Extract of text from our Coaching DVD

`PLAYING THE GAME TO WIN`

Potting at Angles

Viewers of the first Play Pool video will have already mastered the technique of potting a straight ball.  The next area to study therefore, is how to pocket a colour which requires deflecting at an angle.

Of course, the number of different potting angles are infinite, but for the purposes of coaching and practice we shall cover the four main principals of full; three quarter; half; and quarter ball contacts.

The exact angle needed to sink an object ball cannot be taught as it is purely a matter of good eyesight, experience and above all - memory.  However, you may find this routine (Jason demonstrates) a useful guide:

 By placing the black ball on it’s spot and positioning the white in varying areas of the table, you are able to practice - and perhaps more importantly, memorise - the four basic shots mentioned earlier.

Initially, let's execute the familiar full ball contact. For this, place the white in the jaws of the centre pocket.

The added difficulty here, of course, is the bridge hand is resting on the side cushion and not on the baize.  Remember to employ the adjustments in order to compensate for this occurrence, and the shot itself should present few problems.

The second task, (illustrated in DVD) is the three-quarter ball contact.

Replace the black on the spot, but this time position the cue ball six inches across from the middle pocket to create the desired challenge. Don’t forget the basics of addressing the table; stance; and the all-important cue action before actually attempting the pot because, although the objective is to pocket the ‘8’ ball at an angle, the straight line principal is still present.

Regardless of the fact that a three quarter ball deflection is required (in all of the instances shown), the white must still be propelled in a perfectly straight line to achieve success.

Where then, should the cue ball strike the object ball in order to pot it?

Many coaches believe that, for any angled shot, the point on the object ball furthest from and directly opposite the chosen pocket is the correct contact point. This is not strictly true due to a phenomenon known as the ‘throw’ effect, which is covered in detail in Blue Moon’s ‘Advanced Techniques’ video.

For now, it’s better to simply practice the three quarter routine until you are able to sink the black ten times in a row.  When you can achieve this feat - memorize the point of contact on the object ball for future use and you will have truly mastered the three quarter ball shot.

By settling the white twelve inches from the centre bag, the half ball tuition exercise is possible.

The same fundamental rules still apply so, if you encounter problems here, it could be your original sighting of the shot that is to blame.

Sighting is obviously one of the most important factors when playing angled shots.  At the final crucial moment of impact between the cue tip and the white, your attention must be focused on the exact point of the object ball you consider will create the necessary angle to complete the pot.

Your eyes can be allowed to flicker momentarily towards the pocket during your practice swings, but it is vital they remain firmly fixed upon the object ball - and definitely not the white! - as the stroke is made.

Our last discipline - practicing the thin quarter ball cuts - often proves the most troublesome for beginners, as they retain the embarrassing thought of missing the ball altogether. 

When executing this shot, (Jason can demonstrates by placing the white directly below the spotted black) do not be afraid to miss the ‘8’ entirely.  It is preferable to do this a few times in practice in your attempt to gauge the correct angle, than it is to constantly make too thick a contact during match-play.

As always, once you have conquered the quarter ball shot ten times, file how it looked and felt in your memory for all time.

Of course, it is important to realize the angles we have covered will not only occur when the black is on it’s spot and the white lands in the positions we have studied.  These situations will appear all over the pool table time and time again!  So don’t be disheartened and think you have to learn hundreds of thousands of different shots, as the same basic four will crop up everywhere - you just need to learn to recognize them!