Kicking Academy - Part 1

DeadAim

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
THE DIAMOND SYSTEM

I guess we could consider this the grand daddy of all kicking systems, it is actually very easy to learn. Very simply put, “the sum of diamonds equals the ball position number”; not to complicated is it? Diagram 1 shows the cue ball at ball position 5, hitting diamond 3 on the first rail will hit diamond 2 on the third rail and track to the corner pocket (2 plus 3 equals ball position 5). Diagram 2 shows the cue ball at ball position 4, hitting diamond 2 on the first rail will hit diamond 2 on the third rail and track to the corner pocket (2 plus 2 equals ball position 4). Adjust the firmness of your hit until you consistently pocket the cue ball, use about one half to one tip running english.

The VERY FIRST thing you should do when playing on a table is to check it’s tracking system by using the “diamond system”; these two go hand in hand. All tables track differently, unless they are billiard tables which have heated cushions and billiard cloth. Diagram 3 shows the third rail track for a billiard table and a new cloth on a pocket billiard table. As the cloth ages on a pocket billiard table it will begin to track short; MEANING, in the example above for Diagram 1; on a worn cloth the cue ball will now track “one” diamond ABOVE the corner pocket. I have seen some extremely worn cloth that tracks “two” diamonds ABOVE the corner pocket. To check the table’s track just put the cue ball in ball position 5 (corner pocket), aim THROUGH diamond 3 on the first rail, it will hit through diamond 2 on the third rail and track to the “fourth” rail.

Let’s say in Diagram 4 that we want to hit the object ball at the corner pocket. Let’s also assume that our table tracks SHORT; meaning, when we used the above test the cue ball hit diamond 2 on the third rail but tracked one diamond above the corner pocket. SO, what do we have to do to hit this ball? Well, looking at Diagram 3 we see that diamond 3 on the third rail tracks to the first diamond on the short rail; we tested our table before we began to play and found that the table tracks SHORT, so now diamond 3 tracks short to the corner pocket, RIGHT! So, from ball position 5 we need to hit diamond 2 on the first rail to hit diamond 3 on the third rail and track to the corner pocket and knock the object ball in the pocket, WE HOPE.

What do I mean by hitting THROUGH the diamond? The red lines in Diagram 1 shows what I mean by this.

Later I will explain a system that shows you where the cue ball will hit the second (short) rail.

Whenever you use a THREE rail kicking system you MUST always be aware of it’s track.

Also something to consider, on NEW cloth the balls sometimes tend to SLIDE along the rail causing the ball to rebound LONGER. My recent visits to pool halls have led me to believe that "Championship" cloth is a major culprit of this phenomenon, but ALL new clothes have a tendency to cause the balls to slide off the rail.

PART 1 consisted of:

THE DIAMOND SYSTEM

FOURTH RAIL TRACKS

J. R.
 

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J.R.,

Thank you so much for sharing this. I have been trying to understand this system for a few months now, but my pea brain has yet been able to comprehend it. :( I think I'm starting to "get it" now. Thank you.

I do have a question or two, and if the answers will be reveled in a later post then I apologize for getting ahead of the game.

I guess my first area of confusion is that you started off talking about 3 rail kicks. I have mostly been obsessing about 2 rail kicks using the cb only, trying to determine where the contact point of the second rail would be from the first rail. (Does this make sense??) Are there any diagrams out there or a system that will help me understand that aspect of the diamond system? For example I am in position 5 and hit Diamond #3 on the first rail and the contact point on the second rail (center ball) will be between the 2nd and 3rd diamonds? Or am I focusing too much on learning something silly?

Also given your 3 rail kick system, if I am at position 3 then I aim thru the 1st diamond on the first rail thus making contact at the 2nd diamond on the 3rd rail to pocket the ball in the corner pocket? I just want to make sure I really comprehend this. (I am a blonde female, LOL.) What about if I am in-between positions? Say I am in-between position 4 and 5, how do I figure out which diamond I need to hit on the first rail? What about 3 rail kicks that start out on the short rail?

I am sorry for all of the questions, but I am VERY egger to learn this system. I do have some books that I have started to read, but I haven't gotten very far yet. (They are books not solely concentrating on kicking.) If I have no clue please feel free to tell me that I should forget pool and take up bowling.

Thank you for your time and knowledge.
 
Thanks for the info. Everyone on this forum has so much knowledge to share (well,almost everyone). :D

Christyd
 
Landshark, I’ll get to your question; but first I MUST clear something up.

Ouch, I’m sorry; I forgot something VERY important and is NOT widely known about the diamond system

This is usually the reason why people of miniscule minds say the diamond system doesn’t work.

There is a compensation that has to be made as the cue ball position moves up table.

