There are a few ways of laying a ball out using your PAP. You can use the single-angle system that uses the PAP-pin-CG/MB angle, you can use the actual pin-to-PAP and CG/MB-to-PAP distances, the dual-angle system, probably a few others.
In general, since the PAP is defined in terms of distance from the grip center and above/below the midline, laying a ball out based on your PAP means finding where the center of grip and the midline go.
If you want to use pin-to-PAP and CG/MB-to-PAP distances, draw circles around each of those spots whose radius is the distance you want. They'll intersect in (generally) two places. One will be your PAP, the other will not. If you think about what the layout should probably look like, it's obvious which is which. From that point, you use your PAP coordinates to find the center of grip. If your PAP is 5" over and 0" up/down, then draw a line 5" over to find your grip center.
Draw a line 5" over in which direction? I mean, there are a lot of directions to choose from. You need one additional piece of information to determine where the midline goes. In the past, it's been the pin height above the midline, some people like using the pin-to-VAL distance. If you use the former, once you've chosen a pin height, draw a circle around the pin with that radius. Draw a line from the PAP that's tangent (only touches in one place) to that circle. That's the midline. Measure 5" over to find the center of grip. The grip centerline (from the thumb through the bridge) is perpendicular to the midline though the grip center. Fingerholes go above the midline, thumb below.
What if you want to use the pin-to-VAL? Draw the same circle around the pin like you were doing pin-over-midline, but now the line through the PAP tangent to that circle is the VAL and the midline is perpendicular to that through the PAP. This might be easier if your PAP has a vertical component since you can easily measure up or down the VAL before drawing the midline.
Suppose you want to use the single angle system. You choose the angle you want, draw a reference line from the pin through the CG or MB, then another line at the appropriate angle through the pin to the right (for a righty) of the reference line. Measure along this second line to find the PAP, whatever pin-to-PAP distance you want. Finding the midline or VAL is the same as above, depending on what system you want to use for that.
The dual angle system, I don't know much about. I believe it's the pin-PAP-VAL and MB-PAP-VAL angles, though you couldn't use just any combination you want easily. How you'd find the PAP using those angles isn't something I've worked out or read about.
There's a video out there showing one of the Brunswick staffers laying out a Zone Classic with the single angle system. Seeing that in action goes a very long way towards understanding how to do it. You can also draw it on a piece of paper with a regular old protractor (one that has a built-in ruler on the flat edge helps) and compass, there's nothing magical about doing it on a sphere. Make a dot for the pin, a dot for the CG or MB, and go to it. You can figure out where the grip will go and what orientation it's in relative to the pin and MB/CG and it will look similar to how it'd look on a ball.
It's not that hard to find the grip center. Finding where to put the holes relative to it is not trivial, but once you have the grip center, you can guesstimate where the holes go and get an idea about how each of your balls is really laid out. You're not actually going to drill it anyway, your shop will. Choosing the layout is an art as well.
SH
Edited on 11/12/2007 2:30 PM
