There was recently an interview in BJI with the Tour's ball representatives. Is their job really that important? - Mark Caltran, Ft. Worth, Texas

BOWLING'S professional Tours are extremely competitive Ð the difference between making the finals and not cashing can be as little as five pins a game. It is the ball reps' job to put the proper equipment in the hands of the bowlers at the proper time. A ball might be very effective in a morning block, yet the bowler will need another ball for the night session. The ball rep recommends a weight configuation and ball surface for each bowling session. Those recommendations are based on experience, knowledge of the bowler's game and observation of other bowlers during competition. With today's high tech bowling equipment, a ball rep can even mean the difference between winning a tournament and not cashing.

As a great fan of Amleto Monacelli, I'm disappointed that I've only seen him on television a couple of times this year. He seems to have been in a slump for a few years. Do you think Amleto will make a full comeback and again become one of the top three bowlers in the game? - Margaret Reece, Pasadena, Calif.

AMLETO MONACELLI was extremely dominant during the era of the urethane bowling ball because his strong release let him create a lot of area. When the reactive resins began to dominate, Monacelli had a hard time adapting, as did a number of other players. His strong release essentially became "overkill" with the powerful hook of these new bowling balls. Monacelli is a very dedicated player and possesses perhaps the strongest legs on tour. I don't know if he'll ever again become one of the "Big Three," but he is slowly but surely coming back and adapting his game to the new reactive resin.

I bowl in a number of bowling centers and it seems I leave the 10-pin in one particular center more often than in the others. Is there something about a particular bowling center that can cause more 10-pin leaves? - Marty Rosen, Canton, Ohio

THERE ARE a number of different factors that can cause a bowler to leave the 10-pin: for starters, the depth of the channels (gutters). ABC allows a plus and minus tolerance to control the channel depth, but if a center has channels at the lower end of the depth tolerance, it is likely that more 10-pins will be left. A second factor is the kickbacks; some are "livelier" and have more bounce at some centers more than others. A third and the most likely factor is that your style of bowling (speed, angle and lift) might not fit well with the carry characteristics of that particular center. Tip: watch bowlers who carry well in that center and see if you can similarly adapt your game to the conditions.

Recently, I learned about that $1,000,000 tournament in Dubai (the Dubai Grand Slam) that will be held next year. What are your thoughts about this tournament and the possibility of Olympic recognition coming out of the event? - Jeff Frankos, Daly City, Calif.

THE IDEA of a big-money tournament is wonderful for the sport and it is about time that bowlers starting getting paid an amount equal to their talent. On the contrary side, I don't feel women should compete in the same format as the men. If the goal is Olympic competition, there should be a separate tournament for the men and women. Second, the amateurs and professionals should compete together rather than in separate formats. The professionals are the best bowlers in the world and would prove this as long as there are a number of games of equal competition. For too long, the so-called "professional amateurs" have had an easy ride because they have not had to compete on equal footing with the best in the world.

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.