Where are the basics?

[Adrenaline]

I checked all the different sections, but can't find a thread that simply explains the common terms used, what the mean, ect.

Where can I go to learn about a balls flare, what the PAP is, what the heart, and the other marks on the ball mean. In what position is the hand, when people make references to 'ring figner at 7 o clock'

What revs mean, radius of gyration, RG differentials, ect.

Is there somewhere where I can read and get detailed explination of these terms, and how they apply to the ball, how to change them, and what the effects will be?

Thanks.

[Rowdy]

I checked all the different sections, but can't find a thread that simply explains the common terms used, what the mean, ect.

Where can I go to learn about a balls flare, what the PAP is, what the heart, and the other marks on the ball mean. In what position is the hand, when people make references to 'ring figner at 7 o clock'

What revs mean, radius of gyration, RG differentials, ect.

Is there somewhere where I can read and get detailed explination of these terms, and how they apply to the ball, how to change them, and what the effects will be?

Thanks.

So,in other words,you just want an information dump of everything I've learned in 40+ years of bowling.

This may take awhile.

In the beginning.....no,we're not going there. Try reading all the old post's on here. Those will answer most if not all of your questions. Read everything that Hammer has put on here about their balls. That will explain RG,Diff and the like.

Try,"Bowling Execution" by John Jowdy for explanations about the swing and hand positions.

There are some things you just have to find out about the hard way. This isn't meant to be rude or standoffish,but it's called,"paying your dues". We all had to go through it,you don't get a free ride. Sorry.

There's just some things you can't learn about on the internet.

[Adrenaline]

So you're saying there's no combined compilation of this information?
Other than the book you mentioned, that from what I can see is about 6 years old now? I understand I'm young and have a lot to learn, but the 'hard way' is throwing a ball over and over, and no offense intended, no matter how many times I throw a ball it's not going to help me understand what the indications on the ball mean.

I bowled when I was younger just for fun, but quit when I was 18, had a 160ish average, I learned the basics, and a guy I worked with gave me one of his bowling balls. Unfortunately it's a 16# ball, and drilled for his hand, (which is huge compared to mine, and I only weigh 140, so it's a bit heavier than I need). I got into a league in 05, and got my average up to 186. I just started bowling again a few months ago, and recently joined a summer league. My average now sits at 202, and I think it's time I buy my own ball, and have it drilled for my own hand. I'm trying to research the actual physics and theory behind how the ball actually works, so I can understand what's going on, how to analyze what I'm doing, and buy a ball that will actually do something positive for me.

I read all the sticky's on this forum, and just thought there might be a different site, or explination of the common 'terms of usage' put into 1 space. I read this sites explination of RG's, but all it really did was give a few numbers, and explained that a higher number was hook potential, but it doesn't actually tell you what the number represents, or what it's a measurement of.

If that book, is what I need to read, then I'll try and find a copy.
But I assumed that over the course of 6 years, that book may no longer still be relevent to the technology used in todays balls/lanes/techniques.

Thanks in advance.

[BubbaRay]

Here's one for you, this will be lengthy,

Before we go into RG and Differential, we need to define both terms. First, RG stands for Radius of Gyration, which by definition is "the distance between the axis of a rotating body and its center of gyration. The radius of gyration of a 13.00 lb. or more bowling ball, about any axis, shall not be less than 2.430 inches nor more than 2.800 inches. In addition, the maximum differential radius of gyration between any two axes of the same ball shall not exceed 0.060 inches.

Note that the minimum RG of a ball 13 pounds or greater is 2.43 and the maximum RG of a ball 13 pounds or greater is 2.80. Whenever you see RG stated as a number, that is the average RG of a bowling ball unless stated otherwise. Second, Differential is the difference between the values of Low and High RG for a ball. As the rule states, it cannot be greater than 0.060. But to understand Differential, we need to understand RG first. Therefore, I will try to explain RG.


RG
http://www.currahee-usbc.org/korner/rg_diff/ball-diag.gif
In the image above, 2 masses which represent the center of mass of a ball's core. These masses are noted as; m1 and m2. Both masses are at different distances from the center of the ball. These distances are noted as; d1 and d2. For this example, we will assume m1 and m2 to be equal.

