A Few Cue Tips

• If the balls are in such a position, in the upper part of the table, that the intended line of travel of the cue ball is not exactly in focus between the player's eyes, the rest, or one of the butts, should be used. This is extremely important, for even the slight turning of the face—which means a sidelong glance at the ball—alters the focus altogether.
• Few amateur players realize how essential it is that the ball of the right foot should always be exactly aligned with the line of aim and with the hand and elbow working over it. Correct body position in billiards is half the victory.
• It is not in the least necessary that screw strokes, except at considerable range, should be delivered with strength. Try first how slowly they can be done, substituting low cueing, or fuller contact, for force.
• When the cue is raised the cue ball takes a swerving course. When, at the same time, running side is employed, the aim must be fuller and when check side is used the aim must be finer, sometimes in each instance to the extent even of a ball's diameter.
• With the object white against the middle of a top side cushion the aim for the run-through into the top pocket is dead central with slow check side. When the white is half an inch away from the cushion the aim should be midway between the centre and the edge, still with slow check side.
• A long-range in-off into a top corner pocket, when the angle is a quarter ball, is best made by aiming at the edge with slow check side. This results in a run-through and is quite a safe stroke. To obtain the same effect down the table the side must be reversed, or, if check side is still used, the centre of the object ball must be aimed at.
• It is usually held that efficiency at potting in snooker pool means increased efficiency at billiards. This depends, however, upon the extent to which potting with side is cultivated.
• The player who cultivates potting with side for position purposes in billiards is more likely, other things being equal, to make breaks at snooker pool than vice versa.
• Those little curly run-throughs into corner pockets, when the object ball is against the cushion and the cue ball only a few inches away from it, are made with dead central aiming, slow top side, and very light cueing. Without side, the aim would be too full, but with the side that is communicated to it the ball simply cannot get away from the cushion.
• When the corner run-through is into a baulk pocket the stroke may be delivered somewhat freely, but if too much freedom is used in the case of a top corner pocket the object ball is driven into baulk.
• The only difference between a slow check side run-through into a corner pocket and a sparkling ricochet run-through is that in the latter case excessive ball rotation is substituted for cushion-clinging slow side. Each agency equally causes the cue ball to endeavour to follow the original line of aim.