Hitting cue ball exactly in the center...

Well, for a close ball it would normally do a stop shot with adequate speed. At a longer distance you'd have to hit a lot harder for the cue ball to keep "sliding" to stop dead in its tracks. I mostly hit the cue ball a bit below center for stop shots. As for other than those close range stops... I guess when you are kicking from a rail without english or if you want to get natural roll from a ball further away. Also, if the ball isn't that close and it has an angle but I need to use a harder hit. That way I keep the CB on the tangent line easily. Example would be a ball close to the long rail on the right of the middle pocket and cue ball to the left of the middle pocket around center table vertical.

cluelesscuer said:

Besides for a stop shot (where the cue and object balls are close) or a stun shot, is there a reason to ever hit the cue ball exactly in the center?

I am thinking it would always be better to have the cue ball either with bottom or top spin.

I think I am thinking of specifically long shots with a slight cut angle. And that it would be better for to have the cue ball start off right away rolling as oppose to first skidding and then only rolling (hopefully) right before hitting the object ball.

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I'm thinking that what you're thinking is good thinking.

Roger

One other huge (IMHO) area this comes into play is when you need the cue ball to come off the rail at a certain angle. The reason I mention the angle off the rail being important, is because when you're trying to nudge balls or go off the rail into a stack in 14.1, using center ball shots may be required at times. I've found I definitely need to work on this, as I don't use pure center ball often.

I use center ball unless I've got a good reason to be higher or lower. I just have more confidence in my aim/delivery at the center of the ball.

For a near-table-length shot you'd have to hit the CB pretty darn hard to keep it from achieving forward roll before striking the OB.

CJ Wiley has a very good video out about hitting the CB on the center. Many may not agree with his thinking but I found it to be very helpful.

There are also some threads about his TOI as he refers to it.

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if you are a little bit off you will at least get feedback on why you missed

cluelesscuer said:

Besides for a stop shot (where the cue and object balls are close) or a stun shot, is there a reason to ever hit the cue ball exactly in the center?

I am thinking it would always be better to have the cue ball either with bottom or top spin.

I think I am thinking of specifically long shots with a slight cut angle. And that it would be better for to have the cue ball start off right away rolling as oppose to first skidding and then only rolling (hopefully) right before hitting the object ball.

Click to expand...

It's very difficult to hit the exact center, and if you are a "hair" off it will cause the cue ball to deflect in the opposite direction.

I don't try to hit the center, except for a straight in shot. Favoring one side or the other gives you a predictable margin of error on your cue ball contact. This way if you are a little bit off you will at least get feedback on why you missed the shot. If you "don't you won't".....this is a big factor in advanced players not improving past a certain level. 'The Game is the Teacher'

CJ Wiley said:

It's very difficult to hit the exact center, and if you are a "hair" off it will cause the cue ball to deflect in the opposite direction.

I don't try to hit the center, except for a straight in shot. Favoring one side or the other gives you a predictable margin of error on your cue ball contact. This way if you are a little bit off you will at least get feedback on why you missed the shot. If you "don't you won't".....this is a big factor in advanced players not improving past a certain level. 'The Game is the Teacher'

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You have to use center on a 'stun/run-through' shot. I know you shoot those.

Everyone does.

I use center on a lot of shots. just change the stroke though so the outcome is different.

leafs07 said:

Are snooker players not considered the best potters in cue sports?

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They are the best potters in the world, nobody can deny that. And they use center ball on almost all of the shots. But remember that their fundamentals are unbelievable. The key to their consistency is that they ARE ABLE to hit the center ball. Hitting the center ball is one thing the snooker players practise for thousands of hours, literally.

However, trying to hit the center ball is not the way to get the biggest margin for error in many cases IMO. Especially in cut shots if you accidentally hit inside english without compensating for it, you will most likely overcut the shot. For this reason, I often use a touch of outside english on many cut shots, it gives me a bigger margin of error compared to center ball. I haven't tried TOI yet, so I still go with TOO

I must add that practising center ball won't harm your game, it will give you a straight cue action that you can utilize on all shots...

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TOI deflects away from the object ball, rather than towards it.

hwest said:

They are the best potters in the world, nobody can deny that. And they use center ball on almost all of the shots. But remember that their fundamentals are unbelievable. The key to their consistency is that they ARE ABLE to hit the center ball. Hitting the center ball is one thing the snooker players practise for thousands of hours, literally.

