Billiard Pulse: Maflin and Jans top World Snooker

Billiard Pulse: Maflin and Jans top World Snooker

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Shot and Stroke Effects

Here's some essoterica and information that may just help you in your next game.

In snooker, two balls frozen in line with a pocket is called a SET, while two balls frozen such that the line between them points to a pocket is called a PLANT. A set forms a combination while a plant forms a carom.

What most people don't realize is that the path the intended object ball travels can be controlled to some degree (enough to make or miss most shots). What hardly anyone knows is that the plant and set are controlled by different things, which means that it is possible to seperately and jointly control the paths of both balls in a set or a plant.

The set is controlled by the hit, that is the point of contact on the first object ball of the combination. The plant is controlled by the stroke, that is: draw, stun (stop) or follow.

For the set, striking the first object ball to the left or right of the line through their centers will push (throw) the intended object ball in the direction away from the side of the hit. To move it left, hit on the right and vice versa.

For the plant, stroking with draw will tend to push, throw the object ball away from the point of contact, while stroking with follow will tend to pull, draw the object ball toward the point of contact. The fuller the hit the greater the effect. Therefore, if stun is on, draw would make it run wide and follow would make it run short.

For a fun, interesting and informative exercise in this try:

Set an object ball on the foot spot. Then freeze a ball on the center table side such that their line of centers is pointed at the pocket point on the center table side. With this setup you should have a set to one corner and a plant to the opposite corner.

Now, taking cue ball in hand behind the headstring, try making either or both balls at will, by just varying the stroke and hit. Caution, shooting very hard will tend to nullify the effects of throw, draw and follow so that your control evaporates.

Using the right hit and stroke will make both the set and the plant, while modifying one or the other will allow you to make one ball and not the other.

Enjoy,

The Old Professor

Continuing with the Cue Stroke

In my last blog, erroneously entitled "All about billiards", I talked about a method of isolating the stroke from sighting and setup. In that method the margin of error was fairly large, much larger than what your stroke error should be.

In this second method, the margin for error is very small, almost certainly smaller than the error margin of your stroke. This test/exercise should help you reduce your stroke error margin and as a bonus you can use this same method to help reduce the error margin of your jacked-up stroke as well.

For this method, place an object ball somewhere near the center of the table. Place your cue ball frozen to the side rail somewhere between the pocket and the first diamond. You can adjust the cue ball and object ball positions anywhere to provide any shot between dead straight and three-quarter ball into the far corner pocket.

Setup and stroke with as level a cue as you can, 10 degrees is about the best you can hope for, 15 degrees should be the max and 20 degrees would almost certainly be excessive. I know trying to judge degrees is iffy at best but try and get a feel trying for level.

The object is to pot the object ball into the far corner pocket. If the cue ball follows in on a straight in shot, bonus. Be pleased, if not happy, with about an 80% sucess rate, 60% jacked-up. If you can better 90% level and 75 or 80% jacked-up you're doing great.

The real goal here is to minimize your stroke error. If your misses are within a ball's width of the pocket you're doing okay. If you're missing by more than that something needs work. Be certain your setup is correct and try to isolate each factor of your stroke. Do you feel yourself jerking. Is the tip swerving to one side. Are you constantly missing to one side. If the latter you may not be hitting center ball. Use a mirror or have someone watch you.

Unfortunately, this off center hit can be very tiny. Joe Tucker has a device that can help, but just being aware of it and forcing yourself to make a correction on shot setups like this one can do wonders.

Cheers and play well,

The old professor

Analysing the Shot by Isolating the Stroke

All about billiards

I believe that popular concepts about the game of billiards are incorrect but we'll save that debate for some later date.

For now, I'd just like to consider the shot. Every pool shot consists of three parts: the sighting, the setup, the stroke.

If any one of the three is flawed, the shot is likely to be missed. The problem in analysis is determining which part was in error. I would contend that the stroke is the most common cause of missed shots. But I would also contend that faulty setup is a major reason for errant strokes. I would further postulate that sighting, what most people consider aiming, is the least likely cause of a missed shot.

Our goal is to develop a consistent and accurate stroke. To do that we need to, not only, develop good stroke mechanics but we also need to isolate and eliminate causes for errant strokes.

To draw a target shooting analogy: Let's compare two targets, one with five shots through the same hole, 1/2 inch high and 1 inch to the left and the other with five shots, each 1/4 inch from the bullseye forming a perfect five point star with the bullseye in the center. For the former, we can easily correct or compensate for the error to ensure placing subsequent shots through the bullseye. But in the second case, there is nothing we can do that would ensure hitting the bullseye on any subsequent shot. The lack of consistency makes it impossible for us to pinpoint a correction.

What follows is a procedure for developing a consistent stroke and therefore consistent shot making.

First, we must assume that our sighting is correct. Second, we must also assume that we sufficiently understand and control the mechanics of the stroke so that we can focus on just that to both deliver the stroke and monitor our performance. The third and most important thing we must do is be absolutely certain of the correct setup on every shot.

Anytime our setup is off, we are subject to push or pull our stroke to compensate. Sometimes we'll get away with it, sometimes we won't. This is the kind of thing that leads to the star pattern in our shooting analogy.

For this exercise, sighting must be done before going down on the shot. Once the shot is sighted, you must setup and take your stance so that the stroking line of the cue is exactly on the line required to make the shot. Now, if you've sighted correctly and have taken the proper stance, all you have to do for a successful shot is to deliver a mechanically correct stroke.

Test, practice and challenge setup.

Place an object ball on the foot spot. Place the cue ball approximately one diamond away from your near rail and directly on a line with the object ball and the first diamond from the corner pocket; mark this spot (I like to use loose leaf reinforcers). Now place a sight marker halfway between the first and second diamonds on the target pocket's side of the table (I use the corner of a chalk cube).

This setup provides for a half ball hit (cut) to the corner pocket. The sight marker allows you to sight at a point and ignore the object ball, it also provides you with a consistent aiming point. Using center ball hits only, set up to stroke directly at your site marker. Deliver your best stroke toward the site marker.

The object ball should go toward the corner pocket. Regardless of whether the ball drops, shoot this setup a minimum of five times to confirm consistency. If your setup and stroke are accurate and consistent then the object ball will go to the same point each time. If you find that you are over cutting, move your marker toward the pocket and, conversely, if you are undercutting, move the marker away from the pocket. You want a setup where you are consistently potting the object ball when setting up and stroking toward your marker.

Now, when you've achieved consistency, challenge yourself to see how important setup is. For the challenge, take your regular sighting and setup, but before going down on the shot, move a half step right then go down and stroke the shot. Repeat five times. Then do the same thing taking a half step to the left.

What you should find, is that your consistency goes down when you set up off line. This is because you have to alter your stroke to compensate for being off line. Sometimes you'll succeed, sometimes you won't. But with proper setup, that is never a concern.

I play pool. I teach pool and billiards. Fortunately, you don't have to be a great player to understand the game, play well and teach.

In this blog I'd like to talk about some of the things that make this game great. Things that both make it difficult and simple to play. I'd like to share my ideas and concepts about the game and hopefully hear yours. This is a game in which you never stop learning and, though I teach, I'm always open to learning.

Play well and enjoy,

The Old Professor