7.1 — Managing the Arsenal

7.1.1 What is the Arsenal section and how it connects to spec sheets

What is the Arsenal section and how it connects to spec sheets

7.1.1   concept

 

The Arsenal is Spectre Cloud's ball inventory system — a per-bowler record of every piece of equipment they have had drilled at your shop. Where spec sheets capture the how of a drilling (measurements, pitch, layout, ovals), the Arsenal captures the what (which balls the bowler owns, their current status, and the full history of what has been done to each one). The two systems are designed to work together: every spec sheet connects to an Arsenal entry, and every Arsenal entry links back to its spec sheets. Understanding how they relate to each other is the foundation for getting the most out of both.

🎳 What the Arsenal Does

At its simplest, the Arsenal is a list of bowling balls belonging to a bowler. But it is more than an inventory — it is a structured history of that bowler's equipment over time, organised so that any ball, any drilling, and any change can be found and referenced in seconds.

🔗 How the Arsenal and Spec Sheets Connect

The Arsenal and spec sheet systems are linked through the ball name. When a spec sheet is saved with a ball name that matches an Arsenal entry for the same bowler, Spectre Cloud associates the two records. The spec sheet appears in the ball's drilling history within the Arsenal entry, and the Arsenal entry is accessible from the spec sheet. This two-way connection is what makes the system greater than the sum of its parts.

In practice, the relationship works like this:

📋 What an Arsenal Entry Contains

Each entry in the Arsenal holds both identifying information about the physical ball and a gateway to its drilling history:

Field Description Required
Ball name Brand, model, and weight — the primary identifier ✅ Yes
Serial number Manufacturer serial printed on the ball surface No
Purchase date When the bowler acquired the ball No
Status Active, Retired, or Sold No
Notes Surface history, weight hole details, any ball-specific notes No
Linked spec sheets All spec sheets associated with this ball, in chronological order Auto-populated
Ball specifications Core type, RG, differential, MB differential (Arsenal Plus only) Arsenal Plus

🖥️ Where to Find the Arsenal in Spectre Cloud

The Arsenal is accessible from two places in the app — from the bowler's profile, and from the top-level navigation.

🖥️ From the bowler profile (desktop)

  1. Open the bowler's profile from the BOWLERS list.
  2. The Arsenal section appears within the profile, below the bowler's contact details.
  3. All balls belonging to this bowler are listed here, with their current status and a link to associated spec sheets.

📱 From the bowler profile (mobile)

  1. Tap the avatar icon to open the bowler list.
  2. Tap the bowler's name to open their profile.
  3. Scroll to the Arsenal section within the profile.

📌 Note: The Arsenal is always bowler-specific — there is no shop-wide Arsenal view that aggregates all bowlers' equipment in a single list. To see a bowler's Arsenal, you must open that bowler's profile first.

⚖️ Arsenal on the Core Plan vs. Arsenal Plus

Feature Core plan Arsenal Plus
Ball inventory per bowler ✅ ✅
Status tracking (Active / Retired / Sold) ✅ ✅
Spec sheet linking ✅ ✅
Serial number and purchase date recording ✅ ✅
Barcode scanning ❌ ✅
bowlingdatabase.com integration ❌ ✅
Ball core specifications (RG, differential, MB) ❌ ✅
Suggested layouts ❌ ✅
Layout conversion between systems ❌ ✅
3D layout rendering ❌ ✅

✨ Why the Arsenal Matters Beyond the First Drilling

The Arsenal's value compounds over time. A bowler with a well-maintained Arsenal record in Spectre Cloud is far easier to serve on every return visit — and far easier for any staff member to serve, not just the driller who did the original fitting.

✨ Tip: Treat the Arsenal as a living record, not a one-time entry task. Update ball status when a bowler retires or sells equipment, add surface notes when a ball is refinished, and keep the ball name consistent with the spec sheet every time. An Arsenal that is kept current takes seconds to maintain per visit — and saves minutes of reconstruction every time a bowler comes back in.

7.1.2 Adding a ball to a bowler's arsenal

Adding a ball to a bowler's arsenal

7.1.2   KEY   step-by-step

 

Adding a ball to a bowler's Arsenal is a quick process — but doing it carefully, with accurate details and a consistent naming convention, is what makes the Arsenal useful over the long term. This page covers the full process of adding a ball entry from scratch, including the differences between the core plan and Arsenal Plus, and the specific considerations that come up in common shop scenarios.

