2004 Bob Jewett

Bob Jewett Thin Hits Learn this to psyche out your opponents. Do you feel good about your thin hits? would be a half-ball hit.) an inch of the object ball, it will be driven Would you like to play them better and The vertical axis is how far the object ball about 18 inches along the end rail. If the smarter? If so, read on. will roll for a shot that just brings the cue cue ball or table is not quite right, and you If you play any pool game, you will often ball 8 diamonds back to the end cushion get a tenth of an inch of roll-off, you could find yourself in a situation like Diagram 1. you start from — use the "Start long" curve get no hit at all or the object ball would be The cue ball is a mile from the object ball, for this. For example, if you hit a tenth of driven 35 inches or about 3 diamonds. That and you need to both make a would be very bad for your good hit on the object ball and safety, as it would leave the leave no shot. Is a thin hit — ball in front of the corner just nudging the ball so it pocket. moves as little as possible — So, how good are your thin the right shot for you? hits? In Diagram 3 are a cou- In the extreme position ple drills to test and improve shown, you should probably them. Shot A is the same sort shoot something else if it's of safety as in Diagram 1, but available, but let's look at the arranged the short way on the thin hit a little closer. The goal table. Play the thin hit to see is to get a hit, come off the far how little you can move the end rail, and bring the cue ball object ball. Start with the back to its starting point, more object ball near the side pock- or less. There is a problem on et, and leave it in position for each side: If you miss the ball each following shot, but move entirely, you foul and give up the cue ball so you will be ball in hand or a point or shooting directly across the worse; if you hit too much of table each time. How many the ball, you give up an easy times does it take you to get shot to your opponent. the object ball to the end The first considerations are cushion? On each shot, you the table and the cue ball. If have to bring the cue ball you are familiar with both of back at least close to the side them, you know whether to rail you are starting from. expect roll-off. Some players When you have mastered are able to allow for the the short way for this drill — "windage" due to table slope, or at least improved — put the but you might also run into a cue ball at C and the object cue ball that's slightly lop- ball at O and try it again, with sided, and might roll left or the requirement that you have right unpredictably. I've seen to return the cue ball to near balls that might be off by as the head rail. As you progress, much as a tenth of an inch by move the cue ball's starting the time they reached the point farther back. To avoid object ball for the shot in problems from table roll on Diagram 1. these drills, be sure to play Diagram 2 shows how accu- the shots to both sides. For rate the hit has to be to control example, after you have the distance the object ball is worked the object ball to the driven. The fuller you hit the left with the drill shown until object ball, the farther it will it is almost to the rail, work it travel. Along the bottom is back the other way. Is your how full the ball is struck in table flat? Is your cue ball inches of overlap. (Think of round? how much the edge of the cue In Shot B of Diagram 3 is a ball overlaps the edge of the different thin-hit situation. object ball from the tip's-eye This time you are close to the view. Overlap of 1.125 inches object ball, so the hit is much 24 BD-JANUARY 2004 Bob Jewett easier, but you still want to drive the cue speed — this comes through practice — to for banking. ball eight diamonds for the safety. It turns leave the object ball near O and the cue ball Thin hits are not just for defense. In out that the object ball is also not driven near C. This may leave a bank for your Diagram 4 are two shots useful in one- nearly as far for a given thickness of hit as opponent, but it's not a nice angle, and if pocket that require very thin hits. In Shot A for the long safety in is a common leave Diagram 1. This is with the object ball because it doesn't on the spot and the lose a lot of energy cue ball on the bad in the cushion right side of the table — after the ball contact. your pocket is P. A The thickness/drive thin hit can make the curve for this case is ball. Do you under- shown in the lower stand why it is plot in Diagram 2. almost impossible to Hitting a tenth of an scratch if you make inch of the object the object ball from ball should be duck the spot? In Shot B, soup from this dis- you are banking the tance, so the object spotted ball to pocket ball should only P. The cue ball will move 5 inches if you hit at Bl for its first just barely get to the cushion, and B4 for end cushion. its fourth cushion, You can set up a drill based on Shot B; both balls are near the cushions it's tougher and if you are lucky, end up down by the keeping in mind that you should be able to still. A subtle point is that a half-ball hit Shot A cue ball for the safety. While there nudge the ball at least six times before it causes the cue ball and object ball to move are less aggressive alternatives for both of reaches the end rail. almost the same distance off the end cush- these shots, if you have your thin hits per- If your thin hits aren't working, or you ion. Fuller, and the object ball moves more fected, these shots can be psychologically don't know how the table is rolling, you than the cue ball; thinner, and the cue ball devastating to your opponent. You'll know need to have alternatives. In Diagram 1, a moves more. If they move the same you've won the mind game when you hear standard fuller-hit safety is to hit about half amount, the balls will be left straight across him muttering, "How can he make that of the object ball on the right side and use a from each other, which is a nasty situation shot?" 2 6 B D -JANUARY 2004 Bob Jewett Where's Your Elbow? Do you want to be a piston or a pendulum? In sports such as golf, swimming, and Ed's last joint is his wrist/hand at the grip elbow as its center and Ed's forearm as its track and field, there is a lot of recent on the cue. Again, we simplify the situa- radius. The tip contacts the cue ball when activity applying new technology to under- tion by assuming that Ed is not into wrist- the stick gets back to its starting point, at standing how the body can achieve maxi- flipping to get that special action on the which time the forearm is straight up and mum performance. When sports science cue ball, and that the wrist acts as a simple down and perpendicular to the cue stick. appears on TV, you might see a wired-up pivot point. The stick follows through the ball with the swimmer in an aquatic treadmill or a golfer We're also going to take the rails off the hand continuing its circular arc. The elbow with glowing spots taped on each of his table so that Ed's stick can be horizontal at has not moved an iota. joints and in front of a computerized cam- the instant it hits the cue ball. In reality, Successive positions of this action are era that catches each arc and acceleration nearly every shot must be played with sig- shown in Diagram 2. The main thing to and hitch. note here is that the stick does I'm sure the funding will not move in a straight line soon start rolling in for such either before or after it hits the projects with billiard players, ball. At the end of the back- but in the meantime we have swing, the butt of the stick has to study billiard biomechanics risen considerably, and at the and carom kinesiology with end of the follow-through, the simpler and cheaper methods. butt has risen again. This is a What is a good stroke? What simple consequence of the do you want in a "correct" pendulum motion — a pendu- stance? How does the body lum is obviously lowest at the actually move the stick, and bottom of its swing.

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