BILLIARDS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 885, 31 January 1930, Page 7

BILLIARDS

Sy

RISO LEVI

t Oopvttmtrr I

A PROBLEM STROKE Diagram 31 Illustrates a position that now and then occurs. A capable player has perhaps made a few nursery cannons, but not possessing the skill of a Newman or a Falkiner, has got the object white close to the brink of the pocket. About an eighth or a quarter of the ball overhangs tlie pocket, and by very delicate play two or three more cannons can be made before it falls in. It is, however, quite possible to save the white. But how? No steeplechase or jump shot is possible, owing to the cue ball being so close to the object white. How then can the white be saved? I have put this problem to numer ous professionals and leading amateurs, and on each occasion I have been told by the player that he can- i not see how the object white can be prevented from ultimately dropping into the pocket. A few more cannons can be made by delicate play, but sooner or later the white is bound to be lost. When, however, I have explained to these men how the white may be saved they have almost invariably exclaimed: “Oh. yes, of course that way,” or words to this effect, as though they knew all about it before, but had just momentarily forgotten the stroke. These players have always reminded me of the story of Christopher Columbus and the egg. It is so easy to do certain things after you have been told or shown how to do them.

This is the method of play by which the object white may be saved. Take this ball as thin as possible and so gently that the cue ball only iust reaches the red. When the red is touching the cushion, as shown on the diagram, this gentle stroke will as often as not result in the cue ball remaining in contact with the red. When this happens the white is saved, because the object balls must be spotted, and the striker plays from file D. This very thin and very gentle stroke hardly moves the white—it may only cause it to rock—and thus if the cue ball does not remain in contact with the red, a very delicate cannon is next played off this ball on to the white. It is quite possible that the cue ball may then remain in contact with the white, but if it does not, the first stroke is repeated. Any player who has a good touch will find that this stroke to cause the cue ball to remain in contact with the second object ball, more especially when this ball is touching a cushion, is not nearly so difficult as it may appear to be. If he is not successful at his first attempt and loses the white after two or three strokes, he will, in all probability, succeed at his second or third attempt.

When a good player is faced with this position in the course of a game, this method of saving the object white should always be attempted. If it fails, and the ball falls into the pocket the player will be no worse off than if no attempt bad been made to save it. This is no new stroke. It was shown me by Dawson very many years ago, and during the last 20 years 1 have brought it off three or four times in actual play. Invariably my opponent has considered that I have been extremely lucky when I have managed to save the white by this delicate little stroke, and thus been able to continue a break from the D. When, however, you actually play to cause the cue ball to remain in contact with the second object ball and achieve your object, you

have played a good stroke, and have not been favoured with luck. Next Article: A DROP CANNON AND HOW TO PLAY IT.