb turned at 9:00. I keep my four fingers tight together and try to come thru the ball. Would it help to keep my index finger out as you suggested? Thanks Hi Gerald, I think that the index finger being spread will allow you to rotate the ball easier. The hanging up in the ball is probably due to your thumbhole being too tight. I know that a lot of amateur bowlers like to have a tight thumbhole and will use baby powder so that they can let go of it. I think that is a very bad practice. Get your thumbhole loosened up and put tape into it. During the course of bowling in a league your thumb may swell or shrink and using tape is a good way to keep your thumb snug, but not too tight. Jay February 17, 2004 New Lexington OH dear mr walter ray i am a league bowler in a small tow of new lexington ohio i have a small problem with my ball reacting on the lane i am a verstile player but i prefer to play a big hook but my ball does not react like it should i think i am doing something wrong but cant figure it out. Hi Jay, Part of being a good bowler is adapting to the different lanes and lane conditions. If you are a versatile player then you should eventually figure out where you need to be playing. You might ask another top player their opinion on what to do Joshua February 4, 2004 Titusville FL Hi my name is joshua i have a huge problem. im 14 5"4 and whiegh 164. My ave is a 113. See i just got this new storm right.I keep tring to put a spin on it right.But every time i do it misses the head pin.Sometimes it will strike but other times it will miss and laeve a spilt. I keep tring to speed it up but everytime i do it won't spin. See i watch you bowl and try to imitate you and sometimes it works and other times it won't. I want to know if you ever have a pro-am in titusville will you try to make it over at River lanes. P.S you are my role model execept for jason couch. Even though im a righty i can still learn from leftys right? Well keep up the good luck and try to write back ASAP. I would like to see you on the US open this sunday. I have a question? how do you get that spin on your ball?i just got a new storm and i was just wandering because ive tried so hard to but it won't.so can you try to write back asap. ps i have a b-day comig up and i would like you to be there if your not on tour.oh i'll be 14 and im your biggest fan Hi Joshua, It takes a lot of practice to learn the proper technique for a good bowling release. Think of bowling like you would toss a football underhand. The harder you throw the ball, the harder it is to put rotation on it. Keep working on it and I am sure that you will get the hang of it. I don't know of any tournaments in Titusville that I will be going to in the near future, but you never know. Wyatt February 4, 2004 Bedford TX How can you focus on your spot for a longer period of time? How can you put all your concentration on your target? What can you do to keep from breaking your concentration? Hi Wyatt, I don't really focus on my spot for that long. That is why I bowl quickly. As long as I don't have too many distractions like we get at some of our TV shows I usually don't lose my concentration. Concentration is a personal thing. Maybe you need to bowl more quickly. Jay February 2, 2004 Hong Kong Dear Walter Ray, I live in Hong Kong and unfortunately we don't get many opportunities to watch PBA games on TV - the stations here broadcast only the Asian Bowling Tour (infrequently) and once in a while a PWBA game. That means I have very unfortunately been unable to see many of your games! Which in turn means I haven't had the chance to closely observe your style. In the bowling book 'Bowling Execution,' your style is described as 'end-over-end roll', but you're clearly not a full roller, so this is slightly confusing. Could you explain what this means and how, assuming you stay pretty much behind the ball, you still achieve a reasonable hook? I've noticed the advice comparing rolling a hook to spiraling (underhand, of course) a football. How does that match up to your 'end-over-end roll' style? Sorry for the long post, but I also have an additional question. I took a bowling course in in college back in the early 80's (great PE credit!) and was taught basically a grip with the fingers at 3:00 (almost a suitcase grip, but keeping the wrist firm and straight). Balls and lane conditions have clearly changed significantly since then. I returned to bowling about 3 years ago, and have experimented with various grips, and this one still seems to work for me, though whenever I use it others tend to advise me to do otherwise. Do you think such a grip can be useful on today's conditions, or is it more worthwhile to pursue a more standard, contemporary release? Thanks in advance and my apologies for the multiple questions! Best regards, Jay Hi Jay, Compared to the other pro bowlers, my ball rolls end over end. It really doesn't, but I don't normally put a lot of side rotation on my ball. There are times when I do have a straighter release, but it never truly is an end over end roll. The 3 o'clock finger hand position is a simple way to get a little bit of side turn on the ball. The underhand football analogy is a simple way to think about releasing the bowling ball. It isn't as easy since the bowling ball weighs so much more than a football. Ken January 31, 2004 Philadelphia PA Congtrats your 2 recent wins on TV. Good way to rebound. I have noticed a few things about bowling in my own game that are very subtle but seem to make a huge difference. One big thing is that if I lay the ball out on the lane easy, without really lofting the ball or hitting up on the ball, it seems to be a much more productive shot than if I bounce the ball (not really trying to bounce the ball). Also, it's a better shot if the ball hits the lane with either no sound or a well defined, single distinct sound. Another thing that I noticed is if I get up on the approach, the faster I get into motion, without being reckless, the better and more accurate shot that I make. Earl Anthony took almost no time to get going. What do you think about these observations? Also, how heavy does a bowling ball feel at the bottom of a swing? Is there are formula for that? Hi Ken, Thanks. If laying the ball easy on the lane gives you better results, then maybe that's what you should do. I don't try to lay the ball down early or loft it. It is more of a by product of how I am trying to play the lanes. I tend to loft the ball when I am hooking the ball more and laying it down easier when I go straighter. 