So pins that are left of the grip work good for short PAP's ? If so. Why?
It's not about the pin being "left of the grip". It simply placing the pin a certain distance from the PAP.
If your PAP is 5.5" over and 1" up, a 5" pin (weaker, lower flaring) pin placement would put it somewhere between your bridge and ring finger (depending on how high). However for Mike his PAP is something like 3.25" over and 1" up...so a 5" pin places it 2.25" further to the left, or somewhere just left of the middle finger. It's the exact same drilling...you just have to take the grip part out of it. The grip is just a bystander, it means nothing.
+1 on Russell's post but want to add something to it. Years ago, putting the pins and cgs left of the grip was considered drilling a ball negative. Now, with the evolution of the sport, completely scratch that thought process. Now with having cores inside the bowling balls of various strengths, drillings are solely based on a bowlers axis point. NEVER AGAIN can someone just look at a layout on a ball and say whether it is the correct drilling or not. Like Russell said, a 5 ich layout for one person is going to look very different than another person's 5 inch layout. For me, a 5 inch layout is pin above the ring finger. For someone else, it may be pin above the middle finger. And, for someone like Fagan, a 5 inch pin is going to be even farther left.
This is the cool part of this game we love. It continues to evolve so it doesnt get boring. We guys like myself that have been doing it for 30 years still learn something new everyday. The biggest thing to know, is that completely wipe out of your mind what was right 20+ years ago. It is a whole different sport now.