A Few Cue Tips

• A good practice forcing in-off is from near the middle baulk spot off the red on the pyramid into a top pocket. A free and straight swing of the cue with high cueing is what is needed.
• The necessity of sending the cue tip right through the cue ball is often (and rightly) urged, but the taking of the cue well back in making the stroke is almost equally important. The rule is that the cue ball should be regarded as the centre of the swing.
• A common billiard error is the use of side in what should be plain screw strokes. The only cases in which side is needed are when a pocket is blind and when the cannon is completed off a cushion. With open pockets and direct cannons side in making screw strokes is worse than useless.
• Remember that when cue and object ball are both in baulk, the effort should be made to direct the ball not pocketed to the neighbourhood of a middle pocket. This can be easily done after a little study of contacts and strengths, with the occasional use of side or other compensation.
• Profitable cannon practice may be obtained by attempting to take the second ball inside, outside, and dead centre, whilst at the same time directing the first ball in the desired direction. The elder Roberts used to say that he would rather miss the cannon altogether than play it wrongly.
• There is only one worse thing than tediously slow play, and that is thoughtless hurrying. Good players may seem to hurry their game, but if you watch their eyes you will perceive that they are taking all likely eventualities into account at the same time.
• Cultivate persistently the extra strength thick contacts for position in place of the much more risky gentle ones.
• It is often much better to send the object ball to a cushion and back again than to endeavour to control it within a few inches. But the line of travel, to and fro, must, of course, be accurately gauged beforehand.
• Play for position, but do not try to get ideal position in one stroke when you can work up to it in two or several strokes. Keep the score going with in-offs until a favourable cannon opportunity presents itself. On the other hand, be prepared to take a little risk with an in-off rather than make a cannon leaving nothing definite.
• Try to dissipate the idea that anything is good enough in billiards—that the use of the rest does not matter, that mixing ivory with composition play does not matter, that careful body positioning and aim do not matter—in short that nothing matters. Instead of anything being good enough for billiards, nothing, to the minutest detail, can be too good.
• Never strike an object ball in making in-offs or cannons until you have forecasted its approximate line of travel. It is here that one great secret of break-making lies, as well as the antidote for balls lost in pockets or baulk, left safe under cushions, or spoiling position by kissing. Also, never pot a ball before deciding where the cue ball ought to come to rest.