OK, more often measurements are from ball tip to bottom of cup, but it can vary. Melling shows it being measured in this fashion in the document below, so they are even shorter than you think, something like 7.080" if measured from ball tip to bottom of cup....!! Almost seems like the wrong pushrods are in there.....or they were indeed shortened, maybe for a higher lift cam at some point? The crooked cup at top may be caused by poor cutting techniques.
