A Few Cue Tips

• It is possible to avoid the push stroke in a follow-through with the two balls very near together, but the cue ball must be struck high and the cue curved upwards the instant that the cue contact takes place. This stroke should be freely practised as nothing is more annoying to a decent player than to make an unintentional push.
• The two things that should be practised most persistently at the outset are the cue swing and the light holding of the cue. These are of even more importance than the practising of specific shots After a while the two actions, become crystallized into a habit and an excellent start has thus been effected.
• In judging cushion cannons the eye should glance past the edge of the first object ball to a point on the cushion which makes an equal angle from that point with the part of the second object ball that it is desired to reach. If it is seen that the cannon can be made without side it is better not to use side, and the only point then left to consider is whether the contact with the object ball shall be fine or full, according to the course that it is intended that the object ball should take.
• When losing hazards are on, a cannon should, as a rule, only be played when it is desired to gather the three balls at a specific point. This is especially the case when it is seen that the second ball will also provide a good losing hazard position when the first ball has been played off sufficiently.
• Although the striker's face should be broadside with the cue in striking, the body itself should not be so placed, but should take a distinct turn towards the right in order to ensure free play of the cue arm.
• A little practice with a single ball against a cushion will be found to be instructive, and surprise may be experienced that such infinitesimal strength is needed to send the ball two or three feet. This may be remembered with advantage to the player when it is desired to disturb an object ball very little after playing it against a cushion and making an in-off.
• Top should not be put on the cue ball when a follow-through can be obtained without. Follow really means good rotation of the cue ball and often this is to be obtained, even at near range, by light cueing and natural striking A great argument in favour of central striking of the cue ball is that strength can be better controlled in this way.
• Billiards consists almost as much of the art of leaving things alone as of doing things If a learner, after noting a mistake never made the same mistake again, he would achieve rapid advancement. "Side" is one of the things that should be left alone as much as possible.
• When playing losing hazards (screw or otherwise) at anything approaching speed into an open pocket side is useless.
• When a player becomes conscious of a fault a good plan is to exaggerate in an opposite direction. Thus, if he finds that he is playing too fine in a follow-through he should play more thickly than he thinks is necessary, and if he thinks that he is playing the half-ball stroke too narrow he should play it seemingly too widely. He will presently settle down to the right contact.