From cue ball position 5 (corner pocket) hitting through diamond three on the first rail will go through diamond 2 on the third rail and track to the corner pocket; assuming our table is tracking true. NOW, if we move up to cue ball position 3 ½ (three diamonds up table)’ 3 ½ minus 2 equals a 1 ½ hit on the first rail to get the cue ball into the corner pocket; BUT, this will NOT work. For each diamond we move UP table we must compensate “one” ball width LESS hit, in my example I moved up table “three” diamonds which means “three” ball widths of compensation OR ½ diamond. The only confusion here is that it is NOT actually “three” ball widths because a billiard table is LONGER than our pocket billiard table and has “six” ball widths between diamonds, out tables have approximately 5 ball widths. SO, here we are again playing by “feel”; I equate three diamonds on our table to ½ diamond and adjust from there. If I’m at ball position 3 (side pocket) I will adjust a shade more than ½ diamond and so forth. SO, what does all this mean? NOW, because of the compensation I must hit the first rail at diamond 1 instead of 1 ½.

Sorry for the extra post but this is TOO important to omit.

Now to Landshark,

“I guess my first area of confusion is that you started off talking about 3 rail kicks. I have mostly been obsessing about 2 rail kicks using the cb only, trying to determine where the contact point of the second rail would be from the first rail. (Does this make sense??) Are there any diagrams out there or a system that will help me understand that aspect of the diamond system? For example I am in position 5 and hit Diamond #3 on the first rail and the contact point on the second rail (center ball) will be between the 2nd and 3rd diamonds? Or am I focusing too much on learning something silly?”

Yes there is, this will come later but I will answer your example with the system I know. Ball position 5 will now translate to diamond number 8 in this system, your example of diamond number 3 now becomes 30 on the opposite long rail, the short rail hit numbers for the diamonds are 2,3,and 4; 2 being closest to the long rail you want to hit. I hope this isn’t confusing but it is hard to do without a diagram (which will come when I explain this system) SO, 30 divided by 8 equals 3.75, shooting with a “dead ball” (center ball hit) this is where you will hit; using “running english” you will end up approximately 3.25. It’s good to know this information so you can navigate any obstructing balls. Here's an easier way to explain this:

Let's say I want to hit an object ball at the middle diamond (number 3) on the short rail and I am at the corner pocket (ball position 5 which now translates to number 8). 3 times 8 equals 24, hit the long rail approx. 2 1/2 diamonds above the corner pocket and you should bury the object ball head on. Here's another neat trick I will show later; let's say there is an obstructing ball at diamond 2 1/2, move "one" diamond up table to 3 1/2 and use maximum (3 tips) running english. VOILA! Still hits the object ball dead center.

“Also given your 3 rail kick system, if I am at position 3 then I aim thru the 1st diamond on the first rail thus making contact at the 2nd diamond on the 3rd rail to pocket the ball in the corner pocket? I just want to make sure I really comprehend this.”

That’s correct, make sure you read the beginning of this post where I explain the adjustments you need to make this work.

“(I am a blonde female, LOL.) What about if I am in-between positions? Say I am in-between position 4 and 5, how do I figure out which diamond I need to hit on the first rail? What about 3 rail kicks that start out on the short rail?”

Let’s say you’re at 4 ½, 4 ½ minus 2 equals 2 ½ hit on the first rail, assuming our table is tracking like a billiard table. I’ll get to three rail kicks off the short rail. Like I said, if you learn ALL the systems I show you will be able to hit any ball on the table unless you are COMPLETELY snookered.

“I am sorry for all of the questions, but I am VERY egger to learn this system. I do have some books that I have started to read, but I haven't gotten very far yet. (They are books not solely concentrating on kicking.) If I have no clue please feel free to tell me that I should forget pool and take up bowling.”

Grady Mathews’ has a video call “Only Kicks”, I suggest that anyone who wants to learn some interesting kicking systems purchase this video; I’m not sure if I’m going to get into this video, I really do not want to thread on Grady’s stuff, if in fact it is “his” stuff. Most of these systems have been handed down from player to player and some have just been invented by players, but Grady’s material is usually advanced and I know he really does not take much time in explaining the systems he shows on his videos; so it is likely I will take 10 or 12 of the best and explain them so that ALL players can understand them.

J.R.
 
Thank you so much to your response. I am sorry for getting ahead of the game. :(

I also knew I should have paid better attention in math class in school. If anyone who reads this is ever an opponent of mine on the table, I appologize in advance and I ask you to please not ever leave me a kick shot, as we will be at the table a long time while I try to do the math before the shot. God blessed me with only 10 fingers, LOL.
 
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Landshark,

Here's another way to hit this example:

"Let's say I want to hit an object ball at the middle diamond (number 3) on the short rail and I am at the corner pocket (ball position 5 which now translates to number 8). 3 times 8 equals 24, hit the long rail approx. 2 1/2 diamonds above the corner pocket and you should bury the object ball head on. Here's another neat trick I will show later; let's say there is an obstructing ball at diamond 2 1/2, move "one" diamond up table to 3 1/2 and use maximum (3 tips) running english. VOILA! Still hits the object ball dead center."

Now, let's say there's an obstruction ball at both diamonds 2 1/2 and 3 1/2; we can just aim at diamond 2 and UNLOAD. Hitting the cue ball very hard will make it rebound at a sharper angle and AGAIN we hit the object ball dead on.

J.R.
 
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