BILLIARDS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 755, 30 August 1929, Page 14

BILLIARDS

A POSITIONAL STROKE

By

RISO LEVI

Author of "Billiards: The Strokes of the Gamef* and “Billiards For The Million:* fCOPYKIGHTj It frequently happens that no score is at all reasonably on by any direct Stroke, but that by taking a cushion in front of a ball, a cannon is quite an easy stroke.

DIAGRAM 13. A simple cannon made by taking the cushion just in front of the object white. Diagram 13 illustrates oue of these positions, the object white being about 21 inches from the cushion, and the player being in hand. The cannon is, here, quite a simple stroke, if the cushion is taken just in front of the white, hut the ordinary player generally plays a stroke of this nature < with far too much speed, with the, result that though he may get the ! cannon he has played for, the afterposition is relegated to chance. I often watch the average player at the table, in order to study his failings and faults, and I find that when some particular shot should be played with very little pace he generally uses much too fast a stroke for it. and when a fast stroke is essential for good after-position, though unnecessary just for the score itself, he, as a rule, uses quite a slow stroke. If. with the balls situated as shown on the diagram, a slow running-side stroke is used, the object white will be sent toward the spot, and the red will be dribbled up to the pocket, and thus splendid position will be set up tor the next stroke. If you are a very moderate player, try this cannon two or three times with a slow stroke, aud when you have succeeded in getting very good position from it, play it again by means of a considerably faster stroke and take note of the widely-dilferent result. Next Article: "Strokes for Different Players.”