Credit: Tom Clark

Back in May, the PBA South Region conducted the first-ever PBA50 event using USBC-certified QubicaAMF string pinsetter machines, at Lehigh Lanes in Lehigh Acres, FL.

Fittingly, the greatest winner in PBA history, Walter Ray Williams Jr, emerged victorious at the event, downing fellow PBA great Ryan Shafer in an exciting championship match.

We will be conducting three more certified string pin test events at PBA Regionals this year, in the West, Central and Midwest:
– Cedar Bowl in Cedar City, UT, Sept. 27-29
– EZ Bowl in Bluffton, IN, Oct. 4-6
– Foxx View Lanes in Waukesha, WI, Oct. 11-13

Following those events, our PBA Rules and Equipment Director, Neil Stremmel, will utilize extensive data collection to give us a full report on the similarities and differences of certified strings vs. free fall, and we will also present to you the opinions and observances of the best bowlers in the world’s experiences on the systems in PBA competition.

While I understand string pins are a hot button issue for bowling fans, this post is not about string pins.

This post is about the biggest takeaway I had from observing the special event at friendly Lehigh Lanes.

While the certified strings during PBA competition were certainly eye-opening and interesting, what I noticed most in person, wasn’t about the pins.  It was about the winner, Walter Ray Williams Jr., and the chance to once again to see up close the unique concentration and will to win, of one of our country’s greatest sports champions.

I have been fortunate to watch WRW Jr. compete on the lanes at the highest levels of bowling, up close, hundreds of times. I even had the chance to watch him win the 1994 NHPA World Horseshoe Championship, in person, in Syracuse, NY.

Now 64 years old, Walter Ray continues to compete as often as possible in both bowling and horseshoes. Every weekend, it seems every day, if he can find a league or tournament, he’s there. You can follow his progress as he streams his efforts on his Facebook pages, YouTube channel and web site.

By tuning in to catch glimpses of Walter Ray’s greatness across his content channels, and by taking a look back at all his past performances on YouTube, you’ll see what has continued to mesmerize me about his approach to the game, which was on display at Lehigh Lanes …

It’s Walter Ray’s focus. His desire. His ability to make every single shot he throws, be the most important thing in the world, in that instant. He seems to put his entire soul into each shot, whether it’s the 10th frame of a major championship title match, or the 4th frame in the 3rd qualifying game at a regional.

Walter Ray is at war with the pins, and he keeps his eye on every single one of them. He wills them over. When one dares to stay up, he’s clearly dissatisfied, and then, at perhaps the greatest conversion percentage rate in the game’s history, he knocks that pin over for the spare.

One of the biggest cliches to have success in bowling and other sports is, “taking things one shot at a time.” We all know that, but we all know it’s easier said, than done.

To me, Walter Ray is the greatest of all time at the art of focusing on, “one shot at a time.” Not just the greatest in bowling to do that, but in any sport. Even at age 64, he’s maintained that competitive fire, one frame, indeed, one shot, at a time.

Other players before and after his reign, which produced seven PBA Player of the Year Awards between 1986-2010, have had more influence on the way the bowling ball is delivered.

But if you want to be better at bowling, emulate Walter Ray’s focus and his will-to-win investment on each shot, one at a time.

So far, I’ve got him at a far-and-away record 131 total PBA titles.
– 47 on the PBA National Tour.
– 16 on the PBA50 National Tour.
– 35 regular PBA Regionals.
– 33 PBA50 Regionals.

He sets the standard.

He reminds us the players are the most important part of the entire system of the game.

And trust me, if my numbers are off, Walter Ray will let me know. He is very focused, on winning.