4.4 — Finger Measurements

4.4.1 Round finger holes, no inserts

1. Select Customer Account

Click and select the bowler

Select Customer Account

2. Hole size

Click on hole size

Access Customer Options Menu

3. Open drop down

Click here to open the drop down.

Open Customer Details

4. Select the size

Click and select the size of the hole

Choose Appointment Date

5. Hole size

Repeat the same process for the other finger.

Open Date Options

6. Open drop down

Open the drop down

Confirm Date Selection

7. Select the size

Select the size

Select Product Size

4.4.2 Finger inserts

4.4.2   measurement

When a bowler uses finger inserts, the spec sheet needs the insert type, the insert size (ID), and the drill bit OD for each finger. The order you enter them in matters — enter type and size first and Spectre Cloud's auto-suggestions do the rest. For the STD vs. VACU distinction, see 4.4.3; for the underlying OD concept, see 4.1.6.

Always enter finger inserts in this order — insert type first, then insert size — and let the auto-suggestions handle the rest:

Note: The list of insert types offered in the drop-down can itself be filtered in the Settings section — so you only see the brands and types your shop actually carries, keeping the type list short and relevant.

⚙️ What the Auto-Suggestions Do

Once insert type and size are entered:

Note: This is why order matters. Selecting the type first narrows the size list; entering the size then drives the OD auto-fill. Enter them out of order and you lose the filtering and may have to set the OD by hand.

📋 Entering Finger Inserts in Spectre Cloud

  1. Select the insert type for the finger (None, STD, or VACU). Middle and ring are independent.
  2. Select the insert size (ID) from the now-filtered drop-down.
  3. With Auto-OD on, Spectre fills the OD automatically; otherwise enter it manually.
  4. Repeat for the other finger.

Tip: Build the habit of type → size → let it fill. Selecting the insert type first is the single step that makes the rest of the finger-insert entry fast and error-free — the size list filters itself and the OD fills itself in.

4.4.3 STD vs. VACU

4.4.3   concept

Finger inserts seat in one of two ways — STD (Standard) or VACU (Vacuum). The insert type you record on the sheet (see 4.4.2) tells Spectre Cloud how the hole is drilled. This page explains the difference. For the OD-sizing concept, see 4.1.6.

📐 STD (Standard)

Standard inserts are press-fit: the hole is drilled to the insert's OD, at full depth, and the insert is pressed in and held by friction against the ball's coverstock.

📐 VACU (Vacuum)

VACU inserts are drilled in two diameters so the insert has room to expand:

  1. Drill the top portion at the size shown on the spec sheet.
  2. Drill that top portion 1" deep.
  3. Continue to the insert's actual OD for the rest of the depth.

The oversized top forms a pocket — a void where the insert doesn't touch the surrounding ball wall — giving the insert room to expand.

📊 STD vs. VACU

STD (Standard)VACU (Vacuum)
DrillingSingle diameter at the insert OD, full depthOversized pocket ~1" deep, then actual OD to depth
Spec-sheet OD meansDrill size for the whole holeTop-portion (pocket) size
WhyFriction press-fitVoid lets the insert expand

Tip: The most common VACU error is drilling the whole hole at one size. Remember it's two cuts — the spec-sheet size for the first inch to form the pocket, then the insert's actual OD to depth.

4.4.4 Oval fingers, no inserts

4.4.4   measurement

For a bowler who wants an oval finger hole without inserts, Spectre Cloud replaces the round OD field with an OVAL field. There is no auto-suggestion or calculation here — it's a simple text input you annotate yourself.

🔵 The OVAL Field

📋 Entering an Oval Finger Hole

  1. Set the finger's round hole size first (e.g. 11/16").
  2. Switch the finger to oval — the OD field becomes the OVAL input.
  3. Type the move in thousandths (e.g. 0.030) for the direction you're cutting.
  4. Repeat for the other finger if needed.

Note: Because nothing is auto-calculated, the value you type is exactly what's recorded. Double-check the amount and the direction before drilling.

Tip: The OVAL field is just a move off the round hole size — note both the round size and the oval move in your records so the fit is reproducible on the next ball.

