Shape Route Nonmenclature Proposal

[Colin Colenso]

[Edit: Sorry about the unintended irony in the misspelling of nomenclature in the title.]

Perhaps because I have an interest in multi-rail CB positional games, one of my frustrations, to which my signature of many years will attest, is the lack of efficient terminology available to us in describing positional routes the CB takes.

About the only useful term I've come across is 'doubling' as raised by Fred Cornerman some months ago, whereby the CB bounces off the two rails at 90 degrees adjacent to a corner pocket.

I will introduce my proposal with descriptions over several posts as I have several diagrams to include and want to keep the text near to the diagrams.

Note that I'm not interested in 1 rails positional routes here, they are easily enough explained.

So I'll start with the 2 rail shots, and the terminology for doubles that can be useful. The END DOUBLE comes off the end rail first. The side off the side rail first. The reverse indicates playing a shot with draw.

Note that you don't have to pot to that corner to double, you could come into a double from anywhere on the table, such as side pocket, far corner pockets of even from a bank.

 

[Colin Colenso]

Long Doubles

A variation on standard doubling is when the adjacent rail is not hit, but a rail at 90 degrees to the first rail is hit. These I term the Long End Double, when the CB comes off the end rail first and moves to a distant side rail. The second is the Long Side Double, when the CB comes off a side rail first and travels to a distant end rail. The reverse terminology applies when such shots are played using draw. Reversing doesn't change the geometry, but is a useful descriptive tool. The opposite of reverse would be natural, though one needn't prefix the shot description with 'natural'.

Note: I chose the terms 'end' and 'side' over 'short' and 'long' rail as I found it useful to include the term long for the descriptive term above, and some other shots that will arise, where using long could lead to confusion.

 

[Colin Colenso]

Crossers

The other type of common 2 rail shot is what I have termed 'Crossers', which suggests they travel across the table, hitting parallel rails.

The end crosser travels from one end to the other and the side crosser travels from one side to the other. The long side crosser skips over the side pocket between rails.

Crossers can also be 3 or 4 or 5 rails if enough speed is generated and the rails are elastic. If a crosser eventually goes to a perpendicular rail, it becomes an 'escalator' shot, which I introduce later on. This term was borrowed in part from the elevator shot used in 3 cushion, but the term escalator seems more visually comparable imho and the 3 cushion shot has a different purpose and description.

Note: There cannot be a Long End Crosser as there's no side pocket to skip to make it a LONG version of the shot. However, the Long Side Crosser is a very common shot and needs its own descriptive term I believe.

 

[Colin Colenso]

Triple Escalator

The Escalator shot extend to 3 and more rails. There are two types, the UP and Down. In the UP Escalator shot, the CB comes off the perpendicular rail first, such as END rail, then SIDE then SIDE. It can also be a Side rail, then end and end. It's difficult to make an UP Escalator Shot hitting more than 3 rails total, especially when played of the side rail first.

The DOWN ESCALATOR shot hits parallel rails first and moves toward a perpendicular rail, so it may travel 3 or 4 rails before contacting the perpendicular angle.

The terminology would be along the lines of 'a 3 rail UP SIDE ESCALATOR' shot, for a CB that comes off the end rail first and then hits 2 side rails. Conversly, if a CB comes off 3 side rails and then hits an end rail, it would be called a '4 rail Down SIDE ESCALATOR' shot.

In the diagram, I've also included The Pope's Hat Shot, or MITRE 3 rail shot, which is the technical name for the Pope's hat. This is no religious reference, just that it resembles the shape, and because it is a quite rare variation of the shot I'll describe next, which is the CROWN 3 rail shot, which is a very common 3 rail pattern which resembles a crown shape.

 

[Colin Colenso]

Angled triples - crown & earl

Here we have a common 3 rail route, which looks like a diamond with a missing corner, or a simplified crown. I termed it the crown shot, perhaps other have given it names. It is a common follow with inside shot to the corner, or a follow or draw shot from the side pocket and sometimes a reverse crown drawing off a long shot to the far corner with outside english.

The long crown is a rarer 3 rail route as it usually takes one near the far end rail and needs to be played with little english when potting to the corner as shown in this diagram. The same pattern is usually used to go 4 rails to play a QUAD, which I will describe next.

The Long Crown, which skips from end to far side rail is a kind of mirror image of the Earl 3 Triple, which skips from the long side to the end rail, but the shots are played very differently, as the Earl Triple usually requires a lot of Inside english to run around the rails.

I named this shot after Earl, because he seems to love using it in warm ups and exhibitions and coaching. It is the low power version of the Earl 5 Rail Penta, one of his famous trick shots.

FWIW: If you do this Earl Triple and catch the 4th rail you could call it an Earl Triple +1 or an Earl Penta -1.

