Expert: - 1/31/2008

Question
QUESTION: I am going to cut and paste what you already said: Layout is important for any performance ball. The ball must react where you need it to and have energy left at the pins. When you are investing in multiple bowling balls, layout can differentiate and fine tune the differences. Too much concern with layout often causes subtle effects causing a ball to hook a little too early and hit a little weak, a little too late and not drive and carry well or some variation. Or, layout doesn't allow flexibility on a given lane condition. A ball may play to "touchy" where minor errors cause carry problems or worse (splits, bad counts).  How can I determine what layout allows fexibility for me?  Thank you in advance.

ANSWER: First we need to establish how you bowl? And, use the various differences of layout to help.

The basic over the label drill is a strong use of the manufacturers design of core and coverstock. If you throw hard the reaction may be too little or if you throw slow, the reaction may be too much. Lane conditioning and other influences will lead to adjusting what the ball does and when it does it.

Layouts can help slow down the speed dominant, help smooth out the overreaction for the speed challenged, help rev up the rev challenged, and help mild out the rev dominant. We need to identify what aspects of your game could benefit from assistance, and how they interact with the center(s) you bowl at.

All the elements of execution, and the lane, play a part in what works best. Tell me about your game? Average? Ball speed? Rev rate? Axis tilt and rotation? Are the lanes you play on oily (just for you, or does everyone say so)? Dry? What kind of equipment do you own? What has worked the best up to now? Worst?

Sometimes the expected perfect ball doesn't work, or the ball no one expected to do much works great. Do you have a situation like that?

Sometimes it's easier in this forum to figure out why a ball does the right thing or the wrong thing. Versus, determining (without the luxury of seeing you throw) what are key factors of your style that help or hinder, and what layout techniques can over come or augment.

I hope you can contribute more to the search for the best layouts for you. Getting more info, allows me to better determine what you do and what you need.

Thanks for the question, I am looking forward to hearing back from you.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I average 207 on my mens league and 223 on my mixed 4 person league.  I am a righty, 26 years old and have been bowling for 18 years.  I have two 800's ,one 300, and four 299's.  I know I have potential to be great someday, and I am now choosing to focus on fixing all my faults to achieve my goals.

My biggest problem is inconsistent ball speed.  I throw about 16-18 mph and I have a medium to high rev rate.  Not sure what axis tilt is but I think I am a semi-spinner?  My track is outside my finger and thumb holes.  The lanes I bowl on are a bit oily, but have a decent backend.  The heads usually dry up in the second game.  I own 5 balls, and each one is drilled with the pin and cg in different positions.  No two balls have the same reaction, so I have a variety to choose from depending on the oil pattern that night.  I have bowled good with each of them.  My best scores were from polished balls that go a bit long and have a smooth to hard arc.  The AZO Tactics (3 years old) is what I have been shooting the best with lately.  The pin is below the ring finger and the cg is 4 to 5 o clock from the pin.  The pin is about 5 inches away from the axis hole.  

Should I have all of my future balls drilled with this same pin and cg position?

Answer
Addressing your ball speed issue. Assuming you have a nice relaxed grip, and free armswing, in your set-up, holding the ball higher should generate a higher back swing and more ball speed. Holding it lower, lower swing height and less ball speed. Consistent set-up is step one.

The move into your swing should be hinged. Traditionalist teach push out and drop, but part of the pushing out demands arm strength, muscling that push away is effected by fatigue. By creating more of an arcing path with placement of the ball into your swing, your ball will enter the swing slightly quicker, encouraging quicker footwork, and less need to hold/support the ball as you place it in the swing.

Pin placement encourages: more or less flare and quicker or slower, reaction to the lane by the core. A leverage layout creates maximum flare and earliest read by the core (assuming some friction from the cover stock). Your 5" pin has the core reacting later on the lane, later to friction by the cover. Do your closer in pins (balls with a 4 1/2, 4, 3 1/2inch pins) roll earlier?

There are so many combinations but starting with the same pin and cg placement is a start. Stronger cores with longer pins should make for strong backend reaction, but possibly, not enough early roll, on oilier conditions. Weaker cores with longer pins make for weaker overall reaction, better for drier lanes, with some backend. Any ball that doesn't roll the way you'd prefer, have it plugged and redrilled adjusting the layout to attempt to get the reaction you want. You'll gain more understanding of what works for you as you adjust stuff that doesn't work very well.

Remember, surface adjustment also comes into play. You may want to adjust surface before the commitment to pay to plug a ball. Thanks for the curiosity. Good luck. Let me know how everything shakes out.