This article was hidden in the Sport Series bit of the forum and I thought that it would get a better veiwing up here on the main forum.....
If you could only ask one bowler how to play the lanes on a sport bowling condition who would you ask?
My choice would be pba hall of famer and 35 time champion Walter Ray Williams Jr. because he can not only dominate on sport bowling type conditions, but also on softer conditions which produce a higher scoring pace. Add the fact that he can play any angle on the lane with any amount of oil and it all adds up to one of the most versatile bowlers in history.
Williams loves the idea of sport conditions and the credibility those demanding scoring environments bring back to the game.
"I enjoy playing golf in my spare time," williams said,"but when i play , i look for demanding coures which offer a challenge.The more the challenge, the better i am able to focus on my mental game and physical technique. Bowling is no different in that regard."
That's why he recommends that bowlers who want to excel should go out of their way to find tougher sport conditions whenever possible and practice on them. You'll then find semi-difficult or unfamiliar conditions will seem easier to manage.
Wiliams says successful bowling on sport conditions begins before you throw your first ball down the lane. The first item of business is mental preparations.
"On lower- scoring conditions where accuracy and speed control are a must, your mindset has to be that strikes are at a premium and spares and pin count are more valuable than they are on a high scoring condition," williams said. "You have to maintain a postive attitude in all situations because you'll have better concentration and shot making abilities."
The most common question bowlers ask williams about sport conditions is what angle should they play to consistently hit the pocket?
"There are more options on where to play on a sport condition than on a higher scoring one," he said."on a higher scoring condition, generally there is one area on the lane that is producing scores. On a sport condition, you have far less area on the lane to get the ball to the pocket, so you need to use whatever speed, release or area of the lane you feel comfortable with to score."
Williams prefers to play the outside area on the lane, but his preferred shot isn't always available on sport conditons because there is less bowling ball traffic on the outside boards. with more oil on the outside boards, there is less friction for the ball to recover if you miss. The penalty for a mistake is to go high in the pocket if you missto the left and the gutter if you miss to the right . Those potential outcomes will force williams to look for an area on the lane where he can get his ball to finish and maximize his hitting power.
"It's a delicate choice sometimes," he said. "if you have a habit of jerking shots too hard to the left , you can create a lot of difficult spares and spilts."
When it comes to deciding how to throw the bal , most of us don't have a choice.Williams however can play it straight up the lane or send it out and hook it back to the pocket by adjusting hand positions and ball speed.
On conditions that demand accuracy , he believes he is ahead of the pack by using a straighter release.
"This release is beneficial to me because when my rev rate is less , the ball won't grab the lane as much.I don't have to move my feet or target as much, and i don't cover too many boards," he said."the more boards you try to cover , the more difficult it is to repeat shots.The most negative aspect of covering too many boards is the quick and drastic directional changes your ball will make. and as the oil carries down the lane you are susceptible to bigger penalties as the lanes changes."
What type of equipment does williams prefer for sport conditions? it all depends of the amount of oil on the lane. he has won on the tour using all types of equipment, including plastic.
his preferred drilling layout is a more important factor. williams likes to have the pin placement on most of his equipment at the 1 or 2 o'clock position, or just to the right of his fingers on his grip. It's a layout that gives him a consistent look on the lane, week in and week out.
his goal is just enough hook in the backend to createthe necessary hitting power. He likes reactive resin equipment, but usually not on a freshly oiled surface where the backends are clean and finish strong.
"On a fresh surface, i find particle balls will roll through the oil and give you a smoother backend reaction." he said "but when the oil dries up in the front part of the lane, they roll too early and lose thier hitting power.As soon as you get some carrydown oil, the reactive resin balls create better backend reaction for me".
You may never bowl as well as Walter Ray Williams Jr , but his philosophies about the game can help you overcome more difficult lane conditons. By putting sport into your game, you'll exeperience more intense satisfaction and a feeling of accomplishment when you know you are taking on a real challenge.
this was taken from bowlers journal international written by Mike Aulby.
thanks to john whilliams for the mag.i hope this may help the bowlers in the sport series or even get someone interested enough to want to try sport conditions.
To all the people that tell us there is no such thing as SPORT BOWLING , someone had better tell Walter Ray , can't have the best in the business talking about things that don't exist now can we..... :twisted: :twisted: :roll: :roll: :lol: :lol:
If you could only ask one bowler how to play the lanes on a sport bowling condition who would you ask?
