On several of Earl's commentaries for the Billiard Network, he mentions shooting with "flat ball"- however, he never explains he means by that. I thought he meant shooting with no spin, but the shots he references involve some spin. Sorry, I can't find an exact spot on the matches in which he says this- however, he has used this terminology multiple times and even says something like "you guys probably don't even know what I'm talking about". Well, does anybody know what he's talking about?
Shooting with "flat ball"- anybody know what Earl means?
- Thread starter westcoast
- Start date
Sounds like the angle for the shot was too narrow/straight when you considering shape/position play for the next ball.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
To me, it means a very little topspin applied and stroked in such a way that when the cue ball hits the object ball, it will squirt to the side and get the first rail with zero spin on it. It's referred to much more in 3 cushion billiards. You can get the cue ball to take a slightly different angle and it's usually used to slow the ball down a bit.
I thought so originally- I've heard people say that in reference to shooting with not enough angle, but the shots weren't really involving that. When I have more time I'll try to locate a specific shot in which he used the term.
That sounds like a stun shot. If not can you explain the difference please?
A stun shot at an angle (cut shot) picks up some spin from its collision with the OB. To reach the rail with no spin it has to be hit with a little inside spin to counteract that "collision-induced spin".
pj
chgo
Thanks for the clarity. Yes, a video reference with time marker would be helpful. Thanks
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I'd agree 'flat' reefers solely to hi/low spin, not side.
In the shot Earl is discussing, he clearly means no side spin. Alex drew back into the rail across table for position. Earl goes on to explain that a right-handed person has to hit the ball a little on the left and the lefty has to hit it a little on the right to achieve the "flat ball."
This is totally opposite of what I thought the phrase meant. When I've heard Jeremy use this phrase, I always thought he meant a stunned ball with no top or bottom spin.
Possibly flat could apply either vertically or horizontally? If it is used this way, I wasn't picking up on it.
This is totally opposite of what I thought the phrase meant. When I've heard Jeremy use this phrase, I always thought he meant a stunned ball with no top or bottom spin.
Possibly flat could apply either vertically or horizontally? If it is used this way, I wasn't picking up on it.
I haven't watched the video, but that interpretation doesn't make sense to me. Changing hands doesn't change which side of the ball you should hit.
Maybe he was talking about the cut direction, not the hand being used?
pj
chgo
Last edited:
I thought that's what he meant at first too- but I think he was referring to where one would aim at the object ball for that particular shot
If you give me the second of the video where he says this. I will tell you exactly what he means, I've grown a big fan of Earl and Ive spoken to him several of times, him and Mike Gullyassy so I can probably tell you what he meant. Just I need to watch the shot where he referred this to which then helps me see the whole context.
EDIT: after posting I saw the video up top, and most of the replys are correct.
Flat-ball in that context he meant no right english or left english, in other words no spin from right or left, so the tip must be in the center but you can follow or draw. And in this shot where alex drew in the rail and out he hit that with just bottom, no left or right english, just flat bottom straight draw, Earl calls it flat-ball, you can call it whatever you want.
Last edited:
All of the replies are incorrect. Earl is referring not to pool balls, but to the fact that for a number of well-known players a typical world globe wrongly depicts Earth as a round ball, while these admirable & respect-worthy folks instinctively know that it should be depicted as a flat surface -- a flat ball, if you will.
Arnaldo
Arnaldo
The earth is rounder than a billiard ball, so whatchoo gon do now?
I've heard that over the years. I went with my early impressions of the term and never bothered to ask about it. Say a ball is just outside the pocket. You can cut it to the middle of the pocket or hit it "flat" - dead on into the facing. You have the same choice with compact combinations that can either be shot point to point or thrown. The fuller hit would be the flat choice. So I guess if you have a aiming choice on a particular shot, the fuller hit is the flat one.
Referring to a "flat ball" usually means hitting center ball with a medium stroke, not hard, not soft. Kind of flat if you will.
I have always referred to a flat cue ball as it coming off another ball or a rail with no spin.
D00d! It's déjà vu once yet again. https://forums.azbilliards.com/thre...of-as-i-now-think.409082/page-27#post-5725592