Can you use follow on a jump shot?
- Thread starter BRussell
- Start date
OK I believe that it's possible to do it. Now the question is, can *I* do it, because so far I haven't been able. I guess I'm afraid of trapping the cue ball and I always end up back-spinning it.
Look straight through the center of the cue ball, from the angle you're hitting into it with the cue, you have to hit slight above that center?
Look straight through the center of the cue ball, from the angle you're hitting into it with the cue, you have to hit slight above that center?
Yes. But hitting that high on the CB you won't be able to get as steep an angle without trapping the CB under the tip.
pj
chgo
I would guess that any "follow" action on a jump shot is a result of either bounces on the cloth causing roll or the cue ball still having forward momentum due to hitting the object ball at a vector that doesn't transfer energy 100% efficiently. Actually putting forward spin on the cue ball is probably impossible for the same reason it is near impossible to "overspin" follow shots.
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It's (practically) impossible to get overspin on follow shots, but it's easy to get normal follow. Same is true for jump shots (although it's not quite as easy).
pj
chgo
Yes, but jump shots don't get normal follow because they don't come into contact with the cloth, which is required for normal follow to take effect, until the cue ball does come into contact with the cloth of course, but some people seem to be claiming that they can put follow on the cue ball without the aid of normal roll, which should be impossible due to overspin being nigh impossible.
Did you read post #17? If you watch the videos, you can see the rotation on the cb showing that it does have forward spin on it in the air. You can also see the reverse spin, and no spin.
What he said! Absolutely you can.
Jump shots are in contact with the cloth when they're hit - I think you can even get some forward spin with a centerball jump for this reason. I don't think you can hit high enough on a jump shot to get immediate "natural roll", but you can get some.
And, BTW, follow doesn't depend on cloth friction - if you hit above center on the CB you'll get forward rotation even on ice (just as you get sidespin without being in contact with a rail). On cloth if you hit high enough (80% of maximum), you get immediate "natural roll" with no cloth friction.
pj
chgo
There were two shots that seemed to have a tiny amount of forward spin, but even after picking up more spin after contact with the table and with the object ball, which seemed to add MUCH more spin than the ball initially had, the cue ball still only rolled forward about a diamond on a full hit and a little bit more on the angled hit. Had the cue ball contacted the object ball first, which is essentially the topic of this thread, it is highly unlikely the initial forward spin would have resulted in an significant follow, you might get enough to replace the object ball, but considering that a follow shot would be like considering a stop shot a draw shot.
I would imagine that it would be easier to get follow without friction as friction is what kills the overspin, but I doubt the cue ball can gain a significant amount of normal follow from the momentary contact with the cloth on the initial hit.
Those jump shots were not to demonstrate "follow" just jump shots in slo mo.
You know what's funny is that this last weekend during a tournament I was faced with a jump shot. It was the perfect choice, jump with draw and a side pocket becomes huge. Stop jump left me miles from the 8. So I chose to jump with follow. I had enough forward on the ball that I was able to bring the cue ball 3 rails (side end side) back to the 8 for position. You can be cynical of videos all you want, but 95% of all people who can jump are completely unaware that follow is possible. Even if it's a little bit, forward is forward and it's only accomplished with top spin.
I already said that it is possible to follow on a jump, but not like how the OP is asking. The OP was asking if it is possible to make the cue ball follow on a jump NOT due to the object ball coming into contact with the cloth before contacting the object ball (and I would assume not due to a high contact on the object ball as that would be obscenely difficult to control).
You'd get the same immediate forward rotation either way, but on cloth the friction quickly adds/subtracts rotation until "natural roll" follow is achieved, whereas no friction would allow the CB to continue rotating forward at the same rate (more, equal or less than "natural roll").
On a jump shot the CB is driven down into the table surface, resulting in much higher than normal friction for that moment.
pj
chgo
That's an interesting thought, has the effect actually been tested? Is the increased friction enough to impart significant follow in the moment of impact?
I don't know of any tests specifically for that, but I imagine you get more immediate forward rotation than with a level shot with the same tip offset (but always less than "natural roll" because of the danger of trapping the ball under the tip with so much offset). Like I said above, I think you even get some immediate forward rotation hitting through the CB's 3D center purely from cloth friction.
pj
chgo