🎳 Before You Add — Check for an Existing Entry

Before creating a new Arsenal entry, confirm the ball does not already exist in the bowler's Arsenal. A ball that has been in for a re-drill, a surface refinish, or a weight hole adjustment may already have an entry from a previous visit — adding a second entry for the same physical ball fragments its spec sheet history across two records.

  1. Open the bowler's profile and scroll to the Arsenal section.
  2. Scan the existing entries for the ball's brand and model.
  3. If the ball is already listed — even with a different status such as Retired — open that entry and create a new spec sheet linked to it rather than starting a fresh Arsenal entry.
  4. Only proceed with a new entry if the ball is genuinely new to the bowler's record.

📌 Note: A bowler who owns two identical balls — same brand, model, and weight — should have two separate Arsenal entries, distinguished by serial number or a note in the ball name (e.g., Storm Phaze II 15lb — #1 and Storm Phaze II 15lb — #2). Do not merge two physical balls into one entry.

🖥️ Adding a Ball on Desktop

  1. Open the bowler's profile from the BOWLERS list.
  2. Scroll to the Arsenal section and click + Add Ball.
  3. If Arsenal Plus is active, choose your entry method — Scan Barcode, Search Database, or Enter Manually. Without Arsenal Plus, proceed directly to manual entry.
  4. Complete the entry fields as described below.
  5. Set the ball's status to Active for a new ball going into the bag.
  6. Click Save. The entry appears in the bowler's Arsenal immediately and syncs across all devices.

📱 Adding a Ball on Mobile or Tablet

  1. Navigate to the bowler's profile via the avatar icon and tap their name.
  2. Scroll to the Arsenal section and tap + Add Ball.
  3. If Arsenal Plus is active, tap Scan Barcode to open the device camera, or tap Search to look up the ball by name. Otherwise proceed to manual entry.
  4. Complete the entry fields and set status to Active.
  5. Tap Save.

📱 Tip: Barcode scanning on mobile is the fastest entry method when Arsenal Plus is active — keep the ball box nearby during the fitting and scan it at this step. The database lookup pre-fills brand, model, weight, and core specifications in seconds, leaving only serial number, purchase date, and notes to complete manually.

📋 Completing the Entry Fields

Work through the Arsenal entry fields in order. The more completely this is filled in now, the more useful the record is on every future visit.

Ball name

The ball name is the most important field in the entire entry — it is the identifier that links the Arsenal entry to the spec sheet. Use a consistent format: brand, model, weight. Whatever you enter here must match the ball name on the associated spec sheet exactly.

Serial number

Found printed or engraved on the ball surface, typically near the label. Recording the serial number is optional but strongly recommended — it is the only way to distinguish two identical models from the same manufacturer, and it is essential for warranty claims or ball returns.

Purchase date

The date the bowler acquired the ball. Used for tracking equipment age, warranty periods, and understanding how long a ball has been in the bag when reviewing its performance history. Enter the date the ball was purchased or the date it first came into your shop — whichever is known.

Status

Set to Active for any ball currently in use. Status options and how to change them are covered in detail in section 7.1.3.

Notes

Free-text field for anything relevant to this specific ball. Good uses for the notes field include:

🔌 Arsenal Plus Entry Methods

With Arsenal Plus active, two additional entry methods become available that significantly speed up and enrich the Arsenal entry process.

Barcode scanning

Scan the barcode on the ball's box or the barcode label on the ball surface itself. Spectre Cloud queries the bowlingdatabase.com integration and returns the ball's full details — brand, model, weight, colour, and core specifications including RG, differential, and MB differential. These are pre-filled into the entry automatically. You complete only the serial number, purchase date, and notes.

If the ball box is not available or the barcode is damaged, search by ball name instead. Type the brand or model into the search field and select the correct ball from the results. The same specification data is returned and pre-filled as with a barcode scan.

🎳 Common Scenarios

The bowler is buying a new ball from your shop today

Create the Arsenal entry as part of the fitting workflow — before or immediately after the spec sheet is created. The ball box is present, so barcode scanning (if Arsenal Plus is active) is straightforward. Set status to Active.

