BILLIARDS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLII, Issue 19, 12 May 1909, Page 59

BILLIARDS.

By

AN EXPERT.

HOW TO USE THE REST. IN further illustration of the curving ‘’bowls” shot previously referred to, in these notes we give another diagram and more explanations. To those who know the curling effect of a bowl upon the bowlinggreen, how the bias pulls it inwards to the jack (the little white ball which is made the objective), and distorts the first aim taken, the “bowls” shot upon the billiard table should not be difficult to follow. By a slight lifting of the cut-butt and strong “side,” whieu is the equivalent of bias on the bowl, always used in the direction the ball has to incline to, a precisely similar curvilinear course is to be imparted to tha billiard ball. It ranks in the higher flights of the play. No unskilled hand can give that little cut across sort of delivery of the cue-head. What would be the. thinnest of thin shots on the first object ball may by the inward curling of the cue-ball be turned to a halfball and still successful one. The apparently impossible, with the pocket or second object bail right at the back of the first played object ball, in the way of thin direct shots is to be accomplished by its agency. What I have named the “bowls” shot is in reality a quartermasse. It performs the identical offices at long range which the full masse may do with the balls in line at close range. The trick stroke played with the three balls standing at the mouth of the three pockets on one side of the table, and the ball at the baulk pocket made to strike that lying at the top end without colliding with the centre ball, although this lies right in the straight pathway, is a nice example of my “bowls” shot. A reference to the first of the two diagrams will show some further expositions of the “bowls” shot. The position A is intended to mark a simple half-ball “jenny” into the right top pocket. But from position B. and the raising of the cut-butt and plenty of right “side” imparted to the cue-ball, the latter may make the losing hazard with almost the same certainty as in the more open stroke. The position of ball Bis slightly exaggerated, but for purposes of identification I may say that it can be set two or three balls' width inside the angle of the ball A—that is, nearer to the right cushion line looking up the table, and the “jenny” will still be possible. The aim is taken about a ball wide of the red to the left, just as the bowler delivers his bowl in a line wide of tha jack, according to his judgment as to what pull the bias will make in transit. The billiard player has to cross-cue to gain the desired result in his shot., but it is to be done, and that quite easily. Take strokes C and D, which are played from under the left top side cushion just above the middle pocket. I have no doubt many players will

recall failures when operating from this or simitar positions on the other side of the table, at the red ball, as it lies upon the billiard-spot. They have used “side” for a cannon with the object white lying behind the red, or for a narrow losing hazard at the further top pocket. Unconsciously they have played the curving “bowls” shot and courted failure, which must have been regularly attained, from the fact. The cue-ball being so close to the cushion has compelled the player to lift the cue-butt and depress the head of the cue, and in combination with the right and left ‘‘side” (respectively employed at the cannon and the losing hazard), the quartcr-masse or curving effect has been produced. The direct aim taken at the object-hall, therefore, went astray. In either case the contact would be too thick, or even at the other side of the balls than was intended. An allow-

ance of 2in to 3in in the aim, made wide of the target-ball, would have led to the proper contact. There are no more deceptive shots to play than those which occur with the cue-ball lying under a cushion, and the use of “side” brings, as I have mentioned, other complications. A correspondent has asked me to give some hints as to the use of the “rest” (says a writer in the “London Daily Telegraph”). I may say at once that there is no instrument connected with the game of billiards which is more regularly mishandled. Not all of the professional players, for all their remarkable skill, are adepts with the rest. Most of them, in point of fact, will resort to every other expedient, such as playing with the cue in flic left hand or behind the back, or make the maximum of their reaching length by getting one leg upon the side of the table and tip-toeing on the floor with the other foot. The “rest” is not beloved by any of them. Yet I have seen some very skilful and dependable performances with the cross-headed stick. The most expert of any was. I shall always think, the spot-stroke celebrity of 20 years ago, W. J. Peall. Of very diminutive, stature —he stands very little more than sft in height—this fine player was everlastingly calling for the “rest,” half-butt and long-butt in his open game, using all these three very awkward implements equally well, and be served me as a nice object-lesson in this connection. The whole art of using the “rest” well is to keep it perfectly still, and laying the handle, whenever possible, flat upon the table. Hold it down with your disengaged hand, press ing firmly upon it so as to emphasise your wish not to move any part of your body except the arm that is above the cue. For in using the “rest,” you simply attempt the very same principle ns when supporting the cue upon the bridge hand. But 99 players out of a hundred hold the handle of the “rest” in the air, and they not only swing their cue arms, but

also make a poking movement of the left arm. which produces anything but the desired effect. The left arm pulls the resthead to one side or slides it forward, and the cue skids away to the summit or to the sites of the cue-ball for an exasperating miss-cue. If the “rest” had been kept quite stationary and pressed down upon to guarantee a steady poise, such miss-strikings could not possibly happen. It is the old. old story, which keeps recurring in billiard-playing, of the player trying to help the cue at the moment of delivery, just when it should do its work unaided. I give two very serviceable practice strokes with the “rest” upon the second of the diagrams. There is a slow halfball shot into the left top pocket. Practise this from position E. which should put the cue-ball in a line drawn out from the centre of the right middle pocket to the billiard-spot, where the red ball is set. Of course, ns tn the regular way of billiard-playing, the slow to medium pace strokes are easier to make than those at a higher speed: Thus, where one may find it a simple matter to use the “rest” well at the slow, closerange stroke demanded by position E,

101 lug »h,.f f, position F is quite another character. Hero the cueball t» supposed to stand in a hue drawn from the extreme right of the baulk-line to the red ball upon the billiard spot. Thia position will require a very strong forcing stroke to send the cue-ball from the rod ball into the left top pocket with a plain-ball shot. And, as 1 have pointed out. it is these forcers which cause most of the mistakes that are made in playing with the ‘‘rest.” The power you put into your delivery, especially if a clean upward thrust is not made through the cueball, spoils the firmness of your pose unless you are a good, true cuer, and away goes the “rest," cue. aim, ami every hope of the shot. The “rest" must ba kept rigidly still. In practising with it a half-way position between the extremes of E and V will be found a nice stop-ping-stone from the simple to the difficult. But in every case lay the whole length of the “rest” upon the table and press firmly on it with the left hand, and make up your mind that only tha cue-arm shall move. Once you can steel yourself to do this regularly in your play, the “rest” will hold no more terrors.