"Center Ball" ! What does that mean to you?

BC21

https://www.playpoolbetter.com
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Silver Member
Here is a video of me shooting "center ball" at a medium speed but it can be done at any speed. At any speed, it is a stop shot + about 6". My teacher states this is the second most important shot in pool. I'm shooting this on a straight in shot so it can be demonstrated but the value is the angle the cue ball goes off the object ball. We all know the stop shot goes off on tangent and how the rolling ball shot goes off, but there is a special angle in between these two tracks that the "center ball" will track on. He uses this track for shape. There are many spots on the table where it's impossible to get there without this shot.

If you put a OB on the one ball spot and hit a stop shot at an angle, the cue ball will scratch. The "center ball" will hit the end rail about 6" on the end rail from the pocket. Here is the way you'll know you've got it. Put a ball one ball width up from the one ball spot. Now the "center ball" shot will scratch. https://youtu.be/fjEGe0_rP2k

"At any speed, it is a stop shot + about 6".

This statement is not true. At a softer speed the cb begins rolling before it hits the ob, which causes it to continue rolling forward after striking the ob. As firm as you hit the first shot, and as close as the cb was to the ob, a center hit would've created a stop shot -- the cb slides into the ob and stops dead. Your +6" was due to hitting slightly above center cb whether you realized it or not. Either that ir your cb is a touch heavier than the ob. Physics is physics, no way around it.:smile:
 

Low500

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Very good observation, sir.

If players have Bert Kinister's videos from years back or know of Kinister to rent them individually now, they know the shot and probably practice it.
The question I have is why is this in the AIMING forum? It has nothing to do with the subject. Neither you or your instructor even believes in aiming.
Take it to the MAIN forum where it belongs and I think you'll get a lot more action and responses.
Do you agree? Does it make sense?
That's a pretty good post, sir.
You know, I have the same identical observation about the aiming forum.
Why do those who do not believe in aiming, who have no use for aiming systems, who do not believe they even work, or anything else like that hang around here in the first place?
Someone once posted here that it's like a republican going into a forum for democrats and starting to preach about individualism. Bound to stir up something.
I know that one highly regarded member innocently says..."I like to keep an open mind and discuss many aspects of pool and absorb more knowledge often from everyone. It adds to my library"
And I guess that remains true(?). Except when the aiming method that I favor is brought up and then all hell breaks loose.
Strange times in which we live.
:thumbup:
 

Bobkitty

I said: "Here kitty, kitty". Got this frown.
Gold Member
Silver Member
"At any speed, it is a stop shot + about 6".

This statement is not true. At a softer speed the cb begins rolling before it hits the ob, which causes it to continue rolling forward after striking the ob. As firm as you hit the first shot, and as close as the cb was to the ob, a center hit would've created a stop shot -- the cb slides into the ob and stops dead. Your +6" was due to hitting slightly above center cb whether you realized it or not. Either that ir your cb is a touch heavier than the ob. Physics is physics, no way around it.:smile:

Center Ball is what I described to me and my teacher. IT is a stop shot with a little roll out that adds about 6" after contact. The way to learn it is to hit a "stop" shot at different speeds and then raise the tip about 1/64" to get the little roll out. This is what causes the unique track it gives after contact with the OB on an angle. The soft shot you mention where the CB is rolling softly and then rolls about 6" afterwards will not help the cue ball on a track at an angle;, it's too soft. No sense drilling on that one to learn "center ball". The whole reason I'm shooting this drill is because I want to learn how to hit the OB with varying hardness and make the cue ball roll out 6". On an angle, THIS is what gives it the special track.
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
The whole reason I'm shooting this drill is because I want to learn how to hit the OB with varying hardness and make the cue ball roll out 6". On an angle, THIS is what gives it the special track.
As you say, you can shoot this 6" roll-through shot at different speeds for the same distance and cut angle. But at different speeds it will end up rolling at different angles after caroming. There's no "special" carom angle associated with a 6" roll-through hit; you can get many at various speeds.

pj
chgo
 
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Bobkitty

I said: "Here kitty, kitty". Got this frown.
Gold Member
Silver Member
As you say, you can shoot this 6" roll-through shot at different speeds for the same distance and cut angle. But at different speeds it will end up rolling at different angles after caroming. There's no "special" carom angle associated with a 6" roll-through hit; you can get many at various speeds.

pj
chgo

You must be thinking of a little bit of tangent roll out after contact. But, the roll out is pretty constant with slight variances. I tested it with a ball one ball up from the one ball spot. Regardless of speed, the cue ball scratches. I do not think hardness of the shot changes the track, but won't argue. The only reason I posted this is because I don't think many folks work on the 6" roll out (drilling on a straight in shot) with various speeds. My teacher calls it the 2nd most important shot in pool. On some drills, he views the cue ball track as follow, center ball, and tangent, and draw. On "center ball" I know what he means.
 
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iusedtoberich

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Well the shot is all fine and good, and great to know and practice, but your teacher is probably the only person in the country that calls this particular shot “center ball”. Food for thought.
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
You must be thinking of a little bit of tangent roll out after contact. But, the roll out is pretty constant with slight variances. The only reason I posted this is because I don't think many folks work on the 6" roll out (drilling on a straight in shot) with various speeds. My teacher calls it the 2nd most important shot in pool. On some drills, he views the cue ball track as follow, center ball, and tangent, and draw. On "center ball" I know what he means.
Does "center ball" mean to you whatever tip/ball contact point produces the 6" roll-through (different points for different shots)? Or is it whatever contact point + speed gives that result (what I'd call a "stun hit")?

pj
chgo
 

Bobkitty

I said: "Here kitty, kitty". Got this frown.
Gold Member
Silver Member
Does "center ball" mean to you whatever tip/ball contact point produces the 6" roll-through (different points for different shots)? Or is it whatever contact point + speed gives that result (what I'd call a "stun hit")?

pj
chgo

The first part. The 6" roll out gives the center ball track the cue ball takes. Stun shot won't do it. Stun shot goes on tangent.
 

Bobkitty

I said: "Here kitty, kitty". Got this frown.
Gold Member
Silver Member
Well the shot is all fine and good, and great to know and practice, but your teacher is probably the only person in the country that calls this particular shot “center ball”. Food for thought.

Could be. But we all know that hitting the cue ball at it's center will be come rolling after a smidgen of roll or if the balls are within a diamond or two. So hitting the cue ball on the center doesn't mean too much.
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
Does "center ball" mean to you whatever tip/ball contact point produces the 6" roll-through (different points for different shots)? Or is it whatever contact point + speed gives that result (what I'd call a "stun hit")?

pj
chgo

The first part. The 6" roll out gives the center ball track the cue ball takes. Stun shot won't do it. Stun shot goes on tangent.
Right. I should have said "stun roll-through hit".

pj
chgo
 
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