A Few Cue Tips

• "Little and often" is a good tip-chalking maxim.
• If the cue is held too far back, the right arm is unable to swing freely and true strokes cannot be made.
• A player should choose a cue for himself by trial, and when he discovers one to suit him let him buy it and always play with the same cue.
• Avoid taking undue risks in order to leave an ideal position.
• Ensure that something easy is left on. That is the golden rule.
• Usually when a line or gentle stroke would leave the object ball in a bad position a full and free stroke will bring it to the middle of the table.
• Make no "strokes of desperation" unless the game is becoming really critical. A judicious miss or a stroke that leaves the balls safe is much better.
• Have an occasional spell of practice without using side at all, introducing two or three cushion cannons, gentle thin losers, pots to a distant pocket, and other plain ball expedients.
• You will be surprised to find how much can be accomplished and often better accomplished without side.
• The very best class of practice is the attempt to make a break or sequence of simple scores. The very worst practice is aimless play regardless of where the balls are left.
• It is not difficult to take the second cannon ball on either side as desired from hand if the sight be first taken for the half-ball angle and the cue ball then slightly moved.
• When making a losing hazard take care that another hazard or a cannon shall be easily on from hand. When making a winning hazard take care that another hazard or a cannon shall be easily on from where the cue ball comes to rest or from hand if it follows in.
• To acquire confidence and facility with the left hand play an occasional hundred up by yourself in this way, taking the whites alternately during the breaks, or handicap yourself to play a very inferior right-handed player, using your left hand only for striking.
• Perhaps the most useful hint that can be given in billiards is to play no stroke carelessly. To play freely and confidently is another thing. But the player who neglects the rests, or the chalk, or his body positioning, or firm pose, or dead straight sighting is courting, and deserves, failure.
• A decent player who has an easy winner left to him in a top corner pocket with the cue ball nicely below the object ball has a certain nine score in front of him and middle pocket play opened up. To make the pot without leaving the top cross loser in such a case in open play is rank bad workmanship.