The critical idea to realize is that the further away a mass is from the center of something, the more "lope" or "gyration" is produced. For example, I'm sure everyone has seen (and even heard) a washing machine that was out of balance. The drum bangs against the side of the washing machine and you have to redistribute the load around the drum more evenly for better balance. Well, think of that thumping, unbalanced washing machine as a ball that has a higher RG and think of the smoother, quiter washing machine as a ball with a lower RG.

A lower RG ball (say in the neighborhood of 2.55 and below) has a core with a center of mass similar to m1 which has a distance similar to d1. A ball of this variety tends to "rev up" rather quickly because the center of the core's mass is close to the center of the ball. This ball also tends to have a smoother hook style because it's more "balanced" because the core's center of mass is more concentrated towards the center of the ball. Low RG balls are good for bowlers with a lower rev rate, faster speeds and higher axis tilt, or a combination of all of these factors. They're also useful for when a bowler is looking for a smoother hook or an earlier roll.

A higher RG ball (say in the neighborhood of 2.68 and above) has a core with a center of mass similar to m2 which has a distance similar to d2. A ball with this type of core will take longer to "rev up" and will "lope" or "gyrate" down the lane because the core's center of mass is closer to the cover (further from the ball's center). A ball with this core is best on drier conditions, or a condition where you want a later and sometimes more angular backend reation. These balls usually benefit bowlers with higher rev rates, slower speed and low axis tilt, or a combination of all these factors.

Now that we have seen how those RG numbers come about, it's time to understand what exactly is Low RG and High RG in a bowling ball.


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When talking about a bowling ball's low and high RG, here are some things for you to note as you read on:

The pin of a bowling ball determines the top of the core, which is something we need to know, for without that locater pin, we wouldn't know how to "fine tune" a bowling ball or know whether we drilled the ball at the low RG end of the scale or high RG end of the scale.
Bowling balls are 27 inches in circumference, and when someone drills a ball, they're mainly concerned with only 1/4, or 6 3/4 (6.75) inches (or 90 degrees) of a ball's cover/surface. All drillings have pin placements within this 6.75 in space of ball surface.
A bowler's PAP, or Positive Axis Point, is a reference point on the ball that shows a bowlers axis of rotation. Every sphere has an axis of rotation. A bowling ball is no different. The PAP is usually the "0 point" on a ball in terms of ball layout and pin distance.
A bowlers initial track flare is always 6.75 inches from the PAP (or 90 degrees from the PAP), which explains why ball drillers are only concerned with a quarter of the ball.

[BubbaRay]

The following illustrations are there to show you how the top of the core helps in determining low and high RG of a ball

Low RG
http://www.currahee-usbc.org/korner/rg_diff/low_rg.gif
As I noted in point #3 above, the PAP shows the axis of rotation for a bowler. As you see above, if we place the pin of the ball on the bowlers PAP when drilling, we will have attained a drilling with the lowest possible RG. This means that the ball's core is in its most stable position, is at its fastest "rev up" point because the top of the core is closest to (in this case, on) the bowlers axis of rotation, and will get into its roll quickly. No matter what kind of ball is drilled, what shape the core is, or what surface a ball has, this is the lowest RG position of a ball.


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High RG
http://www.currahee-usbc.org/korner/rg_diff/high_rg.gif
Again, as I noted in point #3 above, the PAP shows the axis of rotation for a bowler. As you see above, if we place the pin of the ball 90 degrees from the bowlers PAP when drilling, or in the bowler's initial track flare (note #4 above), we will have attained a drilling with the highest possible RG. Here as well, the ball's core is in its most stable position, but it is at its slowest "rev up" point because the top of the core is furthest from the axis of rotation, and will take the longest get into its roll. No matter what kind of ball is drilled, what shape the core is, or what surface a ball has, this is the highest RG position of a ball.

Hopefully you understand low and high RG a little better. With this understanding, it'll be easier to explain Differential.


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Differential
http://www.currahee-usbc.org/korner/rg_diff/differential.gif
Reviewing from the top of the page, differential is the difference between low and high RG, and the value of differential, as per USBC rules, cannot exceed 0.060. You might be saying, "Wow! 6 hundreths isn't a whole lot!" In everyday life, no, 6 hundreths isn't a whole lot. But in terms of RG in a bowling ball, it makes a major difference. In fact, it made enough of a difference for the USBC to lower the limit from 0.080 to 0.060.

