i've read that placing a pin above the average bowler's finger gives a ball more length and a stronger move at the breakpoint while placing it below the fingers makes a ball react earlier and smoother. does the pin up ball have a stronger move because it stores more energy? all things being equal, which pin placement would be better for oily lanes for the average bowler (16-17mph, 325rpm, 30* rotation)?

You are correct except for the length part. Pin up or pin down alone does not control length. If cover is the same and pin to pap distance is the same, then the difference between pin up vs pin down is how the ball reads friction.

As far as which one is better for oil, well that depends on what you need the ball to do at the end of the pattern when it see friction.
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ok, now i'm ready to give a few more details that might help. i'm kind of familiar with the dual angle method of laying out a ball but some of the techniques seem counterintuitive. i'd about to drill a virtual energy, one pearl and storm fast as my main three balls. i thought that by drilling the VE with the pin down that it would help on heavier patterns but the way that i understand the angle for the vertical axis line affects how quickly a ball revs up and transitions at the breakpoint. it seems as though placing the pin  higher in my grip would make a ball react sooner instead of later. i generally bowl in two houses, one wooden with medium oil with blended backends and no carrydown. the second house has synthetic lanes ranges from medium to medium heavy with the same type of backends. i have a one pearl with a 45 x 4 3/4 x 45 but it doesn't react quick enough on the heavier pattern. its not the surface of the because i have a sr300 that flares much less than the pearl one with the same coverstock and almost the same drilling has a much stronger reaction downlane.

how would you lay out a VE, another pearl one and a fast to cover the two houses and overlap as little as possible using the dual angle method. my specs are

pap: 4 3/4 over, 3/4 up, 325 rev rate, 16-17 mph off of my hand

x evil, looking at your arsenal i''m guessing that your pap is about five inches over and maybe 1/2 up. it really helped seeing the actual layouts but i have one question, does your virtual energy with the 50*4.5*65 drilling begin to roll earlier than your other virtual energy but doesn''t cover as many boards because it''s smoother at the breakpoint?

Edited on 12/20/2009 11:48 PM