However, trying to hit the center ball is not the way to get the biggest margin for error in many cases IMO. Especially in cut shots if you accidentally hit inside english without compensating for it, you will most likely overcut the shot. For this reason, I often use a touch of outside english on many cut shots, it gives me a bigger margin of error compared to center ball. I haven't tried TOI yet, so I still go with TOO

I must add that practising center ball won't harm your game, it will give you a straight cue action that you can utilize on all shots...

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I think either side is better than center for the reasons you mentioned. The reason I like the Touch Of Inside is I can use it on virtually all my shots (the only exceptions are straight in shots and if I have to curve or change the angle off the cushion), so I have that consistency, and it deflects away from the object ball, rather than towards it.

TOO will tend to undercut shots while TOI will tend to overcut shots. This enables me to use the 3 Part Pocket System and allows me to play the NO SPIN game that makes the cue ball "Float" from position to position. 'The Game is the Teacher'

PS: I'll play anyone in the world if they use TOO on ever shot and I use TOI on ever shot....that does mean anyone. :smile:

there's other ways to play and I respect anyone that chooses their personal favorite

klockdoc said:

You have to use center on a 'stun/run-through' shot. I know you shoot those.

Everyone does.

I use center on a lot of shots. just change the stroke though so the outcome is different.

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I don't use center on "stun" or "run through" shots, I still use the TOI because I can control the deflection and utilize the 3 Part Pocket System.

Consistency is doing the same thing over and over, there's nothing more consistent than creating the same shot in pool. It's possible, using TOI, to create the same type shot, as far as speed, shot angle, and cue ball targeting. Of course there's other ways to play and I respect anyone that chooses their personal favorite. 'The Game is the Teacher'

I find, at least with my stroke, when I use center ball with a med to hard shot, it tends to skid more because you are sliding it on the cloth, so when it hits the object ball, they both kinda hop on contact. I like to use a bit of draw with a softer hit on straight in shots when I need to stop the cue ball instead of hitting harder closer to center.

I believe one should hit the cue ball in direct relation to what one wants the cue ball to do specifically for that shot and the following shot.

Having some kind of rule that includes " I don't see any reason to ever ____" doesn't seem helpful.

Roger Long said:

I'm thinking that what you're thinking is good thinking.

Roger

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I'm thinking the same thing.......:thumbup:

randyg

randyg said:

I'm thinking the same thing.......:thumbup:

randyg

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I'm trying to think, but nothing happens.

In one of kinister's video he talks about a certain shot that is supremely important, and I gotta admit I never use it and probably can't do it reliably. I believe it's what klockdoc's talking about, a center ball stun-through.

Basically on a stop shot (or slight angle) where there's a few feet between the cue ball and the object ball, you can use center ball and simply change your speed to get the cue ball to roll forward different distances. The softer your speed, the sooner the cue ball picks up some natural forward roll... so softer speeds = the cue ball rolls forward further. Firmer speeds = it stops and then maybe rolls forward one or two rotations, like the basic "ball replacement" shot.

I think it's something I'm gonna practice, because my thinking in the past has always been to firmly control the cue ball's direction. I like to know for sure I'm either following or drawing a little, rather than trying for center ball and then worrying "what if I hit a little above center accidentally? What if it picks up more forward roll than I think due to friction? Wouldn't it be better to accidentally draw and have too much angle, than accidentally stun and roll forward, and fall dead straight?"

cluelesscuer said:

Something like hang-the-9 response is what I was more interested in. Not to dismiss TOI or side english, but for this post I was interested in discussing when the assumption is hitting the cue ball in the center on the horizontal axis.

Just wondering, when doing that (hitting the cue ball in the center on the horizontal axis) if also hitting the cue ball in the center on the vertical axis is the best way to go to cinch say, a relatively long shot.

I think we have all been taught when starting to hit center ball and only use spin when needed for position. I am wondering if this "starting out" instruction is incorrect as far as hitting the cue ball in the center on the vertical axis???

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While I see where your confusion comes from, unless stated otherwise, when we talk about staying on center cb, we are actually referring to the vertical center, not actually dead center both vertically and horizontally. vertical and horizontal center is usually called dead center.

4onthebreak said:

I believe one should hit the cue ball in direct relation to what one wants the cue ball to do specifically for that shot and the following shot.

Having some kind of rule that includes " I don't see any reason to ever ____" doesn't seem helpful.

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^^ This.

Your plan for the shot comes first. The proper spin to use follows from that.