Conceiving that some really authoritative statement of the case as to the relative difficulty of making long breaks with composition and with ivory balls might be useful, the editor of The Billiard Monthly has sought and obtained an interview with George Gray upon this subject.
The first question put by him to the losing hazard expert was:
"Do you think that, given equal practice, experience, and conditions, you could make as good breaks with ivory balls as with crystalate or bonzoline?" and the answer to this question was the following: "I played daily for seven years with crystalate balls and made a break exceeding 2,000; for two years only I played with bonzolines and made breaks exceeding 1,000; with ivories I have played for no more than five weeks and I have already made a break in public exceeding 600. I see no reason why, given equal practice with ivories as with compositions, I should not make quite as good breaks with the one as with the other."
From this point the conversation took a direct form of question and answer and was almost in exact words as given below.
"Do you agree that the throw-off is greater with crystalate than with ivory, and greater with bonzoline than with crystalate?"
"The throw-off is not, in my opinion, greater with bonzoline than with crystalate, but rather the reverse. I have convinced myself that crystalate balls throw off at a slightly wider angle than bonzoline, which in turn throw off at a wider angle than ivories."
"In dealing with this factor of the throw-off, do you neutralize such tendency by aiming slightly fuller when playing with composition balls?"
"As a rule that is, I think, the best course to adopt; and another safeguard is slightly higher cueing."
"If so, and as this would involve a slightly narrower and longer course of the object ball, do you think that such altered and longer course is sufficient to matter?"
"It has to be reckoned with, of course, and it resolves itself entirely into a question of touch. As you know, I do not, in my game, play to leave the object ball 'there or thereabouts', I decide exactly where I wish to bring it to, and endeavour to play to inches."
"Instead of aiming a little fuller or finer with the different makes of balls, and if you desired to preserve the same contact, direction, and length of run with all makes of balls, would you take bonzoline as the normal and use a little check side with crystalate and a little running side with ivory?"
"I greatly prefer not to use side at all unless it is really necessary, as in the case of jennies or of an object ball that is just a trifle too high for plain half-ball middle pocket play. In my ordinary losing hazard strokes I should consider that by using side I was asking for trouble."
"Something has been said of late about the tendency of the ivory ball to run farther, with equal force and contact, than the composition ball. Have you formed any opinion on this?"
"At the present moment I am making experiments on this point, and I should not like, in the meantime, to express an opinion."
"As regards the general question of 'theory' as applied to billiards? Do you believe in this?"
"To me, the theoretical and purely scientific side of billiards possesses great fascination. In fact, I love it. Give me a billiard table, a cue, three balls, and a pair of compasses, and I am happy."
"By the way, you have written a book on the losing hazard, I believe? Or, at any rate, you have furnished the necessary information?"
"That is what they all say. The book was my own work, and it occupied me for seven months."
"To ask another question as to the relative difficulty of ivories and compositions. It has been said that the recurring losing hazard game is easier with composition balls than with ivories. Others hold the contrary view and think that the thicker middle pocket run-throughs more than counterbalance in difficulty any greater margin permitted by composition balls for the half-ball stroke. What is your opinion?"
"I should say that, if anything, the ivory ball game is somewhat the easier, always provided that the balls are a perfect set. There is also something very agreeable about play with ivory balls; their mellow sound pleases one. Even before I enter a room where play is going on I can tell whether ivory balls are being used or not. At the same time I regard the composition balls as having also their very excellent qualities."
"One more question, which, as it is an important one, I have written down: Have you formed any opinion as to the desirability or otherwise of limiting the recurring losing hazard off the same ball, and if you win the Championship this year and the Billiards Control Club decided to enact some limitation, is there any arrangement that you would regard more favourably than that suggested by 'The Billiard Monthly' as follows: 'That winning or losing hazards and close cannons should be limited to a sequence in each care of 25 strokes. When 25 consecutive winning hazards have been made the balls should be spotted; when 25 consecutive direct cannons have been made a cushion should intervene: and when 25 consecutive losing hazards have been made off one ball, a cannon, a losing hazard off the other ball, or a winning hazard should intervene.'"
"You must please excuse me from answering that question, at any rate, until I have consulted my father about it. At the same time, the suggested rule should suit the amateur game, because there are comparatively few amateurs who can make 25 consecutive winning hazards, and at present there is little inducement for them to try."