4 of the best bowlers in the PBA took very little time to bowl, Earl Anthony, Mark Roth, Marshall Holman, and myself. I don't think about how heavy the ball is at the bottom of the swing. Centercounter January 29, 2004 Orlando FL comments: I am 39 years old, with some physical degradation (I walk with a cane when I'm not bowling). I can manage the 5 steps to and fro on a lane without additional equipment. The problem I'm having is an obscene lack of carry, even with reasonable angle. I used to be a 200+ bowler, and last year carried 193 book, but now I'm at 184 bowling no worse than last year. The problem - I average at least one 7-10 a night and possibly one 4-10 on a high pocket hit or half pocket hit. In an average night, I miss the pocket perhaps 5 times or less in an evening, and I don't mind saying that this is getting very frustrating, especially in light of watching league bowlers with no accuracy carrying all kinds of junk. I dropped down to a 14 pound ball a couple years ago and am currently throwing an Eraser Boost. The current condition is slick down and in first game, and by the last game, I'm standing in the restaurant next door just to keep the ball in play. I've purchased a Barbed Wire, but have been unable to use it in league as I can practice with it, but cannot get my fingers in on league night. I will get the grips replaced, which will give me down and in options (and hopefully better angles) when the lanes dry up. I guess the question is - is this the right direction to go, is there a certain allocation of luck/karma given to an individual, etc., and do you have any additional suggestions to improve carry? Hi, If you believe in luck/karma then maybe there is. Carry is a function of speed, angle and exactly where you hit the pocket. An excessively slow speed would create low carry. Some players think excessive speed is also a detriment, but they don't seem to want to slow their speed down. I don't know if the 14 pound ball is the reason, but I doubt it. You might want to ask a local pro to help you out. It is hard to suggest something when I haven't seen you bowl. I would suggest to keep hitting the pocket. Good luck. Don January 29, 2004 Truxton NY Assuming that you like playing"down and in",what do you do when you encounter a bunch of crankers tearing up the lane?I have this problem on leagues around here,where 90% of the bowlers want to throw a "Robert Smith ball",max revs,max hook,etc,as where I am more accurate and more direct.The problem i have comes when i feel i have to move inside and i get into their "mess" as I call it......any suggestions? I am the one that can't strike,but can spare very well....LOL Thank You, Don H. Hi Don, I have a similar problem out here on tour. That is why I like the tough lane conditions, it tends to keep their scores down quite a bit. Usually though, the crankers will play quite a bit left of where I am. This isn't so bad at the beginning of the block, but sometimes I end up moving way inside with them to find a better shot. Sometimes you have to learn the other game to stay close and then when it is your shot, knock 'em over. Andrew January 29, 2004 Toronto Ontario, Canada Hello Walter Ray! First: Congratulations on winning the ABC Master's this past weekend! Your play was awesome! I couldn't help but notice your "straight" approach towards the lanes and you use what looks like around the 8th-10th board. I try to use the 8th board on acrylic lanes and the second arrow on wood lanes. My problem is being consistently square to the lane (somedays my allergies make me walk sideways to the right.) Can you suggest how I can better check my alignment while delivering a ball? My current league average is mid 150s and I know I could easily improve by 10-15 pins if I could just be more consistent in my approach! One more question: is using the middle of the lane for a 10 pin or 7 pin spare a good practice? For a while I was an extreme cross laner but feel more comfortable from the middle! Good Luck at the U.S. Open!! Best Regards, Andrew Lowe P.S. It's rather fitting you have a degree in Physics! :0) Hi Andrew, I don't know if there is really a good way to check your alignment while you are bowling because that would be very distracting. You don't have to walk straight, but it helps if you take the same path every time you bowl. If you drift 2 boards on one shot and then 4 boards on the next then that is a problem. If you practice you should become more consistent in your approach. I would suggest targeting between the 3rd and 5th arrows for most of your spares. Good luck. Tom January 26, 2004 New Baltimore MI Walter Ray, 1. What do you use as a swing thought(s) during a finals match such as the Masters, etc to stay so concentrated? Hi Tom, I don't really have any 'swing thoughts' while I am bowling. I concentrate on my target. Technique 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] | ||