Kicking for beginers

JMS said:
I came across this while browsing and thought it would be benificial to some of the beginners on this forum.

http://www.go4pool.net/index.php?op...king-instructions&catid=34:information-topics
Click to expand...

I think all that stuff is way too complicated for simple one rail kicks. All a beginner needs to know is that the cue ball and object ball are on opposite sides of an isosceles triangle (one with two equal sides) whose apex is directly above the midpoint of its base. The beginner can use the diamonds (without complicated instructions) to visualize an isosceles "guide" triangle near the cue ball and object ball and then use that "guide" triangle to estimate the path of the CB.

1 RAIL KICKS.jpg

pj
chgo
 
Jimmy Reid's DVDs contain the best multi-rail kicking instruction that I have seen anywhere. He really makes rail first, and 2 and 3 rail kicks easy.
Mr H
 
Subtle differences in the shots

One thing that Scott does explain is that all of these systems have subtle changes in them depending on how you are shooting them. That is very important to keep in mind when you are picking the spot to hit.

Thanks,
Jim
 
jimM said:
One thing that Scott does explain is that all of these systems have subtle changes in them depending on how you are shooting them. That is very important to keep in mind when you are picking the spot to hit.

Thanks,
Jim
Click to expand...

It sounds funny but it so true. I learned that the hard way.
 
It is interesting how all of the sudden people started to talk about kick shots at the same time. Someone also made a similar post on cuetable yesterday, JMS made another and then frankncali posted one more this afternoon.

These are the threads about kicking in the last 21 hours:

http://talk.cuetable.com/showthread.php?t=5427
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=146378
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?p=1879251

In addition, here is a diagram about 1 rail kick made from an old gentleman's hang drawing. It's also called the Sid system. A German instructor has also posted the common "parallel system" in there:

http://talk.cuetable.com/showthread.php?p=4379
 
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CB/OB Different Distances From Rail

Here's an easy way to find the rail contact point when the CB and OB are different distances from the rail:

kicks.jpg

Simply make the distances along the rail the same proportions as the distances to the rail.

LEFT EXAMPLE:
CB is 1 diamond from the rail
OB is 3 diamonds from the rail
Rail contact point is 1/4 distance from CB and 3/4 distance from OB

RIGHT EXAMPLE:
CB is 2 diamonds from the rail
OB is 1 diamond from the rail
Rail contact point is 2/3 distance from CB and 1/3 distance from OB

pj
chgo
 
Thanks Fuji, you know I'm not just another pretty face... :yikes:

I started writing these for Jim a few months ago - started with some System Sid stuff to whet people's appetites, since I think that is a pretty simple and useful system that not a lot of people know about. Then I wrote a pretty extensive article on 1 rail kicking systems, planning on doing 2 rail (mostly Plus 2 stuff) and 3 rail and then more esoteric systems in the future. I think Jim is planning on putting links to past articles somewhere on the site eventually so hopefully they will all be available.

I've read about and studied systems of all sorts over the years, especially when I was playing 3 cushion billiards a lot. I have a binder full of things I collected from books, videos, players, and personal experience. Just never really took the time to share the information other than one-off questions or lessons here and there. It's one thing to know the system, it's another to work with it and learn the nuances and be able to figure it out quickly and accurately at the table. And know what to do when the balls don't line up so conveniently in full diamond increments or near a rail.

I wouldn't necessarily classify the one rail systems as only for beginners though. In my opinion, one rail kicks can be tricky, as the apex or midpoint can be tricky to visualize when the balls are different distances from the rail and/or far apart. Not to mention they are the most sensitive to speed and spin compared to their 2 and 3 rail counterparts. All of which I mention in my article - and Patricks "simplified" solution is actually covered in the first few sections of the article but with much more information that typically takes people quite a bit of trial and error to figure out. I do agree fundamentally though that I wouldn't try to teach a beginner 12 different ways to make a one rail kick, I would simplify it as well. Doesn't hurt to know and experiment with all the methods though.

Hope you enjoy the articles, look for more in the coming months...
Scott
 
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