You can see a visual representation of differential every time you roll your bowling ball. As you see in the image on the right, every bowling ball will produce track flare if drilled off of the PAP or track. Yes, even those cheap plastic balls do. Most of the time, you just cant see the flare rings on them because those balls have such a low differential, but they still have a differential. But flare is an indication of differential, namely, the size of differential between low and high RG. A ball with a low differential will produce a flare where the rings are tight together. A ball with a large differential will have its rings spread further apart from each other. Balls with a lower differential will tend to retain their axis rotation a lot longer than a ball with a higher differential. Balls with a lower differential tend to produce a backend that is more angular.

You produce track flare by placing the ball's pin away from its two stable points; the PAP and track. A ball drilled with its pin on the track or on the PAP will produce no flare. Why is that you might ask? Well, track flare is created from core instability. The further away from the track and PAP you place the pin, the more unstable the ball is and the more flare you will get. But there is a limit to the instability of the core, and I will hit upon that further down the page.

Now, to determine the numerical value of differential, the low RG and high RG values are calculated. The difference between those two values is the Differential . For example, a ball comes from the factory with a low RG of 2.524 and a high RG of 2.568. The differential of this ball is 0.044 (2.568-2.524), which is within the limit that USBC set of 0.060. Great! Now I know differential. But wait. Those bowling ball fliers and books only have one number for RG. What's that all about?

Remember when I said that when you see RG as a value for a bowling ball, it's the average RG of a ball unless stated otherwise? (scroll up to the next paragraph below the USBC rule if you forgot). Well, for our example ball above, we need to find the average RG of that ball, which is the differential divided by 2 plus the low RG (or minus the high RG - whichever you like). So for our example ball, the average RG of it would be 2.524 + 0.044/2 which would equal 2.546. There's your average RG.

If you wanted to know the high and/or low RG value of a ball only knowing the one RG number and the differential, I hope you can find that out, too. Same formula applies above, but this time you're going to SUBTRACT one-half of the value for differential from the value of average RG to find the low RG of the ball, or ADD one-half of the value for differential to the value of average RG to find the high RG of the ball.

[BubbaRay]

Average RG
http://www.currahee-usbc.org/korner/rg_diff/leverage.gif
Average RG is a pretty special number. Not only is it the main number ball companies throw at you for a ball's RG, but it is also the spot where the ball is the most unstable, or better known in drilling terms, leverage. I'm sure everyone's heard of leverage at some point in time. This is the point on a ball equidistant from your PAP and your initial track flare ring, also known as 33/8 inches. Whenever you hear someone say, "Check it out! I had my ball drilled leverage." What they're telling you is their ball's pin is sitting exacly 3 3/8 inches from both the PAP and track, and is in it's most unstable position. Oh, and by the way, this is also the pin position that produces the most track flare because the core is struggling the get to the stable points of either the track or the PAP


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Putting It All Together
To review, here's a few highlights:

Lower RG balls "rev up" faster and get into a roll much quicker than higher RG balls.
Lower differential balls tend to have a more "angular" backend and tighter flare rings than a higher differential balls.
The track and the PAP are the two stable points of a bowling ball.
The futher the ball's pin is placed from the PAP or track, up to the "leverage point" (which is the most unstable point), the more unstable the ball's core is, therefore the more flare it will produce.
Here are a few things to consider when looking at RG and differential as a combination:

A lower RG ball with a low differential will produce an earlier rolling ball with a small arcing motion.
A lower RG ball with a high differential will produce an earlier rolling ball with a larger/stronger arcing motion.
A higher RG ball with a low differential will produce a later rolling ball with an angular backend motion.
A higher RG ball with a high differential will produce a later rolling ball with a strong, somewhat angular backend motion.

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I hope this page has been helpful in explaining how the values of RG and Differential work in terms of the core of the ball. Knowing how these numbers work in relation to each other can help you determine which ball might work for you, or even help you compare balls between different companies. Because these numbers are "industry standard" and are not "arbitary figures" thrown out by ball companies like the numbers for "hook potential" and "backend" you can see how a ball of yours might stack up against another company's ball of similar RG and differential.