 

[Colin Colenso]

Quads - 4 rail shots

I've defined the END and SIDE QUADS. The Side quad is played off the side rail first and it can't have too much running english or it turns into a crown. It's basically a long crown 3 rail that keeps traveling with running. If it continues to a 5th or 6th rail it would be called a Side Quad +1 or + 2. A twisted version of the SIDE QUAD is possible using check off the second rail but is difficult and rarely played.

The term 'twisted' indicates how a rectangle could be twisted at one end, such that edges cross, rather than stay apart.

On ball two, this 'twisted' descriptive should be more readily apparent. On the thinner CB hit off the 2 ball, the route continues to run, similar to a rectangle pattern. This path can continue to 6 rails often. With the thicker hit, using more outside english and/or draw, the route crosses itself before reaching the far low corner, resulting in a 'twisted quad'. This causes the CB to check / reverse and hence slow down off the last 2 rails. A very useful shot but players need to be very familiar with with path they are selecting because getting it wrong leads to scratching or severe loss of shape.

On fast tables the twisted quad may reach a 5th or even 6th rail, but one risks the CB bouncing around and losing control of it.

 

[SilverCue]

Good job!!

 

[billiardthought]

I think this is all just a bit too much. I can only see this working in the most formal of teaching situations. Just my opinion.

 

[pt109]

One must strive to avoid double crossers.

 

[(((Satori)))]

Can I propose one to be named the Satori?

Cut shot in the side... 2 railer with inside english... end rail, same side as pocket rail, back to center table

 

[Colin Colenso]

5 Rail Routes - PENTAS

For 5 rail routes which aren't power CROSSERS or extended QUADS, in which cases I'd refer to them as say the END QUAD +1, another unique path is one I referred to earlier, which I dedicate to Earl Strickland, as the EARL PENTA.

The NATURAL form, which needs no prefix is shown by Cue Ball 'A'. It is a shot he often shows off with and/or uses to get a feel for the grippiness and speed of a table in warm ups. In this version the CB runs (accelerates) off every rail. A variation of this is the Twisted Earl Penta, which checks/ reverses off the last 2 rails as the CB crosses, or twists across the initial path.

Shot 'B' shows the REVERSE TWISTED EARL PENTA, which is played with draw and heavy outside english.

That concludes my basic CB route types. There are a couple of curiosities which I will add later. See if you can come up with a realistic CB route which can't be described by one of these definitions I've offered please?

It would be nice to be able to explain one's route plan in one word rather than try to describe all the rails being hit, or to simply describe it by the number of rails.

Note: For any shots where the CB travels more than 5 rails, I'd describe them as a QUAD + 2 or 3 or 4 or Earl PENTA + 1 or 2 or 3. They will have to start along one of these patterns or be an extreme variation of an Escalator shot. If someone makes such a shot recognized, they may have their name attributed to it someday, like The Earl Penta.

Colin

 

[Colin Colenso]

Can I propose one to be named the Satori?

Cut shot in the side... 2 railer with inside english... end rail, same side as pocket rail, back to center table

You may, but it sounds like an End Double to me, just starting from a different point. Can you draw it?

One triple I haven't drawn yet is 'The Snake' as used in 3C, sometimes called the reverse double, but I'm already using the reverse to indicate coming backward off the tangent line. That's when a CB hits side, end and then the same side again.

Colin

 

[BRussell]

I didn't like it at first. Then I started saying them in my head with an Australian accent, and it all came together.

 

[Colin Colenso]

One must strive to avoid double crossers.

Crossers have their time and place. We usually play as few rails as possible, but I play a game with minimum 2 rails for position pretty often, and the 2 rail crosser is like a gift when the angle is friendly to just need center ball or a touch of inside or outside.

Perhaps by 'double crosser' you meant what I'd call a triple crosser. They are pretty dodgy, but can be useful when playing a fine cut into the side and going 3 rails up and down off the end rails.

Colin

 

[(((Satori)))]

You may, but it sounds like an End Double to me, just starting from a different point. Can you draw it?

One triple I haven't drawn yet is 'The Snake' as used in 3C, sometimes called the reverse double, but I'm already using the reverse to indicate coming backward off the tangent line. That's when a CB hits side, end and then the same side again.

Colin

Oh yeah, I guess it is the end double.

 

[(((Satori)))]

Double post

 

[Colin Colenso]

I didn't like it at first. Then I started saying them in my head with an Australian accent, and it all came together.

Me too, but now I call them out loud before I play shots and it clears my mind

 

[Kris_b1104]

Wow Sam Lambert is out practicing instead of soaking up all this information. How is he supposed to know what to call his shots now when his friends ask "what was that?!?!?!"

That was a triple Earl crosser quad, with 12.99mm tip and a black ferrule.

Drops mic.

 

[pt109]

Double post

What kind of position shot is that?
:scratchhead:

 

[(((Satori)))]

What kind of position shot is that?
:scratchhead:

Ha ha,

A position where you want to be sure you are going to get paid?