Confidence and Accuracy: Top vs. Bottom spin

berlowmj said:
Could someone describe the technique for "follow." I'm often disappointed by the short rebound distance of the CB off the cushion.
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I'm not a good teacher but I strike the CB about a tip from the top (or closer) & follow through with the cue. Obviously that varies if I'm putting side (English) on the CB as well.

I'm curious about the "short rebound" part. How hard do you play the shot? I will admit, if I want a lot of follow I will hit the CB hard or at least as hard as I think I need! It really is a "feel" thing with me.
 
The CheeZe said:
For some reason when I miss using some follow I almost always over cut it. Does anyone else do this?
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Yep, I usually throw out a few expletives to go along with it!
 
If the cb is close enough to the rail where using high english is better and I dont need to draw the cb back or out from where the OB is, I'll use high english.

But jacking way up and trying to use low english is a less accurate shot. I'd rather use high english and make the ball than try a very low % shot by being jacked up on the CB.

I usta hate having to use follow english and would always resort to the draw shot, but i over came this by practicing follow shots and using running english on 90% of my shots for a long time. Then i gained the confidence of using running english.

Now if your slow rolling your CB, running english is alot more accurate and the CB will not be affected by the felt as much.

If your scared of using english on a certain type of shot, its those shots you need to practice so you over come your fears and know you can make that shot when it comes back around.
 
The CheeZe said:
For some reason when I miss using some follow I almost always over cut it. Does anyone else do this?
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With a "level" stroke, hitting with high ball hops the cb more. Remember the trick where ya put two ob's exactly one ball apart and shoot the cb between them - hit it with high ball and firm and it hops over them.

I think it has to do with the mass of the tip end of the cue slapping down on the cb.

This I believe is why balls are over-cut when hitting firm with high ball - if the cb is airborne at the ob it will over-cut. (like a big ball on the bar table)
 
SixSence said:
Why is it that most people (myself included) have more confidence and are more accurate hitting shots with center or bottom spin than when using top spin?...
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Many players I know do not know what follow is and have NEVER practiced follow shots - try to get the cue ball to follow different distances after a shot.

I always say "What goes forward will hit a rail and come back!".

I feel follow shots are one of the easiest things to learn. Get cue ball to roll 1 diamond distance forward after shot, 2 diamonds, 3, 4, etc.

And this knowledge / ability can come in real handy in many situations. Shoot a shot and leave the cue ball at the other end of the table. Or leave the cue ball 1/2 way down table. Or get the cue ball to go forward, hit the rail, then come back whatever distance you want.

But for some reason people don't want to practice these shots???
 
I am most comfortable pocketing balls with top for various reasons. I feel strongly that you can control the amount you apply much much easier than with bottom. Also, especially on tight equipment, pocket speed is essential, it is much more easily attained using follow. I think that I am much more accurate hitting top and my confidence is high pocketing almost any ball that way.

I think that a lot of people when they learn bottom use it on far too many shots. When they do eventually start to use top on some shots the OB usually reacts totally different and they miss shots they make consistently with back, so they never make an effort or take the time really have the top spin shots in their arsenal.

On the table length shots it takes a large degree of accuracy in your stroke and you have to know where to aim the ball with a lot of top. You have to have good mechanics to hit a long straight in shot at a slow speed. Once again people don't really know how to aim or are not comfortable pocketing the balls this way so they resort to what they are comfortable with.

Eric.A.
 
High-speed video of frozen balls with various english applied...
http://www.engr.colostate.edu/~dga/pool/high_speed_videos/new/HSVA-96.htm

This is the extreme of what I tried to explain, but you can clearly see how draw causes the OB to immediately rotate forward and how follow causes the OB to immediately rotate backward. That backward motion would be minimal on most real-world shots, but the effect is still there to some degree.

Watch very closely for the example of follow with english. The OB twists nicely...
 
mosconiac said:
High-speed video of frozen balls with various english applied...
http://www.engr.colostate.edu/~dga/pool/high_speed_videos/new/HSVA-96.htm

This is the extreme of what I tried to explain, but you can clearly see how draw causes the OB to immediately rotate forward and how follow causes the OB to immediately rotate backward. That backward motion would be minimal on most real-world shots, but the effect is still there to some degree.

Watch very closely for the example of follow with english. The OB twists nicely...
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There's no question that backspin is imparted to the object ball, and that this, in conjunction with throw, should cause the OB to masse a little. The same but opposite effect should occur with draw. But the question is how much.

According to calculations I've done, it won't me much - just a small fraction of throw. And why then would there be a perceived difference between draw and follow? I think InTheZone's explanation is the more likely one, though yours is plausible. It's just that the numbers don't seem to support it.

Jim
 
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