The bowler brought in a ball purchased elsewhere

Create the Arsenal entry from the ball itself — scan the surface barcode if available, or enter manually. Purchase date may be approximate or unknown; leave it blank rather than guessing. Set status to Active.

The bowler wants to add historical balls to their record

Create Arsenal entries for each ball using whatever information is available — name and status at minimum. For balls that were drilled at your shop in the past, link them to any existing spec sheets by ensuring the ball name matches. For balls drilled elsewhere with no Spectre Cloud record, the Arsenal entry serves as an inventory note without an associated spec sheet.

A second identical ball is being added

Create a separate entry with a distinguishing detail in the ball name or notes field. Use the serial number as the primary distinguisher — enter it prominently in the name or as the first line of the notes field so the two entries are immediately distinguishable in the Arsenal list.

☁️ Sync and Availability After Saving

Once saved, the Arsenal entry is immediately available across all devices logged into your Spectre Cloud account. Any staff member who opens the bowler's profile can see the new entry without any additional action.

✨ Tip: The single best habit for keeping the Arsenal useful is entering the ball at the time of the fitting — not at the end of the day, not at the end of the week. A ball entered while the bowler is standing at the counter takes ninety seconds. A ball reconstructed from memory two days later takes longer and is less accurate. Make it part of the fitting flow and it never becomes a backlog.

7.1.3 Hole Depth option — setting desired depth for each hole

Hole Depth option — setting desired depth for each hole

7.1.3   NEW   arsenal

 

When drilling a bowling ball, hole depth is not a fixed value — it varies by bowler, ball construction, and fitting intent. Spectre Cloud's Hole Depth option allows you to record and manage the desired depth for each hole on a spec sheet, ensuring the depth specification travels with the drilling record rather than existing only in the driller's memory or on a separate note. This page explains what the Hole Depth option does, how to set it, and how it interacts with the rest of the spec sheet.

🎳 What Hole Depth Controls

Hole depth specifies how deep each finger and thumb hole is drilled into the ball. It is distinct from hole size (diameter) and pitch — depth is the third spatial dimension of a drilled hole, and getting it wrong produces a hole that is either too shallow (the finger bottoms out uncomfortably) or too deep (the ball is weakened unnecessarily and the hole feels loose).

📏 How Hole Depth Is Measured and Expressed

Hole depth in Spectre Cloud is expressed in inches, measured from the ball surface to the bottom of the drilled hole. The measurement is taken along the drill bit's axis of travel — not along the pitch angle — so it represents the true depth of the hole as drilled, not the straight-line distance from surface to bottom through the ball's interior.

⚠️ Verify with Spectre team: Confirm the typical depth ranges listed above against Spectre Cloud's IBPSIA-standard auto-suggestion values, and update if the app's defaults differ from the figures used here.

🖥️ Setting Hole Depth on Desktop

  1. Open the spec sheet for the ball being drilled.
  2. Locate the Hole Depth field within each hole's section — middle finger, ring finger, and thumb each have their own depth field.
  3. Enter the desired depth in inches for each hole.
  4. If Spectre Cloud provides an auto-suggested depth based on the finger measurements and grip type already entered, review the suggestion and adjust if needed before saving.
  5. Save the spec sheet. Depth values are stored alongside all other hole specifications.

📱 Setting Hole Depth on Mobile

  1. Open the spec sheet and scroll to the hole section for each finger and the thumb.
  2. Tap the Hole Depth field for each hole and enter the desired depth using the numeric keyboard.
  3. Work through middle finger, ring finger, and thumb in order before saving.

✨ Factors That Determine the Right Depth

Hole depth is not a value you look up on a chart — it is derived from a combination of physical measurements, insert specifications, and fitting judgement. The following factors all bear on the correct depth for a given hole:

Finger length and joint position

The hole must be deep enough for the finger to seat at the correct knuckle position — first knuckle for fingertip, second knuckle for conventional. A hole that is too shallow prevents the finger from reaching its intended seating point; a hole that is too deep allows the finger to sink past it.

Insert type and seating requirements

Finger inserts have a defined seating depth — the hole must be drilled to exactly the depth at which the insert seats flush with or slightly below the ball surface. Different insert brands and styles have different seating depths; check the manufacturer's specification before drilling.

