47.—"Noticing that the red ball on my private table had a whitish circle round it a friend of mine said: 'I see your red ball is not true.' He added that this was always caused by friction with the cloth on the heavier side of a ball of unequal density. Personally, I cannot quite see this, as the circle is equal all round the ball."
The cause of the white ring is that the dye sinks more into the poles, or core, of a billiard ball than into the sides. The worn part is, consequently, invariably across, and not with, the grain, and greater density on one side or the other has nothing whatever to do with it.
48.—"I noticed that there was something said about county championships in one of your recent issues. I think it would be a very good way of bringing the best amateurs to the front, and if you could do anything to help in forming a championship for Somerset by advising the best way to start about it I should be much obliged."
We believe that the Billiards Control Club Council is considering the question of County Championships, which, as you mention, have already been advocated as preliminary heats for national championships by The Billiard Monthly.
49.—"A few tips upon the tricky shots which one so often gets at the corners of the table would be very useful. I mean the run-through shots into the pocket where the object ball is against, or close to, the side or end cushions. The stroke seems to vary, accordingly as it is made across, against, or down the nap. The positions are, of course, reversed at the baulk end, and I think are more difficult at longer range, because the stroke is across the nap. This stroke was mentioned in a recent issue of The Billiard Monthly, but no tip was given,"
These shots should be treated exactly as ordinary run-through cannons, except that as much pocket side as possible should be employed.
With only a short distance for the cue ball to run the nap does not greatly affect the stroke, especially at the bottom of the table, where it is played sharply to clear baulk. At the top it is played slowly to keep the object ball out of baulk. Of course there is no cloth deflection in sharp side strokes except with a raised cue.
50.—"Is it really so much easier, as is represented, to make a long losing hazard break with composition balls than with ivories?"
We think the talk about losing hazard play being easier to an expert with composites than with ivories should cease.
The advantage of the greater throw-off only applies after normal position has been lost, and Gray sometimes makes a thousand without being called upon for a single" squarish "shot. His strokes are mainly middle-pocket run-throughs, and all run-throughs are more difficult, in our opinion, with compositions than with ivories.
51.—"A billiard friend shows me a drawing of a billiard table with the sides above the middle pocket cut away, leaving only an alley two feet wide in the centre for the return of the red ball. Is he mad or are we really coming to a different-shaped table? It certainly would economize material. Many thanks for question answered in your column. I have since mastered the stroke and it has reformed my game."
Good. Such a table would be rather too much of the freak variety, and the same effect can be obtained by marking the top cushion with chalk a few inches each side of the spot and playing the red ball between the limit of those marks each time as Gray does.
52.—"You make so many things plain in The Billiard Monthly that I venture to ask you to describe the ordinary screw-back, I can only do it with a quick stab, which I know is wrong, as you mention extra screw by letting the cue go right through. Is it a knack which will only come with time.?"
There is certainly a knack, but this really consists in doing the stroke right.
Screw-back is reversed follow, and what is needed in each case is not force, or dig, but a smooth, flowing stroke, which goes right through the ball, the cue being, meanwhile, held as lightly as possible and brought well back. Put the red ball on centre baulk spot and your own a foot behind it. Aim half-ball, striking low down with as little force as possible and your own ball should run along the baulk line. Do this a great many times.
Next aim midway between edge and centre and your ball should go in the corner baulk pocket. Finally, aim dead centre and it should come back to you.
53.—"Can points be scored as quickly by means of middle pocket red in-offs as by all-round play?"
No. Close cannon play is the quickest form of play, and general top-of-the-table play mixed up with occasional returns to baulk and all-round play is also quicker than the red ball losing hazards, although each score counts three. If Stevenson were playing Gray and both scored the same number of points during a session it would, we think, be found that Stevenson had occupied considerably less time at the table than Gray.
54.—"I cannot quite follow your theory that it makes no difference to the run of the cue ball whether aim is taken finer or fuller than half-ball. With me it makes considerable difference."
Perhaps you stun the cue ball, especially when aiming full. On each side of the object ball in billiards are four fine and four thick aims, advancing by quarter inches, but representing, so far as the direction of the cue ball is concerned, only four deviations, as any aim taken inside the edge has the same effect on the cue ball as though taken at an equal distance outside the edge. Consequently, when it is desired to drive the object ball forward, the thicker aim is taken, and when it is desired to cut the object ball away the finer aim is taken. The cueing must, of course, be light and the aim at near quarters high, otherwise the thicker aims will produce a greater throw-off and spoil the calculation. In screwing, the same eight aims, and also a dead central one, are employed, and in this way the cue ball can be deflected in nine different directions, but the greater the distance between the balls in screwing the fuller must be the aim taken to obtain the same direction for the cue ball.