4.4.5 Inputting pitches

4.4.5   measurement

Finger pitch is entered directly into the pitch tiles surrounding each finger hole on the spec sheet. There's no direction to "select" — the tile you put the value in is the direction. This page covers how to read and enter those tiles for the middle and ring fingers.

🛠️ How the Pitch Tiles Work

Each finger hole is framed by pitch tiles, and the tile's position on the sheet determines the direction of the pitch:

You don't set a direction from a dropdown — you enter the value in the tile that corresponds to the direction you want. Forward/reverse and lateral are separate tiles, so a finger can carry both at once.

Note: To apply a pitch against a tile's default direction — for example, Right pitch on the left finger — scroll to the absolute bottom of that tile's drop-down. There you'll find values listed as Rx, where x is the desired pitch. These cross-direction entries live at the very end of the list, below the standard values.

Note: On fingertip fits, it is quite rare to see forward pitches on the fingers — most fingertip finger pitch is zero or reverse. Treat a forward finger pitch on a fingertip sheet as something worth double-checking against your source.

⚙️ Finger Pitch Is Fully Manual

There is no automation for finger pitch. Every finger pitch value — forward, reverse, and lateral, on both fingers — is manual data entry. Spectre Cloud records exactly what you type, with no auto-suggestion and no error validation behind these fields, so accuracy is entirely on the person entering it.

📋 Entering Finger Pitch — Step by Step

  1. Locate the pitch tiles around the middle finger and ring finger holes.
  2. For each finger, enter the forward or reverse value in the correct tile — forward points toward the middle of the sheet, reverse toward the outer side.
  3. Enter the lateral value in the Left or Right tile as needed. 
  4. Repeat for both fingers.
  5. Review all the finger pitch entries before moving on to thumb pitch.

  6. For a cross-direction pitch (e.g. Right on the left finger), use the Rx values at the bottom of the drop-down.

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Tip: Because forward points to the middle of the sheet and reverse to the outer side, the sheet's own layout tells you the direction — you don't have to remember a sign convention. Enter each value in the tile that matches the direction you measured, and read the finger pitches back before saving, since nothing here is validated for you.

4.4.6 CLT (Center Line Transformation)

4.4.6   measurement

CLT (Center Line Transformation) is a fitting measurement that captures how a bowler's finger centerline relates to the ball's grip center. Spectre Cloud uses it to derive the lateral finger pitch. This page explains the two ways CLT is measured, which one Spectre accepts, and the reference chart used to look it up.

📏 The Two Ways CLT Is Measured

CLT can be expressed two different ways — they describe the same thing, just in different units:

Important: Spectre Cloud accepts CLT in degrees only. If you measured in inches, convert to the angular value — the reference chart below maps the two together.

📊 CLT Reference Chart

The chart below maps each CLT line (A–E) to its angle and to the resulting lateral finger pitches. Because the layout mirrors with handedness, the middle and ring values swap between right- and left-handed bowlers.

[Insert CLT reference diagram here] — add the "Diagram #1" CLT chart image (right-hand and left-hand versions). The transcribed values are below for quick reference and searchability.

Right-Handed Bowler

LineAngleMiddle FingerRing Finger
A8°3/8" Left1/2" Right
B16°5/16" Left9/16" Right
C24°1/4" Left5/8" Right
D32°3/16" Left11/16" Right
E40°1/8" Left3/4" Right

Left-Handed Bowler

LineAngleMiddle FingerRing Finger
A8°3/8" Right1/2" Left
B16°5/16" Right9/16" Left
C24°1/4" Right5/8" Left
D32°3/16" Right11/16" Left
E40°1/8" Right3/4" Left

🔄 CLT and Auto-CLT

Once a CLT value is entered in degrees, the Auto-CLT setting (2.6.3) uses this chart to apply the corresponding lateral finger pitches automatically — so the lateral pitch is derived from the CLT rather than entered by hand.

Tip: Since Spectre only takes CLT in degrees, decide as a shop whether you measure at the thumb (inches) or at the fingers (degrees). If your fitting habit is the 1" thumb-based measurement, keep this chart handy to translate it to the angular value Spectre expects before you enter it.