My choice would be pba hall of famer and 35 time champion Walter Ray Williams Jr. because he can not only dominate on sport bowling type conditions, but also on softer conditions which produce a higher scoring pace. Add the fact that he can play any angle on the lane with any amount of oil and it all adds up to one of the most versatile bowlers in history.
Williams loves the idea of sport conditions and the credibility those demanding scoring environments bring back to the game.
"I enjoy playing golf in my spare time," williams said,"but when i play , i look for demanding coures which offer a challenge.The more the challenge, the better i am able to focus on my mental game and physical technique. Bowling is no different in that regard."
That's why he recommends that bowlers who want to excel should go out of their way to find tougher sport conditions whenever possible and practice on them. You'll then find semi-difficult or unfamiliar conditions will seem easier to manage.
Wiliams says successful bowling on sport conditions begins before you throw your first ball down the lane. The first item of business is mental preparations.
"On lower- scoring conditions where accuracy and speed control are a must, your mindset has to be that strikes are at a premium and spares and pin count are more valuable than they are on a high scoring condition," williams said. "You have to maintain a postive attitude in all situations because you'll have better concentration and shot making abilities."
The most common question bowlers ask williams about sport conditions is what angle should they play to consistently hit the pocket?
"There are more options on where to play on a sport condition than on a higher scoring one," he said."on a higher scoring condition, generally there is one area on the lane that is producing scores. On a sport condition, you have far less area on the lane to get the ball to the pocket, so you need to use whatever speed, release or area of the lane you feel comfortable with to score."
Williams prefers to play the outside area on the lane, but his preferred shot isn't always available on sport conditons because there is less bowling ball traffic on the outside boards. with more oil on the outside boards, there is less friction for the ball to recover if you miss. The penalty for a mistake is to go high in the pocket if you missto the left and the gutter if you miss to the right . Those potential outcomes will force williams to look for an area on the lane where he can get his ball to finish and maximize his hitting power.
"It's a delicate choice sometimes," he said. "if you have a habit of jerking shots too hard to the left , you can create a lot of difficult spares and spilts."
When it comes to deciding how to throw the bal , most of us don't have a choice.Williams however can play it straight up the lane or send it out and hook it back to the pocket by adjusting hand positions and ball speed.
On conditions that demand accuracy , he believes he is ahead of the pack by using a straighter release.
"This release is beneficial to me because when my rev rate is less , the ball won't grab the lane as much.I don't have to move my feet or target as much, and i don't cover too many boards," he said."the more boards you try to cover , the more difficult it is to repeat shots.The most negative aspect of covering too many boards is the quick and drastic directional changes your ball will make. and as the oil carries down the lane you are susceptible to bigger penalties as the lanes changes."
What type of equipment does williams prefer for sport conditions? it all depends of the amount of oil on the lane. he has won on the tour using all types of equipment, including plastic.
his preferred drilling layout is a more important factor. williams likes to have the pin placement on most of his equipment at the 1 or 2 o'clock position, or just to the right of his fingers on his grip. It's a layout that gives him a consistent look on the lane, week in and week out.
his goal is just enough hook in the backend to createthe necessary hitting power. He likes reactive resin equipment, but usually not on a freshly oiled surface where the backends are clean and finish strong.
"On a fresh surface, i find particle balls will roll through the oil and give you a smoother backend reaction." he said "but when the oil dries up in the front part of the lane, they roll too early and lose thier hitting power.As soon as you get some carrydown oil, the reactive resin balls create better backend reaction for me".
You may never bowl as well as Walter Ray Williams Jr , but his philosophies about the game can help you overcome more difficult lane conditons. By putting sport into your game, you'll exeperience more intense satisfaction and a feeling of accomplishment when you know you are taking on a real challenge.
this was taken from bowlers journal international written by Mike Aulby.
thanks to john whilliams for the mag.i hope this may help the bowlers in the sport series or even get someone interested enough to want to try sport conditions.
To all the people that tell us there is no such thing as SPORT BOWLING , someone had better tell Walter Ray , can't have the best in the business talking about things that don't exist now can we..... :twisted: :twisted: :roll: :roll: :lol: :lol:
