Are the long straight ins really the toughest shot?

[Bob Jewett]

In that case, I retract my challenge forthwith. :embarrassed2:

...but if there's a lot of cloth between the balls, wouldn't the cure then be worse than the disease?

Jim

Not necessarily. We have to play with the game we have rather than the game we hope to have. I would like to be able to always hit without side spin when I don't want any side spin, but that's not what happens. The other thing that intentionally applying side spin may get you is that you will pay more attention to the shot rather than dismissing it as a simple straight in -- that is, it helps the concentration. What I actually do on the table is try to hit without side spin but with a little draw or follow for something near a stop shot.