"Symmetrical or asymmetrical, that is the question, whether 'tis more advantageous to have the ball roll down the lane in a smoother arc, or hark, would it cause more strikes that the core be left unbalanced for a more radical plunge to the pocket? To sleep, perchance to dream of the perfect ball, with the perfect drill, impacting the pocket for the perfect strike, hence, I smile; for life indeed is good - I understand my ball and my average is rising."

Moving on from the different ball types, this article covers aspects that affect the balance of a ball, therefore influencing how it will roll down the lane. What type of bowler are you? Tight-line (straighter to the pins), stroker (medium hook), or cranker (higher revolutions); is the core of your ball balanced?; and where was the locator pin placed when your ball was drilled?

The tight-line bowler tends to have lower ball speed, less revs, and because the ball doesn't cover many boards in its journey down the lane, this person must depend heavily on accuracy and consistency of delivery. A stroker hooks the ball more than the tight-line bowler so their revs and ball rotation tend toward the middle of the spectrum; however, they can bowl well on a variety of lane conditions. The cranker, at the high end of our bowler types is someone who can generate very high revs and a tremendous amount of hook making them very effective on conditions where there is a lot of oil. Whichever type you are, or decide to be, keep in mind that each one can be just as effective as the next with the proper practice and honing of your skills.

A bowling ball is manufactured in sections (there are two-piece and three-piece bowling balls), beginning with the core and ending with the shell, or cover stock. The cover stock is made of one of the four different types of compounds - plastic, urethane, resin, or particle. The core of a bowling ball determines the weight (lighter ones use more foamy materials than the heavier ones) and the shape of the core will make the ball roll smoother. A symmetrical core (imagine a perfectly round one) will roll down the lane in a smoother arc and an asymmetrical core (imagine an oblong one) will be a bit more wobbly.

A locator pin (hereafter, "pin") is a plastic rod that is used to suspend the core of the ball in the mold as the second and/or third piece of the ball is poured. In the final manufacturing process when the surfaces are made smooth, the pin will appear as a circular dot. This, in effect, marks the center of the core of the ball and therefore, its position is very important when the ball is drilled. Pin IN, Pin OUT, high or low pin, there are numerous variations to be considered and for the sake of brevity; consult with your ball driller to determine the "best fit" for you.

A final note in this article is your positive axis point. The PAP is key to pin placement and so has a direct impact on how your ball will roll down the lane. It is the first oil ring (circle) around the ball, usually the one closest to the thumbhole. Find the center of this circle and then go to the point directly opposite to it on the other side of the ball. As young kids, we used to think it was cool to place a white dot on the PAP and practice being able to throw our ball without that dot moving (of course, in those days we don't know if it was even called that). Anyway, the PAP is approximately 3 - 5 inches away from the midline and about 1/2-inch up along the vertical axis line. There is an excellent video here: http://www.brunsnick.com/positive_axis_point.html (brunsnick is not misspelled).

A Hui Hou (ah-hoo-ee-ho) - See you again!