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Tour Information Q&A [1-20] [21-40] [41-60] [61-80] [81-100] [121-140] [141-160] [161-180] Matt July 24, 2005 Spring Hill FL Hi My name is matt And I would like to know what it takes to become Pro.i have about a 180 to 190 average,and I also have a coach and he is the best.And my goal is to make it on the tour.Please help!!! Thank you Matt P.s And could I get a sighed picture if you could. And I Am 16 years old. Hi Matt, It takes a lot of hard work and talent to make it on the PBA tour. But if you want to do it you should go for it! However, I always tell kids to finish their education, so that they will have something to "fall back on" if being on tour doesn't work out for them. Good luck. No Name I wanted to be a pro when I was younger but didn't have the coaching that I needed. I am now 43 and have a 240 average in league. I would like to bowl a PBA regional sometime in the near future. When you bowl regional, what region do you bowl in? I would like to bowl against you sometime, not that i would have a chance of course : ) Hi, I don't bowl regional tournaments very often, but I do bowl a few. I live in Florida, so most of the regional's that I bowl in are in the South region. No matter what region you bowl in, you will have plenty of competition. Jimmy June 22, 2005 Marshfield WI Dear Walter Ray, Hi this Jimmy Wagner again and I like to know how can i be a pro bowler like yourself or Pete Weber being on tv per week and per year and how it will roughly cost be to to school to be a pro bowler? I was bowling at the ages of 3 to 5 years old and i am in mid 30's now. Is it to late to be pro bowler right now or not? Jimmy Wagner Hi Jimmy, There isn't a school for learning to be a pro bowler. If bowler needs to they take lessons to improve. When they average over 200 they can join the PBA if they want. But it takes a lot of work and talent to be one of the best so that you can earn a living by bowling. Most pro bowlers have 'regular' jobs and bowl on the weekends for fun, a good challenge, and sometimes make some extra money. At 30 you aren't too old, but you have some catching up to do. Good luck! Mitchell June 27, 2005 Millstone Township NJ Hi Walter Ray, I was wondering what the qualifications are for the senior tour. Are they the same as the regular? 200 average for two years, or 220 average for one year? Also, what constitutes a "year". Since some leagues run on a Fall or Spring schedule and others run from September till around May. Thank you so much, Mitchell J. Sharoff Hi Mitchell, I don't think that the average requirements for joining the PBA are different for Senior players. It used to be that a season average was at least 66 games. The PBA is willing to work with a player if for some reason if the number of games aren't met or even if the average is just a bit low. K. June 24, 2005 MI Just heard the good news that you were nominated again for another Espy. How many nominations does that make now, I've lost track? The night of the telecast is my birthday, so I hope you win again. (I'll celebrate your win but not my birthday, I'm too old.) Hi K, Happy birthday. I am not sure how many ESPY nominations this makes, but around 8 or 9. Mark May 3, 2005 Raceland LA Walter Ray, I have been bowling since I was 5 years old. At the age of 28, after holding a 205 average for several seasons, I thought I would sit out for a season because I was getting burned out on bowling. Ten years have gone by, I am now 38 years old and have gotten the itch to get back into bowling again. I bowled in the past Winter league. After staying out of bowling for ten years I still managed to hold a 201 average. It's like a fever. I just love the challenge of figuring out the lanes and overcoming the oil patterns of the night. My question to you is this. I have also dreamed of bowling in the PBA. How far fetched is this? A 38 year old......at this time in his life..... wanting to start a PBA career? I am a software engineer by trade and work for Government subcontractor building Naval ships. Is it possible to do PBA events on the side to fulfill these erges I have? Sounds silly, but it's true. The sport of bowling is just in me. Just as you enjoy two things so much, (bowling and horseshoes.) Thanks for listening and I hope you can enlighten me on some of these issues. thanks, Mark Hi Mark, It isn't totally out of the question for you to pursue bowling as a career, but I would admit that you have given a big head start to all of your competitors. I would suggest bowling in a few regional tournaments which you could do without joining the PBA. If you feel that you are competitive, then you might want to join the PBA and bowl more tournaments. To get out on tour is very difficult these days, but if you are good enough it is possible. But realistically averaging a bit over 200 in league isn't really good enough to be