Drilling and Layout Articles
Take a quick look at any bowling social media group or discussion forum and you'll see that drillings methods and layouts are among our sport's most-discussed topics. Bowling This Month is here to give you an in-depth look into the science of bowling ball motion manipulation. Our contributors are from all parts of the bowling industry. We have articles from the manufacturers themselves, and even from some of the best coaches in the business. In this section, you will find articles that cover the various methods used to lay out a bowling ball, detailed descriptions of what different layouts will do, and, of course, information covering the layouts themselves:
- Methods used to lay out a ball: Through the progress of bowling ball technology, more and more research has been done regarding the placement of the holes in correlation to the pin, mass bias marker, and other factors that affect your bowling ball’s performance. This section details the different types of layouts that exist and the methods used to obtain that particular layout.
- Detailed descriptions of what different layouts will do: Have you ever seen a layout being used by a certain professional, but have no idea of why they would have had to use it? Our layout articles detail when, where, and why you would use a certain layout, and what effect each layout has on your ball motion. We also detail the impact other factors have, like how plugging and redrilling a ball affects its motion.
- Layouts: From conquering the short pattern with low flare layouts, to the Vector Layout System, to the powerful Blueprint simulation software, we will help you take the guess work out of bowling ball motion manipulation.
Knowing how to lay out your bowling balls can help you gain an edge over your competition. Instead of being lost in transition, you will have a far better educated guess on how to adjust because you understand all the ins and outs of your bowling equipment. Even if you never plan on drilling your own equipment, knowledge of layouts can pay huge dividends for all competitive bowlers.
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Featured Drilling and Layout Articles
Coach, I’ve Got a Question! – August 2023
In this recurring feature, I answer questions from Bowling This Month readers. If you have questions, please leave them in the comment section below so I can address them in a future installment of Coach, I’ve Got a Question! As a...
Coach, I’ve Got a Question! – June 2023
In this recurring feature, I answer questions from Bowling This Month readers. If you have questions, please leave them in the comment section below so I can address them in a future installment of Coach, I’ve Got a Question! I have...
Improving Lane Play Skills – Part 4
Matching bowling balls to the environment
To wrap up our lane play series, let’s talk about bowling balls. We’ve talked about physical skills, observational ability, and how to develop these areas in your game. The final piece of the puzzle is obviously the bowling ball. In...
Coach, I’ve Got a Question! – September 2022
In this recurring feature, I’ll be answering questions from Bowling This Month readers, or questions I’ve received from bowlers I work with, that might not require the depth of a full-length article, but that can definitely benefit more than just...
Anatomy of a Bowling Ball Layout
Trying to wrap your head around bowling ball layouts is like trying to wrap your head around the universe. Without highly specific training, it's nearly an impossible thing to do. In sticking with our KISS acronym from last time, let’s...