188.—"I have derived much information and pleasure in perusing your replies to correspondents from time to time in your paper, and am now in need of your advice in a matter which touches me more intimately. I intend to buy a cue and have seen various samples. The appearance of one has taken my fancy. It is rather an elaborate one; has two or three splices and at the tip has about one inch of bony matter. The price is 23s. 64. Can you tell me if this elaborateness is of any value except as ornamentation? I should like to know why the bony matter is there."
The cue you name is well known to us and the present writer has two of them. The chief value of the horn tip is the perfect smoothness of the end, which enables the self-sticking tip to be at once securely fixed and also obviates any splintering away of the wood. The object of the extra splicing is to get a little heavier wood in front of the hand, and thereby relieve the mind of the idea that it is necessary to grip a cue in order to add weight to the stroke.
189.—"Playing in a match this week my ball remained stationary nearly half over a pocket! My opponent made a forcing stroke on the red and the vibration from this stroke caused the white to enter the pocket. What should then have been done?"
Obviously the only thing to do in such a case is to replace the ball as nearly in its previous position as possible.
The rules governing the point are (B.C.C., 11): "A ball which has stopped on the edge of a pocket shall, if it falls in from vibration, be replaced; if it balances momentarily on the edge and falls in, it must not be replaced," and (B.A., 25): "Should a ball drop into a pocket after being stationary it must be replaced; and should a striker have played at a ball whilst it was dropping into a pocket he can have the stroke played over again."
The B.C.C. rule is, in our opinion, the better one on the whole, but even this does not allow for the case of a cue ball which is revolving with a great deal of side on the brink of a pocket, as such a ball might legitimately fall in after more than a momentary apparent stoppage. In the B.A. rule the word "stationary" may, perhaps, be said to cover this point.
190.—"How often should a billiard table be ironed?"
It is mainly a question of use and temperature. Under-ironing is better than over-ironing, but in damp weather the ironing is imperative. Constant and careful brushing is really more important than ironing. This does not wear the nap nearly so much as the ironing, which latter, done in excess, is mainly a concession to the class of player that likes to see the balls flying about.
When a ball run down a pair of cues resting on an end cushion stops short of its usual point the iron may be used with advantage, as proof is shown that the cloth has become either rough with use or loose with damp.
191.—"Should a ball leave the table what is the right thing to do? Spot the balls and give so many away, or give away and let opponent play?"
There is no alternative. The striker loses two if a ball goes off the table after contact with another, and three when following a miss. The balls are spotted in either case.
192.—"Sometimes in watching good players I endeavour to forecast the next stroke and I say to myself: 'Now a gentle in-off,' instead of which quite a strong stroke is made, although the angle seems to be a natural one. Is there some design underlying this, or is it merely a more or less careless stroke?"
A really good player never makes a careless stroke, although extreme ease of execution may sometimes give rise to the latter impression. Actual carelessness is, however, at once revealed by the result, just as is error of judgment. There are many positions of the balls in which force has to be employed for the retention of position, just as there are many where very gentle play has to be resorted to. Perhaps the most familiar instance is the constantly-recurring stun stroke by which, in top-of-the-table play, a ball is sent two table lengths to rejoin the other two. This stroke is also played across the table at the top where the gentler treatment would leave the red too much below the opposite corner.
By playing harder the otherwise insufficiently-lateral direction of the ball towards the pocket is obtained, just as in doubling for a centre pocket the score is often made into the pocket opposite.
Everything depends upon the intended run of the object ball, and when this is borne in mind and provided for the rest becomes easy.
193.—"Is side necessary in run-throughs? Some players always seem to use it and others rarely. Which is correct?"
Side should never be used in any stroke if as good and sure a result can be obtained without its aid. The best plan is to mark the positions with chalk and do the stroke twenty times each way, judging by the result. In the case of a blind pocket, and to avoid a kiss in pocket play, side must sometimes be used, but where the pocket is open and no kiss is to be apprehended the plain stroke is preferable. If you know players who always use side in run-through cannons we should say that their aim is defective.
They think they are aiming at a given point on the surface of the object ball, but they are really aiming a little wide of it, and they have unconsciously discovered that the use of check side obviates the otherwise ill-effects of this imperfect aim.
194.—"When screwing with raised cue I find that your suggestion about aiming fuller is a good one, but sometimes the ball still goes where I aim and at other times takes the object fuller or finer. What is the reason of this?"
If no side is required on the cue ball and your cue is in the line of intended travel you need not aim fuller than half-ball unless for the purpose of fuller contact, but if you are imparting running side you must aim full and if check side the aim must be fine. The only reason why there is more swerve with the cue raised in side shots is that the cue ball is struck below its centre, taking the line of the cue, and an ordinary side stroke is thus converted into a screw or partial masse stroke with side.