BILLIARDS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLIII, Issue 23, 8 December 1909, Page 10

BILLIARDS.

BAJ.LB FOR SMALL TABLES; (By AN EXPERT ) Tn respect of the remarks contained In my last article concerning the necessity , of a larger and disproportionate set of balls being adopted on miniature and small billiard tables generally, a correspondent writes me fh.it I am in error as to the measurements I then Bet forth, lie writes: “I notice a alight mistake with regard to the dimensions of billiard balls for different sized tables. The linear dimensions of the table and balls must be reduced in the same ratio. Thus, for a table lift, by 3ft.. the diameter of the balls should be 1 l-32iu., and for one 9ft. by 4Jft. (onc-ltalf area of full table) should lie just over 1 7-ltiin. The above can be better understood by means of a photograph of all full-size tables with balls. If the length of one edge of the table in the, photograph is one-tenth of the original, the diameter of the balls will also be one-tenth that of the original.’* This is raising an interesting point with the miniature tables so greatly iu de-

•mind. It may be remembered that my argument took the shape of an assertion that the miniature tables provide a capital medium for the best class of billiards upon a small scale. “About the only defect of any consequence is the necessity to make use of a slightly larger set of balls than would be the correct proportionate size, which would be all too diminutive for playing purposes with anything resembling a proper one. A quarter size table, one lift, by 3ft., which is not, as is popularly supposed, a half-size table, would be but a travesty of a billiard table if set with balls—they would really be marbles!—-of about half an inch in diameter. To get anything approaching a good game of billiards the balls would have to be a full inch in diameter at the least. By the way, the square of a full-sized 12ft. IJin. by 6ft. billiardtable is 72ft. 9in. Thus, the playing area of a half-sized table should cover 36ft. 4Jin., in the proportion of nearly 9ft. long and 4Jft. wide, which is, of course, a very different matter to a board only 6ft. long and "3ft. wide. It is easy to understand that a set of balls of the correct proportionate dimensions, 1 l-32nd to 1 l-16th of an inch in diameter on a 6ft. by 4Jft. table would be almost microscopical.” This last extract is made from my own comments, iwhieh elicited the contention of the correspondence previously quoted. In reply to this welcome letter, dealing, as it does, with a matter of no little interest to the thousands who find in the miniature billiard table the best of home recreations, I can only stand to my guns. The size of the balls must be affected by the width of the pocket openings, if truly- proportionate dimensions are to reign between them, and the scope of the table’s playing surface must, of a surety, determine the pocket aperture. This, I think, will be allowed; for billiard-playing, as the exact science which it is, under proper conditions, depends largely upon the relative sizes of the balls and.the pockets they have to enter. There is, in addition, the matter of the height of the cushion-cap, which can lend the greatest sympathy to the play or go far to mar it. That is, however, beside the present question, which absolutely- relates to the diameter of the balls employed upon what are, practically. sectional slabs of the “standard” billiard table. I may say at once that I am not. prepared to accept by correspondent's linear theory in such a connect on. As I see things, the playmg surface of the table must dictate th-j peeked; aperture. The “standard” size is 3 5-8 inch at the fall of the slate, or an cquiva-

Tlie continuous line show the run of the one-ball, and the intersected lines the course of the object-ball.

lent to about one-twentieth of an inch of pocket to each square foot of the table. Therefore, by this computation I find that the pocket opening on a ftjft. by 44ft. table should be about 1 11> 20in. With regard to the balls, the ratio of roughly 1.32 in. to the square foot provides for about a Ijin. ball. By the same pro-

cess the 6ft. by 3ft. table should be provided with pockets of less than lin. wide end balls of, as I before said, somewhat about Jin. in diameter. It is the square of the table which has to be taken into consideration. Those who know the vastly- different angle thrown by sets of balls, even of the same density and weight, can tell on a full-sized the different effects created by the added or reduced power of l-32in. in the diameter of the balls. A 21-l Gin. set is very ditlerent to a 2 5-64 (the size most favoured by the professional expert), and a 2 3-32 (the largest size usually flayed with) is a different matter altogether to a 2 1-8 set (which closes up half the usual path-

“Run-through” gathering cannons played by Reece.

ways to the pockets by its over-size). Having said so much of the small tables which, I must repeat, can permit of excellent practice for the full-sized board, this last must now be given its due. The beauty of the sweeping 12ft. IJin. by 6ft. playing surface, and the scientifically accurate dimensions of the 2 5-64th ball lies iu the long range and the all-round perfection of the angle-rebounds and definitely set points from whence the “natu-ral-angle ” or “half-ball stroke may be effected. This, the happy medium in billiard-playing of all degrees of skill, possesses three distinct features. Each and all place it at the top of the lengthy gamut of stroke contacts. Firstly, it throws the widest or most acute angle; secondly, there is a definite mark at which to aim through the centre of the eue-ball (at the rim or edge of the ob-ject-ball) ; and, thirdly, from the hall-ball contact the cue-bad and object-ball travel at exactly- the same pace. These three billiard virtues are alone possessed by- the half-ball or “ natural angle” stroke. This is why so much is heard of it, and the reason for it standing first cn the list of the exercises recommended to pupils by the billiard coaches. Once the pathway of the eue-ball subsequent to its disengagement from a half-ball contact is made familiar to the player, he has made the first sturdy step in his billiard career. AU over the table there are extended lines whereon the player riay guide his ball to take up a position for the invaluable half-ball stroke, and so. make the sequence of the play as simple as it should be. The whole art of billiard-playing rests in leaving the balls, shot after shot, in the nearest approach to half-ball angle placing*. This is what the close cannon executant does as he gently urges the three clustering balls in front of him along the. cushionrvil; the losing-hazard player, tee. in his series of red losing hazards, knows ll.e ease and assurance lent to his game by- these half-ball positions; but t’.ie slapdash enthusiast, without perhaps knowing it, finds joy and some little consolation for much wasted effort in the ‘ natu-ral-angle ” strokes which sometimes come bis way. It may be depended upon that the Duly remarkable series of losing hazards from the red ba.ll accomplished by the 17-year-old Australian phenomenon, George Gray, contained its high percent-

age of half-ball coirtacts. No one can imagine him making a sei res of those run-through shots in the course of his 272 consecutive hazards off the red made in his world-beating break of 831, which has since been supplemented by another great effort of 802. Young Gray’s truly remarkable billiards recalls the prophetic utterance made by that best of billiard coaches, J. P. Mannoek. Six years ago Mannoek most emphatically gave it as Lis opinion in his book, “ Billiards Expounded,” that the day would come when the losing hazard play from the red ball would out-distance the top-of-the table refinements in the matter of point production. There were few who agreed with him then. The majority regarded him merely as one affecting a ceitain type of game, and who would only be satisfied when everybody was willing to do the same. But time has vindicated the correctness of Mannock’s judgment. Moreover, I fancy there is little room fcr doubt but that Gray, at the instigation of his father, himself an old professional cueist, was encouraged to adopt the losing hazard game, which has earned him sueh wide-world fame by Mannock’s representations.