Bowlers Journal International - January 2008 - (Page 12) THECOACH BY MIKE McGRATH CONFIDENCE CAN BE A BIG ADVANTAGE Walter Ray is good, and his opponents know it. I love to watch the PBA Tour, and Walter Ray Williams Jr. is my favorite pro. One of the things that I've noticed is that Walter Ray’s competition often does not perform as well against him as they do in previous matches against other bowlers. Does Walter have some kind of hex on all of the competition? — Nick Haxton, Austin, Texas It is not a hex that Walter has, but rather the confidence that he displays to his competition. Great champions in all sports have the ability to make their opponents worry more about what the champion is doing than concentrating on their own game. You can see it when Tiger Woods plays golf in the final round, or when Roger Federer is playing in the championship match on the courts. Now, you see it when Walter Ray is bowling for the title. The confidence that Walter displays is based on the knowledge that he knows how to win, while the opponent hopes he will win. The latter translates to shots thrown without confidence, allowing Walter Ray to win titles with less-than-superb performances. Earl Anthony, Mark Roth, Mike Aulby, Don Johnson, Dick Ritger, Billy Hardwick, Dick Weber and Don Carter all had that kind of confidence for periods during their respective careers. While some casual observers will focus on the style of the bowler, the line they're playing or the ball in their hand, what they should be watching is how the bowler throws the ball when a championship is on the line. That's what separates the great bowlers from the good ones. This technique is something that should be tried during an extensive practice session with no concern for scoring and total concentration on the technique. This will not come easy, but the eventual results will more than compensate. IS A SPARE BALL ESSENTIAL? Recently, I heard one of the TV announcers say that a good bowler does not need a spare ball to shoot spares. If that is so, why do so many of the professional bowlers and highaverage league bowlers use a spare ball? — Lowry Miller, Forest, Va. For many years, I also felt that good bowlers could simply relax their wrist and throw a relatively straight shot with the ball that they were using for strike shots. But I've changed my mind since many tournaments and high-average leagues have the lanes completely cleaned and reconditioned prior to competition. This cleaning of the backend makes the last few feet of the lane and the pin deck extremely high in friction. It's almost impossible to keep the ball moving totally straight on the high-friction areas. By switching to a spare ball of lesser friction (plastic or urethane), the bowler has a much better chance of keeping it on a straight path, especially when shooting the 10-pin (right-handers) or 7-pin (left-handers). NO TIME TO HOOK I am a big fan of Eugene McCune, and wonder if you think his game would have been successful when his father was on Tour? — Nick Garland, Colorado Springs, Colo. It's doubtful that Eugene McCune could have been successful in those days, because I think he throws the ball too hard for those old lane conditions. The reason that Eugene bowls well now with that speed is because of the high friction of both the lane surface and bowling balls. Back in his father’s day, neither the lane surface nor the balls had anywhere near as much friction "built in." A ball usually goes through three phases as it travels down the lane: skid, roll and hook. If you threw the ball with speed in the 20-mph range in those days, it would have only skidded — and maybe rolled a bit — but it never would have had a chance to hook. That said, it's doubtful that Eugene would have developed a game with that much speed had he been bowling at that time. Most bowlers are the result of their environment, and McCune has simply adapted to the game as it exists today. CATCHING UP WITH THE BALL I am a four-step bowler, and I seldom get a proper release because the ball always seems to be slightly ahead of my slide foot. Even with today’s bowling balls, my ball seldom hits the pins with much force. Do you have any ideas to improve my release and power on the ball? — Alan Shore, Boston, Mass. Usually, four-step bowlers get out of time when they push the ball into the swing slightly ahead of taking the first step of their approach. This means that the bowler is rushing his steps to catch up with the swing of the ball, and as a result, the ball usually arrives at the release point ahead of the slide foot. To correct this problem, concentrate on taking that first step and then starting the ball in motion with the pushaway. 12 bowlers journal international JANUARY 2008 Need help with your game? PBA Hall of Famer Mike McGrath is here to help. Send questions to The Coach, c/o Bowlers Journal International, 122 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 1506, Chicago, IL 60603. You may also e-mail questions to McGrath at MikeMPBA13@aol.com. Please include your full name and city and state of residence in all correspondence.
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