center hit on cut shots
- Thread starter havoc
- Start date
To add to what pip9ball said.
If you draw a line from center-pocket through the center of the object ball, it emerges at the geometric contact point opposite the pocket. When viewed along the line of centers, this contact point is offset from the center of the object ball by an amount "c".
To throw the object ball in the direction of center-pocket, line up for a square (full) hit on the object ball, aiming at the center of the cueball. Then pivot about the cue's intrinsic pivot point so that the tip will make contact at an offset of three times "c" (3c). You have to hit a stun shot, or at least near stun, and hard enough so that swerve is negligible.
This will only work for "cut angles" up to around 5 degrees, depending on how slick the balls are....maybe more, maybe less. Needless to say, it's a Rube Goldberg way of complicating an otherwise easy shot. Errors of estimation are introduced at each step.
Jim
If you draw a line from center-pocket through the center of the object ball, it emerges at the geometric contact point opposite the pocket. When viewed along the line of centers, this contact point is offset from the center of the object ball by an amount "c".
To throw the object ball in the direction of center-pocket, line up for a square (full) hit on the object ball, aiming at the center of the cueball. Then pivot about the cue's intrinsic pivot point so that the tip will make contact at an offset of three times "c" (3c). You have to hit a stun shot, or at least near stun, and hard enough so that swerve is negligible.
This will only work for "cut angles" up to around 5 degrees, depending on how slick the balls are....maybe more, maybe less. Needless to say, it's a Rube Goldberg way of complicating an otherwise easy shot. Errors of estimation are introduced at each step.
Jim
havoc said:
By "pivot" I assume you mean add "outside" sidespin in a way that also compensates for squirt (like pivoting with BHE), so you'll hit the OB on the line-of-centers-to-pocket contact point and (by using the outside sidespin) avoid collision-induced throw.
If this is what you mean, then you're not "throwing the ball in due to sidespin"; you're using sidespin to avoid throw - but that's a semantic difference. The important thing is that it's harder to aim with sidespin (because of squirt and swerve) and you have to add the right amount of sidespin for the cut angle. The advantage is that, if you do aim it right and use the right amount of sidespin, you also eliminate the (relatively small) chance of the OB "skidding" because the CB/OB contact point might happen to be unusually dirty.
The alternative is to hit the shot without sidespin but change the contact point (overcut the shot) a little to compensate for the collision-induced throw you'll get without sidespin. The shot is easier to aim without sidespin, but then you might (rarely) get some skid or you might not estimate the aim correction for throw just right.
So you have to choose your poison: would you rather (1) use outside sidespin and take a chance that you misjudge the aim correction for squirt/swerve or misjudge the amount of sidespin needed, or (2) shoot without sidespin and take the chance that you might get some skid or misjudge the amount of aim adjustment needed for throw?
I like #2 (I also like to hit the shot with follow or draw, if possible, to minimize the collision-induced throw), but that doesn't mean it's necessarily the right choice for you.
pj
chgo
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