Ball construction and minimum safe depth

Some high-performance balls have asymmetric cores positioned close to the ball surface. Drilling too deep risks breaching the core or entering a material layer that affects structural integrity. For balls with complex core geometries, consult the manufacturer's drilling specifications before setting depth — particularly for the thumb hole, which is often the deepest.

Thumb slug depth

Thumb slugs have their own depth requirements determined by the slug's length and the required pitch bore engagement. A slug that is not fully seated — because the hole was drilled too shallow — sits proud of the ball surface and affects release feel. A hole drilled too deep for a short slug leaves a gap beneath the slug that can allow movement.

📋 Hole Depth and Re-Drills

When a ball is plugged and re-drilled, hole depth requires special attention. The plug material and the original hole geometry may affect how deep the new hole can safely be drilled in the same location. Consider the following when setting depth on a re-drill spec sheet:

⚖️ Hole Depth Across the Three Hole Types

Hole Key depth consideration Common depth range
Middle finger Insert seating depth; finger joint position 1 1/2" — 2"
Ring finger Same as middle finger; often identical but measure independently 1 1/2" — 2"
Thumb Slug length and seating; pitch bore engagement; ball core proximity 1 1/4" — 2 1/4"

📌 Note: These ranges are general guidance. Individual bowlers, insert types, and ball constructions may require depths outside these ranges. Always derive depth from the physical fitting and equipment specifications rather than defaulting to a range midpoint.

🔄 Using Depth Values on Subsequent Visits

One of the most practical benefits of recording hole depth in Spectre Cloud is what it enables on future visits. When a bowler returns for a new ball or a re-drill, the depth values on their previous spec sheets provide an immediate reference point:

✨ Tip: If a bowler cannot tell you their preferred depth and has no previous spec sheets to reference, drill to the insert manufacturer's specified seating depth as your starting point, then check the fit with the bowler before finalising. A test finger insert seated in the fresh hole takes thirty seconds to evaluate and prevents a depth-related re-drill far more reliably than any rule of thumb.

7.1.4 Viewing and editing ball details in the arsenal

Viewing and editing ball details in the arsenal

7.1.4   arsenal

 

Once a ball has been added to a bowler's Arsenal, its entry is a living record — not a set-and-forget note. Ball details change over time: status shifts from Active to Retired, surface notes accumulate, slugs get replaced, and spec sheets are added with each re-drill. Knowing how to navigate to a ball's entry, read its full history, and update its details accurately keeps the Arsenal useful across the entire lifespan of a bowler's equipment.

🎳 Opening a Ball's Arsenal Entry

🖥️ On Desktop

  1. Open the bowler's profile from the BOWLERS list.
  2. Scroll to the Arsenal section within the profile.
  3. Locate the ball in the Arsenal list — Active balls appear at the top by default, followed by Retired and Sold entries.
  4. Click the ball's name or entry row to open the full detail view.

📱 On Mobile or Tablet

  1. Navigate to the bowler's profile via the avatar icon.
  2. Scroll to the Arsenal section.
  3. Tap the ball's name or entry row to open the detail view.

📌 Note: Retired and Sold balls remain in the Arsenal list and are fully accessible — they are not hidden or archived. If the list is long, use the search or filter options within the Arsenal section to find a specific ball quickly.

📋 What the Ball Detail View Shows

Opening a ball's entry displays everything Spectre Cloud holds about that piece of equipment in a single view. The detail view is organised into two areas: the ball's identifying information and its linked spec sheet history.

Ball information

Linked spec sheet history

Below the ball information, the detail view lists every spec sheet associated with this ball entry, in chronological order from most recent to oldest. Each entry in the list shows the spec sheet's creation date, the span type, and a summary of key values. Tap or click any spec sheet in the list to open it in full.

✏️ Editing Ball Details

Any field in the ball's Arsenal entry can be edited at any time. Common reasons to update an entry include a status change, adding surface maintenance notes, correcting a typo in the ball name, or adding a serial number that was not available at the time of original entry.

🖥️ Editing on Desktop

  1. Open the ball's detail view as described above.
  2. Click the Edit button (pencil icon or Edit label, typically in the top-right of the detail view).
  3. The entry fields become editable. Update any field that requires a change.
  4. Click Save to commit the changes. The updated entry syncs across all devices immediately.

📱 Editing on Mobile or Tablet

  1. Open the ball's detail view.
  2. Tap the Edit button.
  3. Update the relevant fields using the on-screen keyboard.
  4. Tap Save.

