Testing "Spin Throw"

jsp

jsp

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The following is a simple way to test how much you can throw the OB with side spin alone.

In the first diagram, the 1 ball is placed in the center of the table (exact placement is arbitrary). The cue is in contact with the 1 and 2 balls and the tip is pointing at the right point of the top-right pocket. The 3 ball is touching the 1 ball such that all three balls form a right angle. Then remove the cue and the 1 ball from the table, as shown in the the second diagram.

First convince yourself that it's impossible to pocket the 2 ball (in the top-right pocket) without throw. After you're convinced of that fact, attempt to pocket the 2 ball by throwing it with some right spin. (Don't worry about disturbing the 3 ball, because the CB should hit the 3 ball after contacting the 2 ball if you do succeed in pocketing the shot. If you hit the 3 ball first then you'll obviously miss).

My Aramith balls aren't immaculately clean nor are they exceptionally dirty, and I was able to pocket the 2 without much effort. People may suggest that throw is an overrated concept, but I wouldn't consider it particularly overrated if I'm able to pocket the 2 from that location. But maybe I just have dirtier than average balls. Try it out with your own balls and report the results.

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Good post.

What was your attempts vs pocketed percentage??????...SPF=randyg
 
My theory:

To throw the 2B into the corner the 1B needs counter-clockwise spin (e.g. right english). To get right english on the 1B the CB needs clockwise spin (e.g. left english). I like the 3B in the mix but I believe that it shouldn't move...if it does, you're cheating. If the CB has left english when it strikes the 1B the 3B won't move and it will give you a better idea of how much the 2B gets thrown by spin alone.

I'm looking at this from my office desktop and haven't had the opportunity to set the balls up at home yet. Can one of you experts tell me if my theory is correct?
 
Gurnee_Steve said:
My theory:

To throw the 2B into the corner the 1B needs counter-clockwise spin (e.g. right english). To get right english on the 1B the CB needs clockwise spin (e.g. left english). I like the 3B in the mix but I believe that it shouldn't move...if it does, you're cheating. If the CB has left english when it strikes the 1B the 3B won't move and it will give you a better idea of how much the 2B gets thrown by spin alone.

I'm looking at this from my office desktop and haven't had the opportunity to set the balls up at home yet. Can one of you experts tell me if my theory is correct?
Click to expand...
Re-read the original post: the 1-B is removed before you take the shot. The function of the 1-B is to align the 2 and 3 properly when you set this up, making it impossible to make the 2 in that corner pocket if you don't use throw. In other words, the 3 ball forms a "wall" that you will run into if you try to hit the 2 ball on the left side to cut it in. If you use right-hand spin on the CB, then I believe the CB will in fact spin into the 3 after striking the 2, as the OP stated. You might be able avoid this using top right instead of low right, but it doesn't matter.
 
randyg said:
Good post.

What was your attempts vs pocketed percentage??????...SPF=randyg
Click to expand...
Hard to say. If I do hit the 2 exactly where I want to, then I'm able to throw it in the pocket close to 100%. But the majority of my misses are either nicking the 3 ball before hitting the 2 ball, or not hitting the 2 ball full enough.

Edit: But then again in the latter case, I really couldn't tell if I actually did hit the CB where I wanted to and there just wasn't enough throw. A good way to distinguish this case is if I put another blocker ball on the other side, such that if that ball is disturbed, then I would know I didn't hit the spot I wanted to.

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Last edited:
the majority of my misses are either nicking the 3 ball before hitting the 2 ball, or not hitting the 2 ball full enough. But then again in the latter case, I really couldn't tell if I hit the CB where I wanted to and there wasn't enough throw.
Click to expand...

Put another blocking ball on the other side too - that'll tell you if you're hitting the OB accurately.

pj
chgo
 
Throw does not exist, only squirt.

Unless you are shooting with a LDS using BHE wearing pool shoes, so you can spin your feet into the shot shifting your body while looking away as you make contact with cue ball.
 
jsp said:
People may suggest that throw is an overrated concept, but I wouldn't consider it particularly overrated if I'm able to pocket the 2 from that location.
Click to expand...

I think you and Dr. Dave and many others get confused when someone says "throw is over-rated" such that you end up making one or two particular instances where throw has to dominate. Forget about this shot. Nobody said that spin throw doesn't exist (with any seriousness). And in this particular shot, swerve and spin throw need to dominate.

Obviously, this was a carry over from the inside-english thread. If you continue to convince yourself that throw is as important in the other shots (not this shot), then you will never ever make inside english easier than you are now. I would hope that everyone would want to make inside english easier. Maybe I and others just aren't making ourselves clear, which is possible. If we were clear, you would never try to convince me or anyone about throw. But you are, so apparently, we're not making ourselves clear.

Best to be on a table.

Fred
 
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