competitive on tour. Do what your heart tells you to do and best of luck with whatever you decide. Jake April 19, 2005 Ppringfield PA How did u get on the pba tour? Hi Jake, When I was 19 I really started to bowl a fair amount (15 games a week) and started to improve to score over 200. I started to bowl in handicap tournaments and then eventually scratch tournaments. I then started to bowl the local professional tournaments and PBA regional tournaments. I then joined the PBA and about 2 & 1/2 years later I went on tour after finishing my classes at college. Donny March 21, 2005 Niagara falls NY Walter Ray, I am almost 40 yrs old, i've been bowling since i was 10. im very interested in becoming a pro bowler, i read on of your emails, and it's from 2004, you have to carry a 200 avg for 2 years? people have been telling me its a 220 average for 3 years, i'd really appreciate what you can tell me sir.. Thanks Donny Hi Donny, The PBA rule for minimum average for membership is 200 for 2 years or 220 for 1 year. However, you will need to be much better than that if you want to be competitive. You can bowl in regionals as a non member. I would suggest doing that in a couple of events first to test the waters. Good luck! Josh March 2, 2005 Terre Haute IN The format for bowling tournaments seems odd to me. In most sports tournaments the rounds are of equal length or longer length as the the tournament advances. For example in baseball and basketball play-offs the rounds go best of 5 then best of 7. I match play golf tournaments the final match will often consist of 36 holes. In bowling it is almost the opposite. Best out of 7 matches are conducted earlier in the tournament, then the finals consist of 1 game. This would be the equivalent of a match play golf tournament where the final match consists of only 6 holes! Sometimes I don't think the best bowler at the time wins, it is just the bowler who can match up on the lane conditions the fastest. I am sure the finals in bowling are conducted this way to make them more T.V. friendly. What is you opion on this? Hi Josh, I basically agree with you. The problem is TV. In the 'old days', we would bowl 42 games to get 5 players for TV. And then bowl 1 game matches where the player who would our bowl everybody else for 42 games would win less than 50% of the time. The new PBA basically came up with a format which is more friendly to the non-bowling fan, elimination matches. Unfortunately again TV wouldn't be very open to the idea of having best of 7 matches as the match may be done in as little as 4 games not to mention you would need 3 hours for the match to be completed. And then there is the fact that only 2 players would be on TV. It isn't a perfect system, but it is what we have to work with. Chad February 22, 2005 Louisville KY Hello Paige and Walter Ray. Congratulations to you on a stellar year thus far. Title 41 will come before this season is out, I'm sure. Are you planning to attend any of the regionals in Kentucky or Indiana this year? I plan to attend 2-3 in the Kentuckiana area, and hope to see you at one of them. You're doing great this year - keep up the momentum. I appreciate your time. Have a great day! Chad Hi Chad, Thanks. I hope that I can win title 41, but it doesn't look like it will happen this season. Hopefully next season. I don't bowl many regional tournaments and since I live in Florida I tend to bowl the ones down there, so I don't think I will be at any in Indiana or Kentucky. Angella Mercer/ Barry Staley's wife February 21, 2005 Greenacres FL I have heard from rumors this week that this may be your last year. Is this true or just an ugly rumor? If this is true then what are you planning on doing afterwards? Are you going to be more accessible for lessons to other bowlers, I.E. my husband? I love him to death, but he needs to work with some real bowlers and not these wannabe bowlers around our area who think they can step out there and beat any professional any day. Anyway you decide to go, both myself and Barry wish you continued success in your endeavors. Hi Angella, I am not retiring from the tour yet. I don't have any plans as of yet for when I do which will hopefully be several years down the road. I am sure that a top local pro in your area can help Barry as much as I could. Connor February 16, 2005 Downers Grove IL Do you ever think you could break EArl Anthony`s record of 41 titles? And I also wanted to know if you might ever beat Parker Bohn the 3rd at the Pba skills challenge? Hi Connor, I believe that there is a good chance of getting to 41 titles and a decent chance of 42 or more. I have never bowled Parker Bohn III at the skills challenge as it has only been on this season. He knows lots of trick shots and would be difficult to beat. Steve February 15, 2005 Oakhurst NJ Hi I was at the 62nd us open yesterday valentines day and I was hoping maybe I was going to get a chance to