📌 Note: Editing the ball name in the Arsenal entry does not automatically update the ball name on associated spec sheets. If you correct a ball name, review the linked spec sheets and update their ball name fields individually to maintain the association. A name mismatch between the Arsenal entry and a spec sheet breaks the link between the two records.

🔄 Updating the Notes Field Over Time

The Notes field is the most frequently updated part of an Arsenal entry after the initial creation. Rather than replacing previous notes when adding new information, append new entries with a date so the notes field becomes a readable maintenance log for the ball:

A notes field maintained this way gives any staff member an instant surface history for the ball without needing to ask the bowler or reference external records.

📊 Reading the Spec Sheet History

The spec sheet history list within the Arsenal entry is a read-only summary — to edit a spec sheet, open it directly from the list and edit it from within the spec sheet view. From the Arsenal detail view, the history list is most useful for:

🗑️ Deleting a Ball Entry

Arsenal entries can be deleted, but deletion is permanent — the entry and its link to associated spec sheets cannot be recovered. In almost all cases, changing the ball's status to Retired or Sold is the better choice. Status changes preserve the full history while removing the ball from the Active view.

⚠️ Verify with Spectre team: Confirm whether deleting an Arsenal entry also deletes associated spec sheets, or whether spec sheets remain accessible through the bowler's profile independently. The page advises against deletion partly on this basis — confirm the exact behaviour before publishing.

🔌 Arsenal Plus: Additional Detail View Features

With Arsenal Plus active, the ball detail view includes additional panels below the standard information and spec sheet history:

✨ Best Practices for Keeping Arsenal Entries Accurate

✨ Tip: Make reviewing the Arsenal detail view part of your standard pre-visit preparation for returning bowlers — open their profile, read the notes on their active balls, and scan the spec sheet history before they walk through the door. The bowler who feels like their pro shop operator remembers them and knows their equipment is the bowler who comes back for every new ball.

7.1.5 Suggested Layouts feature — using bowler data to suggest a layout

Suggested Layouts feature — using bowler data to suggest a layout

7.1.5   arsenal

 

The Suggested Layouts feature is part of the Arsenal Plus plugin ($5 USD/month) and uses a combination of the bowler's recorded data and the ball's core specifications to surface layout recommendations directly within Spectre Cloud. Rather than consulting an external chart or performing manual calculations, the fitter can see a set of data-driven layout options for the specific ball and bowler in front of them — generated from information already in the system.

🔌 What Suggested Layouts Does

When viewing a ball's Arsenal entry with Arsenal Plus active, the Suggested Layouts panel analyses two sources of data already stored in Spectre Cloud and returns a set of layout options ranked by their likely effect on ball motion:

🔌 Note: Suggested Layouts requires both the ball to be identified in the bowlingdatabase.com integration and the bowler's PAP to be recorded on at least one spec sheet. If either piece of data is missing, the feature will prompt you to add it before suggestions can be generated.

📐 The Data Behind the Suggestions

Understanding what Suggested Layouts draws on helps you evaluate the quality of its recommendations and know when the suggestions are most reliable.

PAP location

The bowler's positive axis point is the single most important input. A precisely measured and recently confirmed PAP produces the most accurate layout suggestions. A PAP that was estimated, is several years old, or was recorded from a different ball style may produce suggestions that are technically valid but less precisely tailored to how the bowler currently throws.

Axis tilt and rotation

Tilt and rotation data refine the suggestion further — they describe how the ball rolls through the heads and midlane and how much angular change occurs at the breakpoint. Bowlers with higher tilt produce a different set of optimal layouts than bowlers with lower tilt on the same ball. These values are recorded on the spec sheet alongside the PAP.

Ball core specifications

The RG, differential, and MB differential values from bowlingdatabase.com determine how strongly a given core responds to different pin and MB placements. A high-differential asymmetric core responds very differently to layout changes than a low-differential symmetric one. The Suggested Layouts algorithm accounts for this so a layout that would be aggressive on a benchmark ball is not suggested in the same form for a mild symmetric.

