When you really do not know what to do, or a score is extremely unlikely, play for safety— if you know how.
The point of aim in screw and tight cushion kiss strokes is where two lines at equal angle converge from the cue ball to the objective.
In making those little"screw losers into blind pockets, the contact should be as fine as the stroke allows, otherwise the side is killed.
You are almost sure to play run throughs too fine and fine strokes (especially fast ones) too full. Try a little exaggeration on the other side.
Don't make a longer range stroke when a gentle fine cannon will leave you another and simpler stroke. This especially applies to top-of-table play.
To avoid that annoying kiss when balls are in position near side top cushion for quarter-ball cannon from baulk, use slow running instead of check side, aiming half-ball.
Often you may think you have played too full when you have really slightly stunned the ball. The sound of the contact should guide you as well as the slightly increased deadness of the cue ball in its run.
If your opponent's ball is tucked under a cushion, choose a pocket (if on) rather than disturb the white, unless you can see clear position ahead. The cannon might be your last stroke, whereas the in-off might lead to several.
To avoid that kiss off the side cushion when playing fast for cannons off the top cushion, aim finer with a little running side, This clears the object ball out of the way, and makes it follow, instead of intercept, the cue ball.
When the three balls are in line at right angles, or nearly so, with a cushion, and the object balls are near such cushion, a kiss cannon is difficult to miss if aim be taken full or less, according to the angle of the lie with the cushion.
Disregard the edge of the object ball in aiming in fine strokes and concentrate the aim on a portion of the cloth ¼, ½, ¾, or 1 in. away from the edge of your ball, as this is the spot over which the centre of the cue ball must travel.
When the white is in the jaws of a top or middle pocket and the red on the spot, don't make the cannon, even if nicely on. Drop the white gently in and continue off the red ball. You have got to lose the white in any case, and may as well know what is to follow.
In playing to pocket by (Striking a cushion first, aim at a point the same distance outside the edge of the cushion as the centre of the object ball is away from such cushion.
Ignore the cushion and aim for this point on or outside the rail, using pocket side.
When the object and cannon balls lie near each other against a cushion with the cue ball at a fairly acute angle behind them, aim dead centre with running side, and the cannon is certain. With the red as cannon ball an almost certain pot or in-off is also left to follow with.
In playing cushion cannons, take the angle from the part of the cannon (or second) ball that you desire to strike Cut beyond the cushion until it meets a similarly angled line from the inside of the object ball. Then play the stroke as though the cannon were at the intersection of these lines.
When the lie of the object balls is favourable for a drop or other cannon from baulk, but the player's ball is not in hand, an obvious thing to do is to make a gentle grazing contact loser (if such be on), thus achieving the desired position. Or a cannon not nicely on from baulk can often be made so in similar way by slightly thicker contact.