bowl with you but it seems you only bowled the 4:30 pm squad yesterday.My parent did happen to get your autograph which was awesome.I believe other pros bowled both the 4:30 and 7:30 times and I was wondering were you too tired to bowl the next aquad,didn't feel like it, or did u wanna spend time with your wife.Also when i was in middle and high school i was pretty shy and occasionally did get made fun of just wanted to know if you ever experienced anything similar. by the way my highest 2004 average was 185 and i shot 232 221 and 252 yesterday and I never bowl at carolier.Norm duke actually gave me advice halfway through the second game seems i was restricting my swing tensing up and he said to swing freely and it actually made my backend better.And I actually got to bowl with chris barnes hes nice But id rather see you get player of the year. Hi Steve, There are Pro-Ams every week. And since I am one of the 'big names' on tour I bowl in them every week. Some weeks players are required to bowl in more than one and they tend to get the guys who had weeks off. It is up to the PBA to schedule the players for the Pro-Ams. I am glad that you liked getting my autograph through your parents. Kids seem to like to make fun of other kids. Sometimes it is harmless while other times it isn't. There were times when the other kids made fun of me. The interesting thing is that the guys on the tour like to make fun of each other and they don't leave anybody out. Most of it is harmless fun. That seems to be life with people. Steve February 14, 2005 Pontotoc MS Hello Walter Ray, I bowl in local amateur tournaments (for now,) with a 190 average and I watch a lot of TV finals. Near the end of each game, the TV announcer would say something like "he needs a strike plus 8 pins to shut out the opponent". Now, if this happens,(strike plus 8) all the people in the crowd cheer the winner and the bowlers know who won, before the game is actually over. Here's my question. Are you guys told somehow that so-and-so needs the strike plus 8 to win or is everyone, including the crowd sitting there doing math in their heads. I normally don't keep track of the score as I play because I find it distracting. If you are in the 8th frame and need a strike plus 3 to win, are you and the crowd told of this or must you do the math? P.S. I like your throw. It is the way I throw. I think it is less susceptible to ball speed problems like the big crankers. If I'm a tad slow or fast, it still works. Thanks, Steve Buckles Hi Steve, Most bowlers are very good with math since there is so much of it in the game. Most top bowlers can tell you pretty quickly what who needs to do what at the end of a game. Even if the game is 'out of wood' I still try and throw good shots. And if I need 7 or 8 I'll throw my strike shot. Only if I needed 5 or so and was playing the extreme outside line would I try something totally different for my strike ball. Unless we still had more games to bowl in would I throw an experimental ball. Kayla January 31, 2005 Raeford NC hi walter. i am a student at hoke county high. i am conducting a senior project and was wondering if you could answer one of the questions that i have for you. i need to know how to become a professional bowler, and what tournaments that you have to win to become eligible. thanks for you reply in advance. Hi Kayla, To become a professional bowler you need to average 200 for 2 years. There are no special tournaments you need to win to become a PBA member. To be an exempt player you must be in the top 40 on points at the end of the season, win a tour tournament, be the point leader in your respective region, or be one of the top players at the tour trials. Obviously it is very difficult to be an exempt player. If you want to try it, I would suggest you keep practicing and bowl as many local regional tournaments as you can. Bowl on the toughest conditions you can find, as often as you can! Good luck. MaryJo January 27, 2005 Portsmouth NH Hey, I'm a 13 year old girl on a candlepin bowling league I've been bowling since I was four and started my first league when I was six. My avrage is currently an 85 but I'm looking to improve it my form is okay says the people but I'm looking to improve my avrage to a 100-110 any advice?? Because I'm looking to be semi-pro or pro bowler any ways to go on tour?? thanks, maryjo Hi Mary Jo, I know that candlepins is a much lower scoring game than 10 pins. To be good at any sport takes practice and a good technique. I don't know the best technique for candlepins, so you should probably ask a top candlepin bowler. I don't know what kind of pro tour candlepins has, but 10 pin bowling only has a men's tour at this time. However, I am sure that the ladies 10 pin tour will start up soon. Good luck. Clarke January 7, 2005 Goldsboro NC Walter Ray, just wondering what you think about the new format for the second half of the