Some people have "strokes"...others can hit the ball hard.
I have been told by numerous, numerous people that I have a "powerful" stroke. One guy in a tournament even gave me the nickname "Monster Stroke" after he saw me draw the cue ball a couple table lengths with my cue that everyone called a "log". It weighs over 21 ounces and has a 14mm tip.
Stroke has a lot to do with "timing" and not everyone has that. Just yesterday an old guy who plays pretty well came up to me and asked me to show him a shot that he saw me shoot a week or so ago. It is nothing but a simple "stun and run" shot from the end short rail, straight up the middle of the table to the other end rail and the cue ball hits three rails and comes back to the spot you hit the ball from. He said that it doesn't look like I'm hitting the ball as hard as I am to get that much "action" on the cue ball.
I've shown bunches of them the shot, with them standing directly behind me while I do it, and none of them can do it, except as a fluke every once in a while.
I think learning to play on old tables with slow, damp cloth in places that had poorly working, if any, air conditioning made learning to "stroke" the ball a bit more of a priority that it is today. With today's faster cloth and rails, you can "baby" the ball and get around without having to what I'd call "stroke" the ball. You couldn't do that in the old days.
As far as "how far can you go to the outside edge of the cue ball", I'd say a hell of a lot farther than some of the pool scientists on here will tell you.
In order to successfully hit "way outside" you have to have a good straight stroke and plenty of acceleration. If you hit "off target" on the cue ball or don't have proper acceleration, you may be prone to miscuing a lot.
Amen Brother! 100% on the mark!