Here is quick way to recognize some dead shots. Anytime the cb and ob are lined up straight in to the rail, meaning the line between the balls is parallel to the side rails, these lines indicate the fractional aim needed to pocket the ob in pocket "A". In the blue highlighted example the ob is on the 1/2 ball line and the cb and ob are lined straight/perpendicular to the end rail. This is a 1/2 ball shot. If the ob were on the 3/4 line and the balls were lined straight up then it would be a 3/4 ball shot, and so on.
If the balls aren't lined straight/perpendicular to the end rail, then figuring the aim works like this: Whatever distance the ob happens to be from the side rail (on the targeted pocket side of the table) is where the cb to ob line should hit in order for the shot to be a dead 1/2 ball or 3/4 or whatever fractional line the ob is resting on. Call this spot "X". So if the cb to ob line is leading to a spot on the rail that is halfway between the targeted pocket and X, the fractional aim is halfway between a dead straight on hit and whatever fractional aim line the ball is resting on.
In the example shown, the ob is resting on the 1/2 ball line. The balls are lined straight/perpendicular to a spot 2.5 diamonds from pocket A. If the cb to ob line pointed to a spot on the rail 1.25 diamonds from A (which is half of 2.5) then this would be a 3/4 ball shot. Every 1.25 diamonds (for this particular shot) is a 1/4 fractional aim difference. So if the cb-ob line were pointed to 3.75 diamonds from A, this would be a 1/4 ball shot.
The yellow line works the same way for a 1/2 ball bank shot to "B".
This method can be figured for side shots, bank shots, etc... It's really easy and useful when the two balls are lined straight/perpendicular to the end rail. Else it gets a bit tricky.
If the balls aren't lined straight/perpendicular to the end rail, then figuring the aim works like this: Whatever distance the ob happens to be from the side rail (on the targeted pocket side of the table) is where the cb to ob line should hit in order for the shot to be a dead 1/2 ball or 3/4 or whatever fractional line the ob is resting on. Call this spot "X". So if the cb to ob line is leading to a spot on the rail that is halfway between the targeted pocket and X, the fractional aim is halfway between a dead straight on hit and whatever fractional aim line the ball is resting on.
In the example shown, the ob is resting on the 1/2 ball line. The balls are lined straight/perpendicular to a spot 2.5 diamonds from pocket A. If the cb to ob line pointed to a spot on the rail 1.25 diamonds from A (which is half of 2.5) then this would be a 3/4 ball shot. Every 1.25 diamonds (for this particular shot) is a 1/4 fractional aim difference. So if the cb-ob line were pointed to 3.75 diamonds from A, this would be a 1/4 ball shot.
The yellow line works the same way for a 1/2 ball bank shot to "B".
This method can be figured for side shots, bank shots, etc... It's really easy and useful when the two balls are lined straight/perpendicular to the end rail. Else it gets a bit tricky.
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