To test our trebuchet, we started off doing test fires at random. Seeing if the ball launches too early or too late determines whether if we have to change the angle of the tip of the long arm. The lower the angle of the metal tip relative to the horizontal of the long arm tip, the later the ball is released. With the right angle, maximum distance traveled by the projectile can be achieved. The only problem with this is how to keep the metal tip from changing its angle.