55.—"I find that, thanks largely to The Billiard Monthly, I can now get the balls gathered at the top of the table by a gentle drop cannon from baulk, but there always seems to be a 'cover.' How is this best averted?"
Play to get the red over a top pocket and the white near the billiard spot. To do this you must effect what is really a double pot as well as the right throw-off with your own ball, but it is really surprisingly easy when once you have mastered the principle of the position. Say that the three balls are in the most favourable position for the drop cannon, i.e., equi-distant, with the white to your left.
Obviously you must take the red fine on the left, and if you find that a gentle half-ball, whilst taking the white from the side cushion to the spot, leaves a wide enough angle to enable you to take the red as required you have nothing further to think about, except the strength necessary to leave the cue ball nicely clear of the white.
56.—"Quoting from The World, in prophetic strain, you say that, in the course of his never-ending break, running into millions, and carried on by his grandson, the young Australian, Gray, developed a new stroke, potting both the red ball and his own and making a cannon simultaneously. What stroke would you suggest followed this one?"
Naturally, in making a shot of this kind Gray would play mainly for position (!) Consequently, he would have left the white near a pocket and the next shot would be to pocket it or tuck it away, guiding his own ball, meanwhile, on to "the line" for a top pocket in-off. Perfectly simple, you will notice.
57.—"How is it that Gray nearly always begins his matches badly? Is it nervousness?"
We do not think so. Gray is, according to our observation, sensitive, but not nervous. We should say that he is engaged during the first two or three sessions in gauging the new conditions of table, balls, etc. Until he has mathematically adjusted his aim and strength to these new conditions he does not feel contented. When he has done so, the "go ahead" signal is raised and rarely dropped.
58.—"Would it not be a comparatively easy thing for a skilled professional to close up Gray's game by playing safety whenever bad position was left and only attempting to score off positions that promised a good break?"
We believe that Stevenson had some idea that this could be done and that Inman was sure of it. But the match at the National Sporting Club between Inman and Gray has dispelled for ever the idea that Gray is to be stopped by mere finesse. He has an awkward way of going out for strokes and bringing them off, after which he often succeeds in manoeuvring the balls to his favourite position.
At the beginning of the match Inman bothered Gray a little, especially as the latter was then mainly occupied in gauging the balls and cushions, but this soon passed off, after which it was merely a case of fixed mathematical and scientific law against varied and fluctuating conditions.
59.—"In several of the books on billiards the advice is given, as to stance, to keep the left knee bent and the right knee stiff. Personally, I find that this cramps me, and I should like to know whether it is really essential to keep the right knee rigid?"
Nothing should be rigid in billiards, except, perhaps, the bridge hand, and it is possible for even this to be firm without being strained in any way. Many of the greatest players, including Gray and Inman, bend both knees, although not required to do so, as Diggle is, by their height. In the case of Gray and Inman it is the lowering of the head almost to the cue that necessitates the slight bending of both knees. However, a perfectly firm stance can be obtained with both knees slightly bent, and if you would feel more comfortable that way we should advise you to do it.
60.—"Since you gave me the hint about corner run-throughs I can do them with fair certainty, but am frequently beaten by a kiss. Can you suggest how this is to be prevented?"
There are two kinds of corner pocket kisses—one when, in near play, the object ball takes the two shoulders, and one where the line of aim is not sufficiently behind the object ball to prevent it from crossing the cue ball's path. In the former case the cue ball should be retarded by light cueing a shade below the centre, and in the latter case running should be substituted for check side. There are, however, positionings in which a kiss is bound to result, and these must either be left alone or the pocket negotiated actually by means of the kiss.
61.—"I notice that when professionals miss all-round cannons it is merely by the slightest margin, whereas amateurs are frequently 'miles out,' as the saying is. How is this accuracy to be obtained?"
There is much more margin for error in all round cannons than is usually supposed, especially if the cannon ball be near a corner baulk pocket. The cue ball has to be placed in baulk where it will (1) best keep the object ball up the table; (2) avoid a kiss between the cue ball and object ball, and (3) make the cannon. A quarter-ball contact usually meets the first two requirements, and it is easy to gauge, in aiming, whether a plain ball will take the necessary course or whether running side should be applied. If the plain quarter-ball would not make the last cushion contact far enough round, the addition of side would probably serve to bring off the score.
62.—"Does Gray use side in making his breaks? I have watched him several times and it seems to me that every ball is plainly struck, but rather above the centre."
You are right.
The only stroke to which Gray applies side, once he has obtained position, is when the red ball is a shade too high up the table for a plain middle pocket in-off and a shade too low down to make a long loser into a top corner pocket preferable. He then aims a little thick with running side as a substitute for forcing.
In his middle-pocket run-throughs he substitutes high cueing for check side with the happiest results.