I only ask that you remember this one thing; RG and differential are not what seperates Ball A from Ball B in terms of hook. Surface is what makes that determination. RG and differential only show the physical numbers of the core, and the core is only the ball's "engine". The surface is the ball's tires in bowling, the tires determine if you're going to be able to hook the ball or watch it skid down the lane. For a bowling ball, the engine only determines at which point down the lane your ball will hook in relation to the tires and the condition of the lane.

[JaraTo]

FYI, that is still very relevant 6yrs old or not. I bought it on recommendation from these forums this year and can see why alot of poster's swear by it being the "bible of bowling". It assumes you already have the basics of bowling and goes from there. Give it a try, things get sweeter with age..... well except Rowdy of course.

[Rowdy]

FYI, that is still very relevant 6yrs old or not. I bought it on recommendation from these forums this year and can see why alot of poster's swear by it being the "bible of bowling". It assumes you already have the basics of bowling and goes from there. Give it a try, things get sweeter with age..... well except Rowdy of course.

Six years??? Try some of that stuff is what I learned FORTY plus years ago,and it still works today.

As for getting sweeter with age,I'm positively mellow in my 50's compared to the way I was in my 20's.:)

[Adrenaline]

Thank you very, VERY much, that was extremely helpful and answered a LOT of my questions.

So I wanted to get a bit more info on a few of the things mentioned.

PAP. "A bowler's PAP, or Positive Axis Point, is a reference point on the ball that shows a bowlers axis of rotation."

So does this mean, the actual rotation of the ball, as it comes off my hand, and onto the lane? The physical rotation put on th eball by me, before it's effected by the weight in the ball? Or something different?

Then by using the PAP to determine the proper drilling of the ball, is that something I need to have the pro shop watch? Have them watch how I throw my current ball, to get the PAP, which will tell them the best way to drill my new ball? Or am I way off?

And then, back to RG's. In my admited ignorance, before I learned anything you just taught me, the 2 balls I was looking at were the Hammer Beat'n No mercy, and the Brunswick Twisted Fury.
The Hammer has an RG rating of 2.50 for 16#, and the twisted fury is 2.53.
RG seems to be the number one way to decide what ball you get, while still understanding the 'Surface' but if numerous balls are all in the 2.5~2.55 range, but their cores are so completely different, what else is actually going on in the core? Is it all just for looks and show, but when it comes down to it, it's still just 2 masses at 2 distances, the actual shape and design of the core, is just dress up? Or is there more going on to these cores, and if so what is it.

Lastly, when deciding on a ball, do I want to follow the drawn out rolls they show on lanes? Do I get a ball that fits my appraoch/release, or do I adjust my approach to match the ball I buy? And when I finally pick a ball, how do I figure out, the best way to have the ball drilled? How do I know if I want it closer to the PAP or the Pin, or the 'leverage'?

I've got a bit of research to do in balls, but this was a huge step forward for understanding what's going on inside the ball.
I can't thank you enough.

[BubbaRay]

PAP. "A bowler's PAP, or Positive Axis Point, is a reference point on the ball that shows a bowlers axis of rotation."

The proper reference point is your Positive Axis Point or PAP. When you roll a bowling ball, you roll it on an axis. The axis of the ball during the first few revolutions that is created totally by the release style. The point on the ball that is equidistant from all points of the release ball track.

Then by using the PAP to determine the proper drilling of the ball, is that something I need to have the pro shop watch? Have them watch how I throw my current ball, to get the PAP, which will tell them the best way to drill my new ball? Or am I way off?

Take one of the balls you use now to your pro shop. he will be able to find your PAP by looking at the flare lines on the ball. He will will be able to more precisely layout and drill your bowling balls, getting them to do what you want and need them to do. Don’t be afraid to ask your driller to help you find your PAP. HE will be glad to help you! (When lanes are available of course!) If your driller tells you they don’t want or need this information, run, and find another driller! Bowling balls are too expensive to have them all do the same thing, you must be able to have variety when designing your bowling ball arsenal.


