I wanted to say something to the guy, but as I said I am new to the game. I didn't want to say something and find out I was wrong and come out looking like a [censored]. Your responses have confirmed that my gut instinct was correct. I'll know better next time. Thanks for the replies.

Yeah if it has the potential to hurt someone say something. Try to be polite and use tact, and if they give you hell let them because they're blowin smoke, and they know they're in trouble. Explain to them that they can hurt someone, whether it's a fall or a blown knee.

I have a buddy who did this one night. This was before my knee surgery but after I tore my ACL. He put baby powder on his shoe and I didn't know it. I slipped on the approach a couple of times. Later, I noticed him putting it on his shoes. I told him that I was slipping all over the place. He said: I need this or I don't slide. He had a REALLY cheap pair of shoes. I stopped bowling that night. He is bowling my summer league with me. I told him that before he started the league that he should buy new shoes cause no one will allow him to use the baby powder. He did.

It is not safe for other bowlers. Someone can get hurt very easily.

This includes the power slide sold in pro shops. A couple seasons ago we had an issue one night with a bowler on the other team. The guy would slide with his heel down through the whole slide and leaning back therefore couldn't slide without it. He tracked it all over the lane and the floor getting it on others shoes, both push off and slide. My brother slid too much several times, fell backwards and we complained to the president who didn't want to do anything saying it was legal.

I have had this conflict during league and in a discussion on another forum.. If someone puts something on their shoe that affects someone elses slide then it is illegal. I can tell the instant I step on the lane that someone is using sure slide or baby powder. Funny thing is even though it is illegal and against the rules nothing is usually done about it. The guy with the excuse of "well I can't slide" is usually given more importance over all of the people that are sliding fine.

I would tell them to F**k off and tell them that they need to prep their equipment before they play and stop being lazy. It's what I do. Granted I'm not exempt from this. I have done it a few times, but I try take every precaution to get as much of the excess powder off as I can. I take a wire brush to my shoes afterwards, walk around a little without my booty on, slide the sole against an edge of a stair or rail, wipe it on the carpet. But these are on the rare occasions that I need to do it while bowling. Like I said I usually prep my shoes beforehand if I need to fix them up. The thing I hate is when some idiot leaves an ice cube to melt or a little puddle and decides not to clean it up. That really pisses me off, because not only did I step in it and almost kill myself, now I have to adjust my shoes to continue.

HAve any of you guys done this? Supposedly there is no rule or something prohibiting the use of ashes in ashtrays being used on shoes to get the slide back. First that's nasty and second I think I'll stay with the powder.

Ashes have been used on the bottom of shoes for years. Probably since Johnny King. Cigar ashes work the best.

I always used to use ashed.. that is until smoking was banned in public places here. Now there's no more ash trays to go rob.

The other thing that works is to rub your shoe under the ball return. They don't dust as well under there and you can usually pick up some dust which will help you slide a little better.

Dust under the ball return, that's a new one.

i should get plenty of dust were i go. they dont dust anything there. nothing barely mop any of the pits. yea ! more dust for me