#bPart III: Technique
 
In this section the bosses from each chat room have got together to share a few of their tips on the game. These tips should serve as a guide to learning the basic techniques, they are no substitute for hours of practice at the table!

You should start by learning how to pot balls accurately and consistently, then move on to positional play - that is learning how to position the cue ball for the next shot. Positional play takes a great deal of skill and practice, and it won't come overnight. However, by making the most of these techniques you can learn to control the cue ball better and maximise your time at the table.
#c



Alright, listen carefully. The best way to make sure that your shot is lined up correctly is to place the mouse target right up against the edge of the object ball, at the point where the cue ball will actually make contact. Then make an imaginary line between the mouse target, the object ball and the pocket. If all three lie in a straight line then you have a much better chance of potting the ball. Of course, the further the distance between the object ball and the pocket, the more difficult it becomes to judge. But you wouldn't want it too easy, would you?
#c



Yo - Word up! Looking cool at the table ain't easy, and one thing you need to know is how to control the cue ball off the cushion - better known as the bank shot. When you hit the ball towards the cushion, it's fair to assume that the ball will rebound at the same angle to when it arrived. This is kinda true, but not quite! See brothers and sisters, when the ball is hit dead centre, it gains forward spin. This spin is not completely cancelled by the cushion, so when the ball rebounds, it's still spinning forward. This swerves the ball back into the cushion a little (check out figure 1). Now, that's one thing to remember, but if you're thinking of bouncing the cue ball off two or more cushions then there's another consideration. When a ball bounces off a cushion it gains side spin too, how much depends upon the angle of the collision and the speed of the ball. When the ball then hits the second cushion the spin serves to shorten the rebound angle - shown in figure 2. The faster the speed of the ball, the greater the shortening effect. Banks shots are useful, but treat them with respect aye?
#c



Do I have your full attention? Right, the subject I am about to discuss is cue ball path, or what happens to the cue ball after it hits another ball. Assuming that you hit the ball dead centre and close to the target ball, the angle that the cue ball takes after the collision will be perpendicular (or at right angles to) the line that the target ball takes, as shown in figure 1. However, when the cue ball is hit from further away - particularly with less pace, it gains forward spin. This swerves the cue ball forward slightly after the collision - as shown in figure 2. The effect can be modified by adding more top or bottom to the ball.
#c



Two top tips for you here. The term 'top' and 'bottom' refer to hitting the cue ball above or below the centre position. These two techniques can be used to control the pace of the ball following a collision with another ball. Adding 'top' (see figure 1) gives the cue ball immediate forward spin, which following a collision will accelerate it forwards. When 'bottom' is applied, the cue ball travels forward but actually spins backwards. After a collision, the back spin 'kicks-in' and accelerates the cue ball backwards as shown in figure 2. Remember to chalk your cue before attempting these shots and note that the spin effect wears off very quickly, so you will need lots of power to play them over long distances. Got it?
#c



The term side spin, as the name suggests, is the application of lateral spin to the cue ball. This is achieved by striking the cue ball left or right of centre. The technique is particularly useful when used with bank shots. For example, if the cue ball is hit straight at the cushion with right hand side, the ball will rebound to the right, and vice versa. The size of the deviation depends on the amount of spin and the angle that the cue ball strikes the cushion. To avoid mis-cueing chalk is highly recommended. Fortunately the spin does not wear off too quickly, so it can be effective over longer distances.

Message over.
#c



Howdy! The technique I will describe to you is the swerve shot (better known in the USA as a masse' shot). This hot technique is really cool for getting out of snookers because it allows you to swerve the cue ball around the blocking ball. To pull it off successfully you will need to raise the butt of the cue to around 45 degrees or more and apply plenty of chalk. Hit the cue ball with lots of left or right side at around mid height, with plenty of power. If you're successful, the cue ball will shoot out in the opposite direction, spinning rapidly and then curve back round in an arc, avoiding the blocking ball. Generally speaking, the higher the butt angle, the greater the swerve effect, but even with the cue at horizontal, some swerve can be generated with extreme side spin.
#c



Sometimes it is not always possible to pot a ball, even for experienced players such as myself. In these circumstances you will want to play a safety shot. This is a shot that hides the cue ball away from your opponents balls, either by placing it at the opposite end of the table (figure 1), or hiding it directly behind another ball (figure 2). The main consideration here is pace. You need the ball to stop in the right place without being too short or over-running. One way of achieving this is to employ the 'drag shot' technique, which is the application of back spin over a very long distance. The effect is to bring the cue ball to rest sooner and under more control. Another technique is to use the bank shot to roll up behind a ball near the cushion. Mastering safely shots is essential to succeeding at the higher levels at CueClub. Knowing how and when to utilise them is the key here.
#c



Hi! Three handy techniques to be described here:

Firstly, a 'kiss' shot (figure 1) is where two object balls are touching and in line with a pocket. It is simply a matter of hitting the outer ball (a perfect aim is not required) to pot the inner ball. Simple!

A 'cannon' shot (figure 2) is similar to a 'kiss' but the two balls are separated slightly. Here, a good aim is required on the outer ball to make the pot. As a general rule, the greater the separation between the two object balls, the harder the shot becomes.

A 'carom' shot (figure 3) is where the cue ball rebounds off one ball before hitting another. This technique can be of great use in the 9 ball game to pot the 9 ball indirectly. Caroms require great skill and judgement, and should only be attempted by the experienced player.