And then, back to RG's. In my admited ignorance, before I learned anything you just taught me, the 2 balls I was looking at were the Hammer Beat'n No mercy, and the Brunswick Twisted Fury.
The Hammer has an RG rating of 2.50 for 16#, and the twisted fury is 2.53.
RG seems to be the number one way to decide what ball you get, while still understanding the 'Surface' but if numerous balls are all in the 2.5~2.55 range, but their cores are so completely different, what else is actually going on in the core? Is it all just for looks and show, but when it comes down to it, it's still just 2 masses at 2 distances, the actual shape and design of the core, is just dress up? Or is there more going on to these cores, and if so what is it.

A complex relationship exists between a bowling ball's exterior, or shell, and its core. The pure motion of a bowling ball is controlled primarily by the core and shell, components that work together to determine overall ball reaction. The composition of the shell determines the amount of friction between the ball and the lane, while the core's physical or mass properties aid in the rotation of the ball as it rolls down the lane. To understand how the two components complement each other, let's first look at core properties using basic definitions and terminology.

The inner core of a bowling ball can be designed with a variety of shapes. The characteristics of the inner core's size, shape and density play a vital role in determining how the core will influence a bowling ball's rotation. To further understand how a core's physical properties influence ball reaction, the following two terms need to be defined and addressed:
1) Radius of gyration
2) Differential radius of gyration

Technically speaking, the radius of gyration is defined as the square root of the moment of inertia divided by mass of the object. Therefore, the radius of gyration is the distance that, if the entire object's mass were together at only that specific radius, would yield the same moment of inertia. The moment of inertia for an object is the ratio of applied torque and the resultant angular acceleration of the object. Translating the physics definition, the moment of inertia measures how easy an object will rotate when a force is applied. In simple terms, the radius of gyration determines how easy it is for the bowling ball of particular weight to rotate about a given axis and is a measurement of where the weight is located inside the ball relative to the center.

To help explain this further, imagine a figure skater twirling on the ice. If the skater spins with arms extended out, the rate of rotation is slower than if the arms are pulled inward toward the body. The same physics principle applies for a designed core inside of a bowling ball. For a given core shape, the more dense (heavier) the inner core becomes, the more the bowling ball will simulate rotation like a figure skater with arms tucked close the body. In other words, the core will have a low RG and will help the ball rev up quickly. The less dense (lighter) the inner core, the more the ball will behave as a spinning figure skater with arms extended out and it will take longer for the ball to rev up as it travels down the lane, thus, having a higher RG. The low RG ball allows friction with the lane to add to rotation for a sooner and more arcing break point. The high RG ball will resist rotation longer than the low RG and it becomes harder for friction to add to the ball's rotation, resulting in a ball that slides further down lane before hooking. The radius of gyration is measured in inches. The USBC has a lower limit of 2.43 inches and an upper limit of 2.80 inches. More aggressive bowling balls on the market have an RG close to the lower limit, while plastic balls will have an RG value near the upper limit.

Every ball has a high RG axis and a low RG axis. For an example in terms of the figure skater, the high RG axis would be illustrated when the skater has arms out and the low RG axis is when the skater has arms in. It is the difference between the maximum and the minimum RG that is defined as the differential radius of gyration. To explain in greater detail, think of a football being thrown by a quarterback and kicked by a kicker. In these two scenarios the football rotates in two different manners. The shape of the football helps determine which orientation the ball rotates in. When thrown, the football wants to rotate in a spiral and when kicked it rotates end over end. If not rotating in one of these two orientations, the ball will try to migrate toward one of the two "preferred spin axis" points.

Translating back to bowling, the maximum and minimum RG create a preferred spin axis on the bowling ball. When the bowling ball is released by the bowler, the ball will try to migrate toward the preferred spin axis as it rolls down lane. An indication of this principle can be seen by the oil rings on the ball. While the number of oil rings is a direct result of a bowlers RPM, a ball with a larger difference between the maximum and minimum RG values (differential radius of gyration) will have greater separation between the oil rings. A small differential radius of gyration will have less separation and sometimes produce one thick oil band around the ball, due to the lack of a significant preferred spin axis. Simply defined, differential radius of gyration can be directly related to the flare potential of the bowling ball. Greater flare allows a greater portion of the bowling ball to contact the lane as the ball travels toward the pins. This is important because the fresh cover stock contacting the lane will have greater friction and allow the ball to hook more. Currently, USBC has limited the differential radius of gyration to .060 inches.

