BILLARDS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 785, 4 October 1929, Page 7

BILLARDS

A PROBLEM STROKE By RISO LEVI Author of "Billiards: The Strokes oj the Game." and “Billiards For The Million." [CoptrjghtJ Diagram 20 illustrates what may be termed a problem position. The red ball is about a foot from the pocket, and the cue ball is six inches or so from the red. Both these balls are about a quarter of an inch from the cushion, and the object white is badly angled to the other balls. What is the best thing to do here? The player can, of course, pot the. white with the red, and if he uses quite a gentle stroke he will have an easy in-off for the next shot. In this case, however, he can only continue scoring by red-ball play, with his opponent waiting to take advantage of any missed stroke. And a missed stroke in red-hall play almost invariably presents the adversary with a Instead of potting the white, the striker will do better by giving a miss —just touching his ball. His opponent will then probably attempt to disturb the position by some stroke off a cushion or cushions. If, as is most likely, he fails to hit a ball, the

I'IAORaM 20. A idOlßcru stroke Object white angle,l If, the other halls. red can then be potted and position obtained for the cross in-off. And in addition to this excellent position, the object white will most likely be out of baulk. The player who is angled has. however, other alternatives if he does not care to try to hit a ball. He can just touch his ball and leave it still angled to the other balls; he can give a miss which places his ball, say, in baulk, or he can give a three-miss. The miss that leaves the ball still angled would be a useless stroke for the response to this would be to play full and gently on to the red and dribble it a little nearer the pocket and still leave the opponent's bail angled to the other balls. Failure to hit a ball would then constitute a foul stroke, for it would be the second consecutive miss. The first player would then have the option of having the balls spotted and playing from the "D,” or of playing at the red and commencing a red-ball break. If, on the other hand, the angled player gives a three-miss or sends his ball into baulk, his opponent obtains the cross in-off position by potting the red, and an ordinary cross in-off is a better positional stroke than any in-off from the red after potting the angled white with this ball. Xext Article.—No Thrills in Professional Billiards.