I watched the ABC Masters, and on that telecast, Marshall Holman indicated that Mike Aulby was using a urethane ball rather than a reactive urethane during the tournament. Why did Aulby -the eventual winner - opt for a urethane bowling ball? - Jim Hurst, Vacaville, Calif.

IF YOU watched the telecast closely and got over the excitement of Parker Bohn III's 300 game, you'd note that Mike Aulby was playing an extreme outside line from the one- or two-board. The backends at the National Bowling Stadium are extremely dry, due to regular cleaning and a synthetic surface, which leads to the ball's hooking a great deal. Since a urethane ball does not hook as sharply as reactive resin (and is a bit easier to slide through the heads), Aulby chose the urethane ball. Also, urethane deflects a bit more when it contacts the pocket and probably has a better chance of carrying the 7-pin.

The center in which I bowl is very easy. I like to practice a lot, but the shot is so easy that I'm not learning anything other than throwing lots of strikes. Any suggestions to help me improve my game? - Eddie Johnson, Daly City, Calif.

GREAT QUESTION! I suggest you play the lanes differently from the prevailing shot of the center. For instance, if the lanes are conditioned so the seven board gives you the most area, try playing the lanes around the third arrow. You'll probably be playing a shot that rewards well-executed releases from a balanced body position. The area for strikes will be reduced considerably. By practicing in this manner, you will improve your game and feel that most lane conditions will be very easy. Good luck, and I admire your practice ethic.

Of the following three factors - speed, lift and accuracy - which is the most important factor for bowlers today? - Marcel Brookman, Windsor, Ont., Canada

BECAUSE OF today's reactive bowling balls and the dry backends of most lanes, I'd say that speed is most important today. This is perhaps why Walter Ray Williams Jr. is such a dominant factor on the PBA Tour. With his horseshoe-throwing background, which requires the same amount of power on each throw, he has transferred this ability to consistently impart the same speed on shot after shot. If a reactive ball is thrown a bit too slowly, it will hook sharply through the nose, while one thrown too hard will probably leave a washout or 2-10 split. Prior to the reactives, accuracy was more important, as the balls simply wouldn't hook as sharply in the back end of the lane.

After watching the PBA Tour for 30 years, I've noticed that the 2-10 (or the 2-8-10) seems to be common today. The lefthanders are leaving the 3-7 split and the 3-7-9 split. Why do the bowlers leave this split today and seldom left it 20 years ago? - John Beattie, Elco, Nev.

THE REASON for these types of splits is the excessive angle of entry the balls of today are able to achieve. Today the bowling balls hook a great deal more than in the past, and will enter the pocket at a very steep angle. This affects the pin action much differently; the extremely light hit which formerly left only the 2-pin or 2-8 now also leaves the 10-pin. This is because the ball actually hits the 3-pin first, which contacts the 6-pin at a new angle and causes the 6-pin to go around the 10-pin. So while the new bowling balls will create more area for strikes, they also create some very interesting split combinations.

The direction of the slide foot during the release is somewhat confusing to me. In what direction should the slide foot be pointed at the release point? - Maxine Maloney, Rancho Cordova Calif.

THE SLIDE foot should point directly forward to the foul line during the release. If the foot is pointed to the right (right-handed bowler), your release may be off-balance and cause the armswing to be misdirected. Some righthanded bowlers, like Mike Durbin, turn the foot left in the release. While I wouldn't recommend this, this direction of the slide foot induces excellent balance. Bowlers whose slide foot points to the right usually will fall off-balance slightly during the release of the ball.

Mike McGrath is a PBA and ABC Hall of Famer. Send your questions to him c/o Bowlers Journal International, 122 South Michigan, Suite 1506, Chicago, IL 60603.