Once an understanding of the two basic core properties (radius of gyration and differential radius of gyration) is gained, a bowling ball designer can better relate the necessary core shape and density to yield the intended performance of the finished product.

As mentioned previously, core properties are only one key to bowling ball reaction and performance.

[BubbaRay]

CONTINUED ANSWERS

Lastly, when deciding on a ball, do I want to follow the drawn out rolls they show on lanes? Do I get a ball that fits my appraoch/release, or do I adjust my approach to match the ball I buy? And when I finally pick a ball, how do I figure out, the best way to have the ball drilled? How do I know if I want it closer to the PAP or the Pin, or the 'leverage'?

You can use the drwn out rolls as a guide. They show how rthe ball reacts on a THS. You have to take into consideration what type of lane conditions your house normaly has down. Dry, Med Dry , OMed Oil , Hevy Oil .

You never change your approach in relation to the ball. You keep your approach the same no matter what ball you buy. You adjust your stance on the approach and target on the lane depending on how much the ball reacts. You always start in your normal starting position and adjust your line from there.

When you decide on buying a cetain ball and you reasearched the ball, you decide on ow you want it drilled depending on your style,and lane conditions. Not every ball will fit into your game style. Some balls that work for me will not fit your game. You decide on where to place the pin buy knowing on what you want the ball to do downlane.

Choosing a pin position when drilling a new ball should not be taken lightly. Although there are drilling instructions with each new ball for you to examine, it is best to consult with your Pro Shop rather than deciding by yourself. They have a thorough understanding of matching your unique bowling style with the lane condition that you compete on.

[Adrenaline]

Even more great info, Thank you yet again.

So I figured out my Ball is an Angle Evolution Tour. 16#'s.

The "Pin" is under my pinky (RH bowler) when I curl it.
The "Heart" (I think?) is about 3 inches right, and 1 inch down from my thumb hole.
My 'Flare' Rings are just slightly to the left of my fingers, and thumb hole.
I can count 5 Rings of flare. Tomarrow night is my league night, and I'll ask the pro shop, to show me my "PAP". I've searched around google for a solid hour and can't seem to find the specifications on this ball, just a bunch of old reviews.

So, continueing with my questions, based on your info posted.
1: What does the "heart" represent on the ball?
2: You mentioned "THS", What is that?
3: You said that the number of oil rings are a direct relation to your RPM's Is there a way of figuring out RPM's based on the amount of rings?
4: The distance between each ring, is a relation to Min/Max RG's; Where do you measure the spacing?
5: Are these rings considered my "track" and is the "track" the same thing as the 'PAP' and how do you use those lines to figure the 'cordiantes' of the PAP?
6: When people discuss their 'approaches/throw' They use numbers of boards.
The first part I don't understand, but the 2nd part, seems to be boards counted from the right side of the lane.
So if someone says they shoot from 21 to the 4, I understand that their ball hits teh 4th board from the gutter on the right side of the lane at the furthest point, does the '21' mean 21 boards from the left or right? And is that where they place their foot, or where th eball is placed when it initially hits the lane out of their hand?
7: You said that a 'more agrresive' ball has a lower RG. From my understanding, that's a blal that creates rev's early on, and makes a nice Arc. Is this 'arc' style considered 'aggressive'? And the late hooking balls, are called something else? Because initially it seemed as if a Higher RG, later hook, but a very hard hook into the pocket later on, would seem the more agressive ball. But based on the RG's it seems that a faster rev creating ball, that makes a longer smoother arc, is the 'aggressive' type?
8: Where do you guys buy your bowling balls?
Is there a website that you can sort the balls by RG's?
9: Lastly, The more I ask around, the more I'm hearing 15# is the most reccomended weight now, were as I was under the impression the heavier the better. Has that really changed? I throw a 16 now, will it benifit me to go down to a 15?

Thanks in advance.

[BubbaRay]

I'll post answers when I get home from work unless some one else helps out here

[idlehourlegend]

Ok let me see how much of this I can help answer for you. Bubba can hit the rest of it when he gets home.

