One rail kick by Dr. Cue...Can't get it to work..
- Thread starter wikidstik
- Start date
I remember seeing pics of those. I think they had to be pushed farther under the cushion than right at the nose to avoid hitting them with balls - that way they even automatically compensated (at least some) for rolling balls going long...
pj
chgo
That's right. They were a great fit with a wedge design in back to fir perfectly under the cushion. ..excellent tool for practicing kicks and banks. Every rail had one, and they could be ordered for 7', 8', or 9' tables.
If anyone sees these mirrors anywhere, please post a link. I'd love to have another set.
Seems like building mirrors into the cushion assemblies would solve the problems. 2x6s with snooker weather stripping might be a doable start.
Instead of estimating the center point between the cb and ob, I find it easier to do it like this...
Hold your cue with the tip pointed at the "7th pocket", which I've never heard of it being called that (I just call it "the spot".) Anyhow, with your cue tip at the spot align it so that the distance between the cb and the cue looks the same as the distance between the ob and the cue (red lines). This puts your cue on the correct angle needed for the kick. Then shift that angle (as parallel as you can) to the cb, then shoot the shot.
Interesting - hadn't seen that one before. There are a few similar ones with varying degrees of complexity - this is one of the simpler ones.Instead of estimating the center point between the cb and ob, I find it easier to do it like this...
Hold your cue with the tip pointed at the "7th pocket", which I've never heard of it being called that (I just call it "the spot".) Anyhow, with your cue tip at the spot align it so that the distance between the cb and the cue looks the same as the distance between the ob and the cue (red lines). This puts your cue on the correct angle needed for the kick. Then shift that angle (as parallel as you can) to the cb, then shoot the shot.
pj
chgo
Ralf Souquet offers a few other insights like the effect of pace.
The system needs to be calibrated to the table and to pace.
A ball shot at an angle other than 90° will acquire english to the degree of the rail angle.
An 85° angle doesn’t acquire much but a 45° angle gets about the equivalent of about a tip of running english going into the second rail.
The result is that off the second rail the angle widens and the shape loses the rectangular shape of mirrored reflection moving towards a trapezoidal shape.
I had such a kick today.
The one rail kick wasn’t a good option but I estimated a side rail kick to an end rail then side rail to kick off 3 cushions.
When using the end rail the corner becomes the starting point to a midpoint between the cue ball and end rail contact point, then parallel shift.
Since the speed needed would shorten the angle to the end rail and acquired english would widen the angle off the end rail I adjusted the angle from the side rail to the end rail by about a quarter diamond.
I think the diagram from Soquet's video works the same as the one BC21 posted, just viewed from a different angle.
pj
chgo
Yeah, sometimes it's easier to use the equal distances method than it is to visualize a midpoint.
That is correct and any method that arrives at the bank angle is just a different perspective.
My point was that Ralf‘s video noted that pace was also a variable.
The poster used the word kick and sometimes a ball is easier to hit off 2 or 3 cushions than directly off one.
Since multirail kicks use more pace, knowing the effects of pace and about acquired side help.
In multi-rail kicking situations many games require rail contact off impact, making more pace necessary.
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