The "topic of the week" centered around the "Positive Axis Point" (PAP). If I heard the term once, I heard it a dozen times in only a few days. The majority of the talk was about finding a good bowling pro shop where the ball driller would concentrate on each individual's PAP instead of merely drilling the ball from the label. That is an excellent point to be made.

One of my ball drilling friends told me that too many of his customers tried to get him to drill their balls based on how a buddy of theirs was "pounding the pins." They would bring him a drawing that showed how the other person's ball was drilled. The drawing showed the finger and thumb layout in relation to the pin. He told me that in modern day bowling, your ball should be laid out and drilled in relation to your PAP because every person has a different one.

If you are an old time bowler, do you remember sticking a white dot on your ball? The object was to try to get the dot to remain steady from the time you released the ball until it hit the pins. Actually, the white dot started out "looking at you," then as it moved down the lane, a right hander's dot would rotate to the left and be completely on the left side of the ball as it hit the pins. (Lefties on the right side.) Well, that is the "positive axis point." When your PAP is facing the pocket as it hits the pins, your ball will have the strongest hitting power.

In the absence of the proper tools for the job, here's a "Choc-List" of how to "eye-ball" the positive axis point:

1) Wipe your ball off to remove all traces of any oil. Throw a ball down the center portion of the lane. Do not touch any of the oily parts of the ball when it comes back.

2) Locate the two narrowest parts of the oily track and pinpoint them. You could use two small pieces of light-colored tape to mark the spots.

3) With the track-side of the ball facing downwards, place your left and right index fingers, one on each side of the light-colored tape spots. Looking directly down on your ball, "eye-ball" the top center of the ball.

4) Take a larger light-colored piece of tape and mark the center spot because that is your PAP. To get it closer, throw the ball down the lane and if you have it exactly on your PAP, the dot will "look at you and then turning towards the pocket."

When you take it to the pro shop, they will be able to pinpoint your exact PAP location in order to derive the optimum ball drilling layout. In many circles, the recommended Pin-to-PAP distance is 5". But, again, adjust it to your style.

A Hui Hou! (See You Again!)