🖥️ Accessing Suggested Layouts on Desktop

  1. Open the bowler's profile and navigate to the Arsenal section.
  2. Click the ball's entry to open the detail view.
  3. Locate the Suggested Layouts panel — visible when Arsenal Plus is active and the ball has been identified in the bowlingdatabase.com integration.
  4. If the bowler's PAP is on file from a previous spec sheet, suggestions generate automatically. If PAP is missing, the panel prompts you to enter it.
  5. Review the suggested layouts listed. Each shows the layout values in your shop's default system alongside a motion profile description.
  6. To use a suggestion, click Apply to Spec Sheet (or equivalent) — the layout values are transferred to the open or new spec sheet without manual re-entry.

📱 Accessing Suggested Layouts on Mobile or Tablet

  1. Open the bowler's profile and tap the ball's Arsenal entry.
  2. Scroll to the Suggested Layouts panel.
  3. Review the suggestions and tap Apply to Spec Sheet to use one.

📱 Tip: On a tablet at the counter, walking a bowler through the Suggested Layouts panel is an effective way to involve them in the layout decision — each suggestion's motion profile description gives them a plain-language picture of what the ball will do before any drilling decisions are made.

📋 Reading a Layout Suggestion

Each suggestion in the Suggested Layouts panel contains several pieces of information. Here is how to read them:

Element What it tells you
Layout values Pin distance, VAL angle, MB distance (or equivalent in your chosen system) — ready to transfer directly to the spec sheet
Motion profile label A brief descriptor of the expected ball motion — e.g., Strong early read, angular backend or Skid-flip, late breakpoint
Flare potential Low, medium, or high — indicates how much the ball will track across its surface over the course of a game
Breakpoint shape Whether the ball motion is expected to be smooth and arcing or sharp and angular at the breakpoint
Recommended lane condition The oil pattern type this layout is best suited to — heavy oil, medium, sport pattern, or dry — based on the ball's coverstock and the layout's motion profile

⚠️ Verify with Spectre team: Confirm the exact fields and labels shown in the Suggested Layouts panel — specifically whether Recommended Lane Condition and Breakpoint Shape are displayed as described, or whether the panel uses different terminology or a different set of output fields.

✨ When Suggested Layouts Is Most Valuable

⚠️ Understanding the Limitations

🔄 Using a Suggestion as a Starting Point for Adjustment

The most effective way to use Suggested Layouts is to treat the output as an informed first draft rather than a final answer. Review the top suggestion, apply it to the spec sheet, and then evaluate it against your own knowledge of the bowler:

  1. Apply the suggested layout values to the spec sheet using the Apply to Spec Sheet function.
  2. Review the applied values in the context of the bowler's full spec — do they align with the intended ball motion discussion?
  3. Adjust individual values if your fitting judgement calls for it — the suggestion is a starting point, and the spec sheet fields are fully editable after application.
  4. Record the final layout on the spec sheet. If you deviated from the suggestion, note why in the spec sheet's notes field — this creates a useful reference for future visits.

✨ Tip: Before a bowler's visit to discuss a new ball purchase, open their Arsenal and run Suggested Layouts on the ball they are considering while they are still on their way in. By the time they arrive, you have a layout direction ready to discuss — the conversation moves from "what should we do?" to "here is what the data suggests, and here is what I think" in the first sixty seconds of the visit.

7.1.6 Manually entering Drilling Angle, Pin to PAP, and VAL Angle

Manually entering Drilling Angle, Pin to PAP, and VAL Angle

7.1.6   arsenal

 

For shops that work from a layout plan rather than Suggested Layouts — or for any situation where the fitter is entering a pre-determined layout rather than generating one from the system — Spectre Cloud's spec sheet provides dedicated fields for manual layout entry. This page covers three of the most important: Drilling Angle, Pin to PAP distance, and VAL Angle. These are the core measurements of the VLS layout system and appear on spec sheets whenever VLS is selected as the layout method.

📐 What Each Value Represents

Before entering values, it helps to be clear on exactly what each field is measuring — confusion between these three values is one of the most common sources of layout entry errors.

Pin to PAP distance

The straight-line distance, in inches, from the ball's pin to the bowler's positive axis point (PAP). This is the primary driver of flare potential and overall ball motion strength. A shorter pin-to-PAP distance increases flare and produces a stronger, earlier-reading ball motion. A longer distance reduces flare and moves the breakpoint further downlane.

