Would someone explain to me what pin up and pin down layouts mean?  What would the ball motion be on each layout?

Pin up layouts can give more length unless the pin is up and closer to your VAL (vertical axis line). Generally, pin up layouts cause the core to respond to the friction quicker, which causes the reaction shape to be sharper.

Pin down layouts cause the core to respond to the friction slower, which results in a more curvy or arc shaped reaction that takes longer meaning more continuous.

True but it does give a slight tuning to the motion depending on the bowlers specs.

Ha, ha, ha .....semantics. Vkowalski1970, technically you are right! Spot on, in fact. But to the average bowler and to the naked eye, everyone else is correct as well.

Pin up appears to give more length, and the pin down appears to give more control and readability.

I use pin downs now mostly because I've gotten older and I throw it slower, so I find that the slow transitioning layouts are best for me.

Pin up does "influence" length to ball & so does the cover & cover prep... I didn't see previous posters use the word "control" w/length... One did say their "pin down" layouts were more "controllable" & "read the lane earlier"... 

But in general, from what I have heard pros say, pin up layout does generally help influence adding length to a ball.

for me pin down is stronger than pin up