31.—"I am looking out eagerly for some notes on the correct placing of the cue ball in baulk for losers and winners in the top pockets, cannons for position, etc."
No set instructions can be given. With losers, you must first decide where you want the object ball to go and place cue ball in baulk accordingly.
You may have to place for half-ball, quarter-ball, or three-quarter ball, with or without side, and at slow or free pace. With cannons you must take your angle from the part of the cannon (or second) ball that you want to strike back to the edge of the object ball, and the required stroke may be either of those already mentioned and with the use of a cushion or cushions in addition.
But you must decide first of all where you want to leave the other ball or balls and provide, when cannoning, a commanding leave for your own ball. It sounds difficult, but comes all right in time.
32.—"I notice your answers to amateurs' questions with rejoicing. In your February number you have dealt with my difficulty, i.e., of aiming with side, but I find that, when potting with side to leave the cue ball in a good scoring position, I fail to get the pot itself through having to shift the aim from the centre to the side."
We can only advise you to re-read Answer No. 18, as we do not find ourselves able to give a better one. When you can drive the ball along the baulk line without divergence you will have practically conquered your difficulty.
Look in each case at a chalk mark above the baulk line and keep the cue parallel with the line. Strike the ball centrally and on either side at varying distances from the centre.
33.—"When the red is potted, opponent's ball being on the spot, and cue ball coming to rest on the centre spot, is the red placed on the pyramid spot?"
Yes. The rule (No. 5, B.C.C), runs:—"If spot is occupied by another ball the red shall be placed on the pyramid spot, and if that also is occupied it shall be placed on the centre spot," which, of course, covers also the circumstances mentioned by you.34.—"The red and white are touching at the commencement of a line that points to the top right-hand pocket or anywhere up to five inches or so below that pocket, the red being the nearer to the pocket and the two balls about three-fourths of the distance from the middle pocket to the middle spot. The white being struck by the cue ball from halfway between the white and the baulk line from the right of the D the red is sent on a slight curve to the left, and this can be judged with practice so that a slow stroke will give a considerable curve to the red ball and a sharp stroke very little curve. What happens to the red ball? Surely it gets a spin from friction; or is it a double kiss?"
We do not, as we have before stated, believe that side can be imparted to an object ball except by squeezing in a cushion or between the other two balls. We have put up the interesting position that you name a great many times, and have come to the conclusion—as we think you have yourself—that the divergence is—as you suggest—caused by a double kiss, the second kiss taking the red ball a shade off centre. That there is no side is proved by the fact that when the stroke is played down the table the divergence is in the same direction as when played up the table, which would not, of course, be the case if side were operating, and this point is further established by playing the stroke from both sides of the balls with differing results. The slower the play the greater is the scope allowed for the kiss to take place.
35.—"What is the difference, if any, between a long-range loser and a long-loser?"
The long losing hazard is the stroke played from off an object ball lying some five to six feet away from a pocket, whereas a long-range hazard implies either the object ball lying close by a pocket and the cue ball a long distance off, or vice-versa.
36.—"Please say: (1) what is a pique stroke; (2) what is a 'kicking ball,' and (3) what is a drop cannon?"
(1) When the cue is raised half-way between horizontal and perpendicular.
(2) when a ball, either through unequal density or foulness of ball or table, jumps slightly on being struck by a cue or ball.
(3) when the cue ball is played with such well-judged strength that it just drops on to, and only slightly disturbs, the cannon ball (or third ball). The stroke is usually employed to collect the three balls in the top-of-table scoring area.
37.—"Would you kindly say what is to be understood by the term, 'standard conditions,' which is frequently to be met with in The Billiard Monthly?"
"Standard conditions" is applied to the existing rules of the game as well as to the size of the pockets, size of the D, and the position of the spots. The diameter of the D semi-circle is 23 inches, the baulk line should be 29 inches from the face of the bottom cushion, and the billiard spot 12¾ inches from the face of the top cushion. The pockets should be 3 5/8 inches wide at the fall of the slate. The balls should not be less than 2 1/16 nor more than 2 3/32 inches in diameter. The present conditions regulating play are that two consecutive red winners may not be made off the billiard spot unless the red ball be thereafter removed to the centre spot, and that more than 25 consecutive ball-to-ball cannons may not be made. The B.C.C. rules also forbid two consecutive misses. If this reply does not quite cover the points that you have in your mind will you please write us again?
38.—"Is it preferable to make single or double cushion cannons when the object ball is near a cushion?"
The only guide is the desired position. Where equally good position can be obtained by either stroke, and both are fairly difficult, the two-cushion shot is sometimes preferable, because it gives a sort of second chance. A kiss may also sometimes be avoided by its use