I always say I’m going to practice my lagging but I never do. Any tips,techniques, advice on lagging on a carom table ?
I always say I’m going to practice my lagging but I never do. Any tips,techniques, advice on lagging on a carom table ?
There's actually an optimum height to hit the ball. It depends a little on the weight of the cue stick and tip, but it is around 60% of the height of the cue ball. That's 6mm or half a tip above center. Your cue stick will have to be raised a little higher than that because you will be hitting with the bottom half of the cue tip. That height is insensitive to small errors in height.Do not hit the ball below center on the lag....
...sometimes a little back spin grabs.
I like quarter tip above center.
I've always heard that "instant natural roll" is produced by hitting about 70% of the height of the CB (2/5 of the distance from center to edge). Can you expand a little on why 60% is better for lagging?There's actually an optimum height to hit the ball. It depends a little on the weight of the cue stick and tip, but it is around 60% of the height of the cue ball.
While hitting at 70% does get the ball rolling smoothly immediately, hitting the ball that far from center gets less immediate forward motion into the ball. If you hit lower (at the same stick speed) the immediate forward motion is faster and then the ball slows a little as the speed is turned into roll. There is a balance between starting the ball with some spin and starting it with more speed.I've always heard that "instant natural roll" is produced by hitting about 70% of the height of the CB (2/5 of the distance from center to edge). Can you expand a little on why 60% is better for lagging?
Thanks,
pj
chgo
So the benefit is getting the same CB speed with less cue speed?While hitting at 70% does get the ball rolling smoothly immediately, hitting the ball that far from center gets less immediate forward motion into the ball. If you hit lower (at the same stick speed) the immediate forward motion is faster and then the ball slows a little as the speed is turned into roll. There is a balance between starting the ball with some spin and starting it with more speed.in close to the same final speed as hitting the ball in the middle M''.
The benefit is similar to a half-ball angle shot: small errors in height (fullness) have negligible effect on the distance traveled (exit angle). It turns out that for the lag shot, it is also the most efficient (least effort) place to hit the cue ball. I can't think of a parallel advantage for the half-ball (30-degree rule) shot.So the benefit is getting the same CB speed with less cue speed?
I assume there's some consideration given to the effect sliding might have on accuracy?
pj
chgo
Pat and others, if you want to see the math and physics (that also accounts for real-life conditions), see:The benefit is similar to a half-ball angle shot: small errors in height (fullness) have negligible effect on the distance traveled (exit angle). It turns out that for the lag shot, it is also the most efficient (least effort) place to hit the cue ball.
See Diagram 2 and the surrounding discussion here:So the benefit is getting the same CB speed with less cue speed?
Shepard's analysis neglected cue tip inefficiency and drag distance, but the results aren't much different when all non-ideal effects are considered, as shown in:I assume there's some consideration given to the effect sliding might have on accuracy?
Get a dedicated lag cue.
Somebody should have given that skiing advice to Sonny Bono.
Thanks, very interesting.The benefit is similar to a half-ball angle shot: small errors in height (fullness) have negligible effect on the distance traveled (exit angle). It turns out that for the lag shot, it is also the most efficient (least effort) place to hit the cue ball. I can't think of a parallel advantage for the half-ball (30-degree rule) shot.
This kind of situation -- where the process (shot) is insensitive to a major input parameter (height of hit) -- is pretty common. Perhaps the most common at billiards is where the correct selection of bridge length can make the path of the cue ball insensitive to left-right errors in cueing. (pivot-point, backhand english, squirt compensation)
I'm not sure what you mean by the sliding comment.
Thanks Dave. You (guys) da man.See Diagram 2 and the surrounding discussion here:
"The Lag Shot" (BD, October, 2011)
Shepard's analysis neglected cue tip inefficiency and drag distance, but the results aren't much different when all non-ideal effects are considered, as shown in:
TP B.12 - Optimal tip height for speed/distance control
Catch you later,
Dave