VAL Angle

The angle, in degrees, between the bowler's Vertical Axis Line (VAL) and the line connecting the PAP to the pin. The VAL angle controls the shape and timing of the breakpoint — a lower VAL angle produces a smoother, more arcing motion, while a higher angle produces a more angular, later-breaking reaction.

Drilling Angle

The angle at which the ball is placed in the drilling jig — specifically, the rotation of the ball around the vertical axis relative to the grip centre. The drilling angle determines where the mass bias (MB) marker ends up in relation to the VAL and the grip, completing the three-dimensional placement of the core inside the finished ball.

🖥️ Entering These Values on Desktop

  1. Open the spec sheet for the ball being drilled.
  2. Navigate to the Layout section and confirm the layout system is set to VLS.
  3. Click into the Pin to PAP field and enter the distance in inches — use decimal or fractional notation consistent with your shop's standard (e.g., 3.5 or 3 1/2).
  4. Click into the VAL Angle field and enter the angle in degrees.
  5. Click into the Drilling Angle field and enter the angle in degrees.
  6. Review all three values together before saving — they should be consistent with each other and with the intended ball motion discussed with the bowler.
  7. Save the spec sheet.

📱 Entering These Values on Mobile or Tablet

  1. Open the spec sheet and scroll to the Layout section.
  2. Confirm VLS is selected as the layout system.
  3. Tap each field — Pin to PAP, VAL Angle, Drilling Angle — in turn and enter the values using the numeric keyboard.
  4. Tap Save or allow auto-save to capture the entries.

⚖️ How the Three Values Work Together

Pin to PAP, VAL Angle, and Drilling Angle are not independent — they define a three-dimensional orientation of the ball's core relative to the bowler's release. Changing one without considering the others can produce an unintended result. The relationships to keep in mind:

Variable Primary effect Interacts most strongly with
Pin to PAP distance Flare potential and overall motion strength VAL Angle — together they set breakpoint timing and shape
VAL Angle Breakpoint shape — arcing vs. angular Pin to PAP — high angle on short distance reads very differently from high angle on long distance
Drilling Angle MB placement — most significant on asymmetric cores Core type — effect is amplified on high-differential asymmetrics, subtle on low-differential symmetrics

📌 Note: When using Arsenal Plus, the 3D layout rendering panel updates in real time as these values are entered — providing a visual confirmation of the core orientation before drilling begins. If the rendered position does not match the intended layout, it is a signal to re-check one or more of the entered values.

✨ Common Entry Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Confusing VAL Angle with Drilling Angle

These are the most commonly confused values in manual VLS entry. The VAL angle is measured from the bowler's VAL to the pin line — it is a property of the layout geometry. The drilling angle is the rotation of the ball in the jig — it is a property of the machine setup. They are related but not interchangeable.

Using the wrong PAP for the suggestion

Pin to PAP distance is only meaningful if the PAP used to calculate it matches the bowler's current PAP. A distance calculated from an old or estimated PAP produces a layout that performs differently from what was planned.

Entering fractional inches as decimals inconsistently

Pin to PAP is typically expressed in inches with a fractional component. Spectre Cloud accepts both decimal and fractional entry, but mixing conventions within a spec sheet — 3.5" on one ball and 3 1/2" on another — makes comparisons across spec sheets harder to read at a glance.

📋 Cross-Checking Against a Layout Plan

When entering layout values from a pre-determined drilling plan — a manufacturer's recommendation, a coach's specification, or an Arsenal Plus suggestion that has been adjusted — use the following cross-check before saving:

  1. Confirm Pin to PAP matches the plan value exactly. If the plan expresses this as a range, enter the midpoint of the range or the value you have chosen within it.
  2. Confirm VAL Angle matches the plan. If the plan uses a different angle convention, convert before entering — do not enter the unconverted value and plan to remember the difference later.
  3. Confirm Drilling Angle is consistent with the intended MB placement. For symmetric balls where the drilling angle is less critical, note this in the spec sheet so future readers know the value was a secondary consideration.
  4. If Arsenal Plus is active, review the 3D rendering and confirm the visual matches the plan before drilling.

✨ Tip: When training a new driller on layout entry, have them enter all three values and then describe aloud what they expect the ball to do — earlier or later, arcing or angular, strong or benchmark. If their description matches the intended motion, the values are almost certainly correct. If it does not, the disconnect is usually in one of the three fields and the conversation surfaces it faster than a visual check alone.