1)The heart is on the No Mercy series of Hammer Balls. I believe what you are referring to is the Mass Bias on your ball.

2) THS - Is a normal house shot like the one you bowl league night on or practice on, its the shot that house always puts down(as long as its not a sport shot or PBA league.)

3) Not that I know of, because there are both high flaring and low flaring balls and layouts for balls, so if you had a lot of rpm's and a low flaring ball, then you wouldnt have many if any flare marks, then if you threw a high flaring ball you would have more so I wouldnt think there would be a sure way to tell.

4) I'll let Bubba take this one cause honestly Im not positive on it.

5)Track is more or less the same thing, this would be more of a thing for Bubba or a pro shop guy, I always just go to my pro shop and he does it for me its the easiest way better to make sure its right.

6) If their right handed its 21 boards from the right gutter, if their left handed its 21 boards from the left gutter. 21 would be where the ball is at the arrows and 4 is where the ball is at the breakpoint (where the ball stops going out and starts making its turn towards the pins, as simple as I can put it)

7) what I consider agressive is a ball that gets downlane and then makes a snap to the pocket, the early rolling archy layouts are more of a heavy oil layout but I myself dont consider them agressive although other people might. The later hooking balls that snap up into the pocket are called skid flip. I could see where the earlier hooking balls could be called agressive so that also could be right.
8) I used to buy my balls off the internet in the beginning of the year, but now I go to my pro shop for everthing, its a very good thing to have a good relationship with a good pro shop guy/girl, they will help you with whatever you need help with and give you a good push in the right direction.
9)The reason most people have moved to 15 is, with the new high tech cores/coverstocks, there is hardly any difference between the carry and hitting power of 15 and 16lb, some guys will say this isnt true but I have thrown both 15 & 16 and there is really no difference, 15 takes less of a toll on your body than 16 and with 15 you can have more control over the ball and throw it harder if the conditions call for it. But its more of what your personally comfortable with, if 16 is more comfortable than 15 then stick with the 16, if you think 15 will be more comfortable then give it a shot.

I hope I have helped some, Im sure Bubba and others will be able to clarify all of this a lot better, I just tried to simplify everything to make it easier to understand.

[TenPinSniper]

The HART is a unique concept only used on the No Mercy line at this time. The comcept behind the this ball or line, was to help simplify drilling for proshop for some possible USBC rules. The rules got over turned. But, luckily for some Hammer Released the ball anyway.

The HART is not to be confused with the Mass Bias (HMB) in any way shape or form.

HMB is a High RG Differential
HART is a Intermediate RG Differential
http://bowl.com/bowltv/main.aspx
go to Credibilty, then core story.
(This is probably one of the best explainantions of Mass Bias... I've seen.

[TenPinSniper]

On the issue of ball weight... basically 16# don't hit any harder than a properly thrown 14#... once you get below 14# in most line and brands... the weight block changes. That will make enough of a difference for the top level bowler.

If you can only control 13# or less I still would not worry to much.

Basically alot of this is due to stronger coverstocks and actaully having core, some of the cores are really strong... compared to the old pancake.

[Rowdy]

1. The HART is unique to the No Mercy series of balls.
2.THS stands for The House Shot. That would be the basic oil pattern laid down for everyday bowling,it varies from house to house.
3.No.
4.At the widest point between the rings.
5.The rings of oil are the ball track,not the PAP. But you CAN measure off the rings to find your PAP.
6.There are 40 boards across a lane. Some refer to them from 1 to 40,starting on whichever side they roll on. However,the proper way to do it is to refer to the boards to the right of center with the letter "R" after the number,or the letter "L" for the ones on the left. 20 is 20,it's neither left or right. So really there is no board 21.
7."Agressive" is a subjective term. Your agressive ball may be tame to me. To me the term agressive applies to ball movement on the backend of the shot.
8.Pro Shop or from someone I know and trust. I've got a Big Blue Pearl that I picked up from Danny Wiseman and a NoMercy Beat'n that has probably been owned by everyone on here that I traded NeoWidow my BWPearl for. But I prefer buying from a Pro Shop locally for the service.
9. 15 or 16,throw what you're comfortable with.

