Just curios how everyone goes about laying out an arsenal. Do you have one standard layout you put on all your equipment or is everything drilled differently? Do you have a "pin up" favorite and a "pin down" favorite that you mix  and match with equipment depending on the balls natural characteristics? Or is everything drilled differently, again based on the ball characteristics?

I guess I'm not really looking for specific lay out numbers because I know lay outs work differently for each bowler. I was wondering how everyone diversifies their arsenal.

Different cores and covers with the same layout?

Same balls with different layout?

Different cores and covers with the different layouts?

I diversify by buying a shit load of balls but that is more a character flaw lol.  Seriously I recommend your first four balls should be a plastic or urethane drilled label in palm for little flare for spares and bone dry lanes.  A weak pearl ball drilled pin upish for the burn and dry lanes.  A hybrid benchmark ball for medium house shot (hint hint Hy-Road) drilled either way depending on your style and finally a strong solid reactive ball drilled pin down that can handle medium heavy to heavy oil.  Of course style may change these recommendations but its a good starting point for most bowlers imo.  Many people use a middle of the road solid for their benchmark and that is fine as well.  The 5th ball should be a strong perhaps asymmetric pearl pin up for late transition so you can move way left and still get carry.

I don't stick to one particular layout.  When deciding a layout, I look for potential overlap with my other pieces and try and avoid it, unless I am replacing a piece.  For example, I put the same layout on my Phaze 2 as my Marvel-S because it was its replacement.  Another example would be with my Code Red & Black.  I consulted with my PSO about what layout to put on my Code Red as to not overlap with the current layout on my Code Black.

You must remember that surface is key. My night hawk and x are drilled the same, and my X is 2500 grit, and the nh is 4000 with polish. Same basic ball with same layout, and there is enough separation to have both, for me. The nh bounces a bit harder off the spot than the X.

Now when the DCT pearl comes out, I'm going to put that on top and put my On at 2000, and have the same layout. Then ball down to a Covert with the pin down, soni don't get the ball jackknifing off the friction.

Being a low track bowler, I drill all my equipment strong. Symmetrical cores are  Pin above middle finger and CG stacked to the negative side of the center-line. Asymmetrical cores are Pin above middle finger and PSA 3" to the positive side of thumb.

I choose a ball designed for the condition I need, then drill it strong, make some surface tweaks and I'm good to go.

I used to play with different layouts but I found by drilling everything the same, then making surface adjustments, I am a much happier camper.

I think I too have been afflicted with the buying of shit load of balls disease too! But only one urethane, black urethane.

I diversify by buying a shit load of balls but that is more a character flaw lol.  Seriously I recommend your first four balls should be a plastic or urethane drilled label in palm for little flare for spares and bone dry lanes.  A weak pearl ball drilled pin upish for the burn and dry lanes.  A hybrid benchmark ball for medium house shot (hint hint Hy-Road) drilled either way depending on your style and finally a strong solid reactive ball drilled pin down that can handle medium heavy to heavy oil.  Of course style may change these recommendations but its a good starting point for most bowlers imo.  Many people use a middle of the road solid for their benchmark and that is fine as well.  The 5th ball should be a strong perhaps asymmetric pearl pin up for late transition so you can move way left and still get carry.