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This layout may possibly be the most miss-understood layout in the industry. The questions you may be asking yourself could be: Then what does this layout do? I want the strongest layout I can get...Is this it? I want more backend...will this give it to me?

This can be a little confusing, but not all that difficult. Altering pin to axis distances changes the flare; it does not make the ball hook. Instead of asking about the pin to axis distance you should be concerned about the flare. Ok so now you are asking: Will this much flare hook for me? Will this much flare make my ball give me more backend?

The answer to the flare question is that a pin to axis distance of 3 3/8" will give you the greatest amount of flare potential allowed by the design of the ball. Please do not confuse this with more hook or more backend. With this layout you will most likely need a weight hole, but not always (depending on variables such as Top Weight and bowlers axis points).

To determine whether this layout will increase hook or down lane strength is relative to your environment and your game. You must have more knowledge of the two to answer this question.

Once you have reached a certain amount of flare (relative to your environment and game) increasing it further will have the opposite affect. You will begin to see less reaction down lane and through the pins. You need a greater understanding of what friction does to your ball reaction. Find someone or speak with a local pro shop that may be able to help you make that decision before you go any further.

Pin positions affect flare, and flare affects friction, and then friction affects ball reaction. Remember the complete order and this will aid you in your game.

In our environment we usually apply this amount of flare to keep the ball from making a strong move, which allows our players to go straighter. We typically use it to give our players the opportunity to use cleaner coverstocks when the early friction on the lane is too much for stronger coverstocks. However, we do not ask our players to try and use more angle through the front part of the lane with this strong of a layout. If they do utilize this method they will struggle to pick up their corner pins.

Our environment may be different than your environment. So, make sure you know what your environment. More flare is an option you should look into when you begin to see your ball pushing too far down the lane or see too much oil down lane. For now Forget about the front part of the lane. We can deal with that in several ways. Although, when you have oil down lane you need flare and remember flare increases friction.

Even if you use surface on your ball, oil gets in your track and if the ball does not flare the ball always has oil between the ball surface and lane. That usually is not good when there is already oil down lane. Flare will help this situation.

So, when you identify oil down lane, think of flare first. Then you should think about your angles through the front part of the lane. Do not let the friction you create with your ball choice or layout force you to over project your physical game and/or the conditions. Always think of the conditions and your physical match-ups firsts.

Once you get outside of what the lane is asking and your game allows you begin to only hurt yourself. This is the most common problem we see with bowlers matching up at every level. They think of more hook as being better, which may not always be the case. More times than not this takes bowlers out of their strengths and they become easy targets for those bowlers with better lane and physical match-ups.

This layout is awesome when you have a coverstock choice that allows you to play the right angles for the conditions and transition. If you are a competitive bowler this might be a great addition to your bag. Just make sure that you will need to put it together with a coverstock that matches up to their game and conditions.

Quite often many bowlers say, "I can't use leverage." This is an incorrect statement. You just have not found the coverstock that allows you to use this layout. Then when is it time to consider leverage?

You should consider leverage when you see oil down lane (number one sign) and the second would be when you see your ball push to the carry down. When you see the cover you are opting for is too strong (too strong means your angles are off or your ball is rolling out) and every other ball is too jumpy, at this point, you could probably go with leverage and a lot less cover than you realize.

The weight hole is a very important consideration with this layout. We usually use a hole on the axis with this layout because we typically do not like to cover too many boards while using this layout. We like to see the ball go straighter with this layout. The hole on the axis usually allows us to stay straighter than a hole off the axis. Why?

Make sure you see the Brunswick website on this subject (fine tuning ball reactions with x-holes) it is very valuable information. Simply stated the location of the weight hole has an affect on the flare as well. Make sure you are thinking about the affects of flare not pin and hole magic.

We would like to close with saying that most of the time leverage is very good, as long as you are going straighter with it. However, as soon as you are forced to open your angles through the heads with it, carry is the first sign that it is time to change.