season? It seems to me that it will make it much more difficult to make it to the finals if you have to go through qualifying rounds again. I was considering entering the Lacross, GA event as an amatuer but I am not sure now due to the new format. Do you think I should still try it because I have not had good luck with qualifying at the regional level. Anyway thanks for reading this and I look forward to your response. God Bless, Clarke Hill Hi Clarke, I don't think that the 'new' format is really that much different than the old format from the first half of the season. What it does do is take some of the luck out of that first round. The players that it will hurt the most are the less skilled bowlers and those aren't the players who should be advancing anyway. I managed to win 5 of my 7 round of 64 matches. I hope that I would be able to make at least 70% of the cuts to the top 32 with 14 games of qualifying. If not, then I need to bowl better. I like more games of bowling as it takes a bit of the luck out of that round. But we still have elimination matches going from 32 players to 4 and there is still a fair amount of luck in those. You need to bowl the right guy at the right time. If you have trouble getting through qualifying at the regional level, you will have even more trouble at the National level. But I think that it would be good experience for anybody to try once in a while. Good luck. Sophie December 17, 2004 MI Congrats on your 40th win so far this season. Also for being honored by ABC's Hall of Fame. I noticed you're being honored on St. Patrick's Day, does this mean you'll be skipping the Grand Rapids Mi. tournament this year? Also sorry I'm asking this question in the wrong category, but my arrows don't work. I need new equipment. Hi Sophie, I had originally planned on missing the tournament in Grand Rapids so that I would have 3 weeks off since there are weeks off before and after the event. But if I am close to the top 4 in points or in the thick of the race for Player of the Year, then I will bowl in the tournament. If I don't bowl in Grand Rapids, then I will go to Baton Rouge for the ABC induction. Despite being inducted into the ABC Hall of Fame is a once in a lifetime event, I would have to bowl in Grand Rapids if it means that I might be Player of the Year again or gives me a seed into the PBA World Championship. Brady December 6, 2004 Springville UT Hey, I was just wondering i have a 223 average in my league i am in, and i have won the State Yaba tournament 2 times. I am 18 now, and next year i will join the ABC. i work with a coach about 3 days a week at the bowling alley i work at. Am i good enough to ever go pro? And if so how? Thanks!!!! Hi Brady, Since it only takes a 200 average to become a PBA member, you are good enough. I would suggest going to college and bowling there. They usually have good coaches and the competition should be very good. You can always bowl in regional and even national tournaments as a non-member if you do bowl in college. Being a successful bowler isn't an easy occupation. There are many very good bowlers out here and the competition is very tough. You can contact the PBA at www.pba.com about joining if you are still interested in that. Todd November 30, 2004 Chicago IL Walter Ray, I've been a big fan of yours for years. I'm 30 years old and bowled in a league in which I excelled as a kid for about 4 years. I developed the muscle memory needed for bowling at those ages between 9 - 13. Being a three sport athlete in high school, I eventually earned a Division I baseball scholarship and bowling had been limited to about 2 or 3 times a year for the last 15 years of my life up until a few weeks ago. I found a fingetipped house ball that I have been averaging around 210 bowling only 3 times in as many weeks. I have been told by friends and bowling alley personnel that I have what it takes. I've read your previous replies stating that you have to average 200 for 2 years to qualify for the PBA Tour. Do you know of any loopholes that could streamline the process for me as 2 years seems like an eternity at this stage in my life. Thank you in advance Walter Ray. Todd Chicago Hi Todd, Averaging 200 is the minimum requirement to becoming a PBA member. However, that doesn't mean that you will be successful. If you bowl in PBA regional tournaments as a non-member and cash a couple of times, that should also allow you to join the PBA. You might want to bowl more than a few times before you start thinking about making a living at bowling. Lane conditions at local houses are usually very easy. I would suggest joining the best scratch leagues in your area and seeing how you compare to the best bowlers in those leagues. Once you are one of the best bowlers in your bowling center, you might be ready for PBA regionals. Tour Information Q&A [1-20] [21-40] [41-60] [61-80] [81-100] [121-140] [141-160] [161-180] | ||