Why is running English always (or at least usually) used for multi rail kicks?

It's possible to hit the ball with a little bit of "excess" top spin -- beyond rolling smoothly. The problem is that the higher you hit, the less forward speed you get right off the tip. It turns out that for a shot like a lag where the ball has time to be rolling smoothly before it hits something -- you want to hit at about 61% of the height of the ball for the ball to roll the farthest.
How about a vertical masse slightly forward of the vertical axis?

'Supplemental' Parallel or Perpendicular Aiming Spots/Lines

another example
this shot i tend to hit thick and get a rub on the long rail going in
on some tables it will hang if it doesnt go in clean
so i will aim for parallel to the rail and then hit it alittle fat
View attachment 870656
I often do this and most of the times I end up shooting it parallel, like my brain just can't adjust and is focused on the first objective. It's intuitively a good method but I can't get it work...

Why is running English always (or at least usually) used for multi rail kicks?

are any of those balls increasing in speed after they past the max acceleration point after the hit.

technically i agree a tiny bit of speed over a short distance can come from increased top spin. but not for long as friction and heat will slow the ball down.
It's possible to hit the ball with a little bit of "excess" top spin -- beyond rolling smoothly. The problem is that the higher you hit, the less forward speed you get right off the tip. It turns out that for a shot like a lag where the ball has time to be rolling smoothly before it hits something -- you want to hit at about 61% of the height of the ball for the ball to roll the farthest.

Break Stats -- Derby City 10-Foot (Bigfoot) 10-Ball, January 2026

Comparison -- 2024 vs. 2025 vs. 2026

How do the stats compare for this year's Bigfoot 10-Ball versus those for the past two years? This comparison uses all 15 matches each year -- 238 games tracked in 2024, 225 in 2025, and 234 in 2026.

I'm aware of three differences in rules and equipment for these years. (1) The corner pocket mouths were 4 1/4" in 2024, 4 1/2" this year, and I'm not sure about 2025. (2) No shot clock for the first time this year. (3) The balls were racked for the first time this year in a computer-generated random pattern.

These stats are for 2024 first, then 2025, then 2026.

• Successful breaks -- 59%, 66%, 63%​
• Breaker won game -- 54%, 56%, 54%​
• B&R games on all breaks -- 18%, 19%, 25%,​
• B&R games on successful breaks -- 31%, 29%, 40%​
• Games ending in 1 inning -- 39%, 36%, 47%​
• Games going beyond the 2nd inning -- 35%, 36%, 30%​
• Runouts by the player at the table following the break -- 29%, 28%, 38%​
• Games won by first player to make a ball after the break -- 70%, 67%, 76%​
• Avg. number of balls made on all breaks -- 0.9, 1.1, 1.1​
• Avg. number of balls made on successful breaks -- 1.4, 1.6, 1.6​
• Games per missed shot (approx.) -- 1.3, 1.6, 1.8​
• Games per foul -- 2.7, 3.0, 3.4​
• Games with one or more safeties -- 46%, 53%, 45%​
• Games (excl. B&Rs) with one or more safeties -- 56%, 65%, 60%​
• Average number of games won by match loser -- 5.9, 5.0, 5.9​
• Average minutes per match -- 101, 96, 117​
• Average minutes per game (including timeouts) -- 6.4, 6.4, 7.3​
So play was a little better this year, perhaps helped by the table. And eliminating the time clock led to slower play on average.

helped by the table? isn't it the same table

Why is running English always (or at least usually) used for multi rail kicks?

are any of those balls increasing in speed after they past the max acceleration point after the hit.

technically i agree a tiny bit of speed over a short distance can come from increased top spin. but not for long as friction and heat will slow the ball down.
Clearly not possible but juice and low friction sure count.

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