BILLIARD ART.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19980, 23 December 1926, Page 5

BILLIARD ART.

TRICKS OF “ SIDE.” CUSHION FIRST SHOTS. By J, R. Hooper. Continuing strokes of the simpler TOrtety, and yet most useful, I show two diagrams of a 'stroke that confuses many players because they do not know which “side” to use on the cue ball.

In this narro angle cushion-first losing hazard shown in baulk pocket, right hand, or running side must bo used; while in wide angle shot shown at sport end, “check,” or left-hand side is necessary. 1 refer to the losing hazard when it can be played only by striking the cushion first. At the baulk end of the table it will be seen that I have set out a very narrow angle, the object white being very close to the first cushion. In order to make the hazard the cue ball must be nrevented from spreading to the natural angle, or the pocket will be missed. Right-hand or running side must therefore be used, as this becomes check side when it comes into contact with the object white after striking the cushion. , This loads up to the "key of the situation—viz: Whenever the player is in doubt as to which side should be used in these strokes, he should iust look at the shot from the spot on the cushion where the cue ball will strike and he will see it clearly at onde. The opposite effect is shown at the spot end of the table, where the angle given for the hazard is a wide angle, with the object white much farther out from the cushion. In this case left-hand or check side must be made to spread wider than the natural angle oil the object ball to get the pocket. There is only one other thine to add to the explanation given and that is that when playing the wider angle ke at the spot end of the table a little more cushion must be taken; otherwise the player could not get a half-ball contact on the object white. PRACTICE HINTS. A player cannot put in too much time on the long losing hazards, and also the centre-pocket hazards, particularly seeing to it that, in the latter, be makes the red travel up and down as close to the centre of the table as possible. t , Do not be content with practisin'* these two strokes for a little while only. Constantly come back to them. As soon as the player can find time for it, he should also take other individual strokes and put in. say, 10 minutes on each, until he finds th t he is quite confident of doing them about five times out of six. The most important of these »*■' the short and long jennies, run-throughs along the cushion, when the object ball is touching thj cushion (also the same stroke wth the object ball, say, an inch out from the cushion), angle cannons off one, two, or three cushions, run-through cannons slow-screws for both cannons agid pockets, and winning hazards at all angles. These are the principal strokes of which all ordinary breaks _ are composed, and about 10 minutes put in on each, when time permits, will strengthen the player’s game and give him wonderful confidence in playing the shot when it occurs in a break. _ Regarding the practising of the winning hazards, I would again remind the player that the key to success in these shots lies in looking at the object ball last, which enables him to sight '-> correct spot to hit to cut it in. ■ M