BILLIARD NOTES

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 3, 1 April 1920, Page 5

BILLIARD NOTES

POTTING THE RED AND CANNONING, OR YICE-VERSA, IN ONE STROKE. WHEN THE GAME IS NOT THE GAME Few mistakes are more common with a laige nnmber of players than playing a 11 ve shot, when the game is to pot the red ouiy or cannon only. Players of this class appear to be carried away by the glamour of making a five shot which they 1 avo piayod for — in contrast to the many nve shots which they get without playng for — and never stop for a moment to v e feet that they can often just as easily score five in two strokes, and thereby retain position, which is generally lost by playing a five shot. Ir will, of course, sometimes happen that the position is such that it is a mucti bc-tter game to play the five shot than the cannon "tbr pot only. Tlie balls may bs so located that by playing the five shot the object white will be sent up the table to the, vicinity of the spot, and position is almost sure to be left, generally a cannon ; but when this is not easily on, the cue ball will often be 'our.cl more or less well situated for an :n-off from the white or the red into one of the top pockets, or it may be in good position for potting the red. The white balls may come to rest as the result of a half-ball contact between tbem (on the left side of the white object -ball), and a possible location of the white balls after a nearly full contact. Of course, there are many other positions that could occur, according to which side of the object white is hit, and the degvee of fulness of contact. The strength of the stroke is also a most importont factor, as the white ball may simply be sent to the vicinity of the spot, or by a slightly stronger stroke it may be driven on to the top cushion, to again return to the neighbourhood of the spot, eiid so long as this happens, position is generally assured. In fact, the stroke could be played twenty tirnes with the resultant position nearly always a good one, and yet no two of the positions wculd be the same. Another position when it is the game to play a five shot, the white ball in this caso being hit first. The red ball is right ove'- the corner pocket, either on or very near the top angle. Were the red not right over the pocket, the game would be to play a slow cannon, just to reach the red and leave the pot for the next stroke, os better position could be got for the ensuing cross in-off by potting the red when close to it than potting it by means of the cannon. In the present. instance, however, the red is so near the pocket that the cannon is almost certain to send it in, but if played slowly the cue ball wi i remain near the jaws of the pocket in good position for an in-off from the red into the opposite pocket. By potting the red only, it wonld not be quite so easy to remain in good position for the in-off, besides, if a player can get good position by a five-shot, it is naturally better to do so in that way by means of a three stroke. If a player be quite sure of get-

ting a six shot, such a stroke would a better one to play than the five-si as an in-off from the white could afiervvards played. Another position with the red over centro pocket. By playing a slow fiv spol, and the object white, bei; position for an in-off from the red on ti spot, and ahd the object white, bein sent towards the centre of the table, wi be in a more favourable position than be fore There are, of course, other position, where a five shot would be the game, bu the examples given sufficiently illustrab when it is advisablo to play the doubl* stroke. The positions that constantly occuj wberein it is not the game to play a five shct — cannon and pot the red or vice versa— may be divided into two broad classes as follews : Positions wherein the cannon should bt played. Positioii3 wherein only the pot should bc played. The cases wherein only the cannon should oe played are so very simple that it is quite uimecessary to describe them at any length. They commonly occur when there is a simple ball-to-ball cannon on, off the white, and the red is very near a poc ke* but not right in the jaws. By playing the cannon only, the red can be pot toii next stroke— unless an in-off should be left — and, owing to the cue ball being' then near the red, it will be much easiei to obtain good position after than by making a five stroke straight away. The cases wherein only the red shoulbe potted instead of a five shot bein made are likewise of the most common o currence; yet", perhaps, there are no pos. tions on the table which are so constantl mishandled by ordinary players, far mo through want of thought than want ability. ^Hfh&se positions generally oa when the object-balls are both in hau and the cue ball is also inside the lin or at any rate, no great distance from t : red. One of these pcsitions is a thongl less five shot — by cannoning off the whi —would most likely leave the balls safe as the cue ball would remain somewher near the pocket, and the white ball very close to the baulk cushion. Even a cannon without potting the red would not be advisable in this position, as it inight only leave a pot for the next shot, wi th the white very likely in a more or less safe position. The correct gamo, is to pot the red in such a manner as to get position for an in-off frcm the white, so that by the next stroke the white may be b rough l out of baulk. The stroke is one that an} player can easily make, and the only thing to be avoided is playing the stroke with too much strength, as in that case the cue ball would travel too far, ana position for the in-off would not be gain ed.