Tip Of The Week
Number: 36
Jim Tellier February 2012
TOPIC: Whats
More Accurate: Follow, Draw, Center Ball?
CATEGORY: All
Skill Levels
INTRODUCTION:
[ Excerpted from Dr.
Daves Billiards and Pool Principles website: www.billiards.colostate.edu.
With some additions and editorializing].
Is a follow shot more
accurate than a center-ball hit or draw shot?
I
think this is definitely true for shots like the straight-up-and-down-the-table
drill. Here are some possible reasons:
- It
is easy for some people to hit the CB's centerline when the cue tip is
closer to the top of the ball where the top of the tip is more closely
visually aligned with the top of the ball.
Important
facts: by hitting the CB 0.45 above center you will immediately have
forward roll on the CB. Hitting more than 0.56 above center will not
increase the amount of follow on the CB, but will greatly increase your
chance of mis-cue!
- The
cue can be closer to level (not elevated) with a follow shot as compared
to a draw shot with the same cue clearance above the rail. This will
result in less swerve when the CB is hit slightly off center.
- When
the CB is hit slightly off center, the effective squirt (the net effect of
squirt and swerve) can be less with a follow shot vs. a draw shot (October
'07 article).
This
point is really important to learn, especially if you are playing kick
shots, and putting English on the CB:
- The
slowing drag effect of a draw shot increases the effect of the sidespin
off the rail. Both follow and draw shots will have the same amount of
sidespin (for the same amount of offset from the vertical centerline); but
with a draw shot, the CB will be moving slower at the rail causing the
sidespin to alter the rebound angle more.
For
more information, also see the March '08
article by Dr. Dave.
TECHNIQUE:
Drills /
Exercises:
Take
2 pieces of chalk, and position them on the edge of the cushion, at the foot
rail. Set them so the diagonal corners of the chalk cubes align with the
axes of the table, and the two pieces of chalk are touching each other, like
this:
/\
/\
/ \ / \
/ \/ \
\ /\ /
\ / \ /
\ / \ /
A b
Go to the
other end of the table, take ball in hand behind the line, and repeatedly aim
to hit point a, the tip of the piece of chalk sitting on the edge of the
cushion.
A perfect hit
will cause the a chalk to pop off the rail, without moving b much, if at
all. Yes, its a pain but go set it up over, and over, and over, and over.
Try the hit using Follow, Center and Draw strokes. Keep your speed
approximately constant, to remove at least most of that variable. Notice the
differences in how difficult it is to hit that tiny spot accurately. Most
people will agree that its toughest to do with a draw stroke, because it has
to be nearly perfect, with no side spin to cause the CB to masse off target.
After youve shot this at point a for a while, switch to point b. Once you
get confidence in how you are stroking the ball, and can hit both points
repeatedly with any kind of stroke, switch up to alternating between a
and b on each shot, eventually working to the point where you can alternate
between Follow, Center and Draw strokes.
Dont
underestimate the difficulty of this drill! Its not as simple as it seems!
Capn
Carom
May your Next Shot be on the 8-ball!