PAP Question

[mrmack]

I have been reading up on different layouts and reading previously posts to learn more about the technical side of bowling.  This may sound dumb but remember, I am new to this and I am trying to learn here.  Here is my scenario:  A bowlers PAP was 5 1/2 up 3/4.  He has purchases an asymmetrical ball with a strong coverstock.  He ask his driller to set it up 4 X 5 looking for a sharp breakpoint (so I've read).  What would happen to the reaction of the ball if the driller set the ball up with a PAP of 4 1/2 up 1 in. instead of the correct 5 1/2 up 3/4 or is the PAP not that critical?

[Strider]

I can't imagine how the driller screwed up, but for the non professionals, it probably takes moving the pin (or the PAP being wrong) a minimum /i] of 1", and probably closer to 2" before a real difference is seen.  It's unfortunate that a mistake was made, but normal surface adjustments could be made to make the ball react very close to what it should have been to start.

Also, I tend to avoid using 5x4 type descriptions for asymmetric balls.  The second number (4 in this case) is the distance from the CG to the PAP.  On strong asymmetric balls, you pretty much ignore the CG except for weight hole purposes.  If the pin-CG-MB aren't in line, you could have two balls, both 5x4 (using pin and CG) that would have the mass bias' in very different places that would give different reactions.
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[shelley]

I agree with strider.  Those two different PAPs will result in actual pin-to-PAP and MB-to-PAP distances that aren't that far apart.  The ball as drilled will probably be slightly earlier than the intended reaction.  It wouldn't be perfect or ideal, but on a house shot it will probably work just fine anyway.  On a harder shot or in a larger arsenal where you're looking for a very specific reaction, you might tell a difference.  The difference will be larger for the strong asymmetric than for a weak asym or symmetric ball (using the virtual MB instead of a marked MB).

Regarding the 4 X 5 type of layout for an asymmetric ball, most people interpret the second number as being MB-to-PAP rather than CG-to-PAP when there's a marked mass bias.  If your driller is ignoring the MB, get out.  If the second number is indeed the MB-to-PAP, there's no problem using that layout system.

SH

[mrmack]

Thanks Strider & Shelley  

Just to give you a little more info, it seems that a summer trainee drilled the ball & used the incorrect PAP.  He still had the PAP in his mine from the customer before me.  The shop replaced the ball once a friend pointed out that he thought it was incorrect.  

The pro shop manager told me that the incorrect PAP would not have made a  difference, but he did replace the ball with the correct drilling (my friend checked it for me).  Again, I am not a very technical person when it comes to drillings and the like.  Also, the pro shop mgr explained to me that 4 X 5 drilling was that the 4 was pin to PAP and the 5 was MB to PAP.  I had not used this particular shop before and probably won't be using them again.  They just had this tremendous ball sale so I took a chance.

[Strider]

Actually, it sounds like a good shop to deal with.  They made an honest mistake, admitted it, and replaced the ball since it was their fault.  They also explained things better than most would bother.  I'm glad it worked out.
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[Mike James]

Let me take this a step further...how about many drillers, especially in this area that give you a drilling #1,#2,#3,#4...straight from the sheet...regardless of your pap...i've seen 2 teammates with the same ball side by side and you couldn't tell who's was who's...one is a tweener the other a stroker....and they struggled...why should after spending 220 plus for a ball that we have to adjust the cover right away...i bought a epic battle and had it drilled stacked leaverage...never did hook..so i was suppose to take the cover down to 400?...sent it out of town to someone i know that knows how to lay out a ball and knows my pap and said it wasn't right and he had to plug and redrill it...came back and it was great...believe me if you get a new ball and it doesn't do what its advertised to do on a normal house shot, your driller doesn't use your pap...big difference!!!