[TenPinSniper]

Lane is 39 boards, the center board is 20. Sure it just a brain fart.
Rowdy is correct about L1-L20 R20-R1.

Most people just count from their side whether your right or left handed we all understand I was rolling 23 to 10 at the end of the block, means you chased the shot past the center arrow.

[Adrenaline]

So I finally decided on a ball to buy, after all the research I did, but I found 2 new terms I was unaware of.
1: Top Weight
2: Pin out
3: 1st Quality

1: Googled around, and saw that top weight is the extra weight placed to compensate for hole drilling, but what I didn't find, is information on how to use that extra weight to your benifit, and why certain balls have a decent difference in Top weight, even though they are the same ball weight. And am I correct in assuming this 'Top Weight' is the reason for 'balance holes'?
And again, what postive or negative effect can be used or had with using/placing these balance holes?

2: Only thing I could find about pin out, was that the further out it is means the weight block is not centered in the ball. But once again, didn't go into detail as to what effects that would put on the ball. What is pin out actually measuring from or comparing to? From what I read, I have a choice of 2-3" Pin Out, or 3-4" Pin out.

3: Nothing on first quality, but the search came up and explained a 'Blem' which I understand as second quality. So I guess 1st quality is just the stuff that passed the test, Blem's are small errors, that are live-able with, but not able to sell at top quality retail. Kind of like the reject Jelly Belly's? "Belly Flops" ?
Blems were listed as having Pin Out past 4", what will that do?

Thanks,
Kenny

[Rowdy]

This will all depend on if you're drilling up a symetrical or asymetrical ball. Since an asymetrical ball is easier to make hook,I tend to try to get as large an asymetrical condition as the rules will allow. The only symetrical ball I throw is a spare ball.

I try to stay with a top weight of 3 ounces. That will be about the amount of material removed to drill the finger holes.

The balance hole can influnce when and by how much the ball will hook. See morichbowling.com for a more detailed explanation.

The amount that the pin is out will also determine how wild you can go on the drill to get ball movement. I prefer as long a pin as possible. You can always drill a long ball to go short,but you can't make a short ball go long.

As far as Blem's: You get what you pay for. I've never seen anyone buy a Blem ball and be totally satisfied with it.

[Thepainscoming]

You can always drill a long ball to go short,but you can't make a short ball go long.

And how is this, if u put a long pin under the fingers your usually gonna need a balance hole. U can take a 2 inch pin and put it above the fingers, u would just need a balance hole also. This statement is false

[Adrenaline]

The ball is Asymmetric. I decided to go with the Brunswick Twisted Fury. Although the new Hammer Line looks interesting, I didn't want to wait until July or later for the new ball I want. But maybe I'll end up buying the new Venom when it comes out anyways, depending on the price, and how well the brunswick performs.

I actually just got pictures of my current ball layout, and drilling.
And will post them up on the equipment forum, with a video... depending on how goofy I look after loading it and watching it full size, lol.

So
Blem = No.
Top weight = minimal difference
And I'll wait for some more discussion on the Pin In/Out, but it seems Further Out is better. How far out would you say is "good" We talking 2-3 or 5-6?
How far do they go?

[idlehourlegend]

A good pin distance, depending on how you want it drilled is usually 2-3 or 3-4 ,up until this week in the blem balls I've heard of some pins around 7 inches, but Blistershurt said he saw one that was 10-14 inches which would put the pin on the other side of the ball.The ball is Asymmetric. I decided to go with the Brunswick Twisted Fury. Although the new Hammer Line looks interesting, I didn't want to wait until July or later for the new ball I want. But maybe I'll end up buying the new Venom when it comes out anyways, depending on the price, and how well the brunswick performs.

I actually just got pictures of my current ball layout, and drilling.
And will post them up on the equipment forum, with a video... depending on how goofy I look after loading it and watching it full size, lol.

So
Blem = No.
Top weight = minimal difference
And I'll wait for some more discussion on the Pin In/Out, but it seems Further Out is better. How far out would you say is "good" We talking 2-3 or 5-6?
How far do they go?

[Rowdy]

I look for the pin to be anywhere between 4 and 6 inches with a 3 ounce topweight. But then again,I like my stuff to go long and straight with a hard turn at the end.