301.—"In cases of foul strokes, push strokes, etc., is it the duty of the referee to call out the foul stroke, or must the nonstriker claim first?"
The referee or marker is responsible for the proper conduct of the game, and must of his own initiative intervene should he observe any breach of the rules (Rule 20 B.C.C.).
302.—"Playing a game of billiards the other day I had to break. I tried for a double baulk. When striking my ball the tip of my cue came off and rolled across the table, coming in contact with the red, which was thereby diverted into the middle pocket. My opponent claimed a foul on the ground that I had struck the red with a part of my cue. I claimed the score on the ground that I had made a stroke which Inman could not have accomplished in a thousand tries."
The circumstance that you mention is both unusual and amusing, but we are afraid that it is governed by Rule 14, and that neither your opponent, nor yourself was right in the contentions raised. Rule 14 (B.C.C) entitled "Ball moved by other agency than the player" runs as follows: "If a ball is disturbed otherwise than by the player it shall, if moved, be placed on the table by the marker or referee on the spot which, in his judgment, the ball had, of it moving, would have occupied." Assuming that there was no one to refer to in the game in question, the two players would have to agree as to the probable point at which the red ball would have stopped if it had not been interfered with by the intervention of the errant cue tip. There does not appear to be any evidence that the cue ball was struck otherwise than with the tip. (See page 11).
303.—"I can only get just over three table lengths on our table when practising the instructions contained in your magazine for April. The cue ball jumps badly when it strikes No. 3 cushion. Would this reduce the travel of the cue ball by a length?"
The table on which you are practising must have very hard cushions if you can only obtain three table lengths, but much, of course, depends upon the swing and freedom of the cue, which should in a way be "flung" at the ball and sent right through it and not gripped at all. The cue should be held level with the floor and the tip should strike the ball fairly in the middle. It is very unusual for a cue ball to jump at the t h i rd cushion contact, as the jumping usually occurs at the first cushion and may be caused either by the cue ball having been struck too high or by the cushion being a trifle low. Jumping certainly would reduce somewhat the travel of the cue ball.
304.—"One of my worst faults is that I take the object ball too fine on the left and too full on the right hand side occasionally. Will you please tell me how I may remedy this failing? I am a right-handed player. Please accept my best thanks for the many very useful lessons I have learnt from the Billiard Monthly."
If you take the object ball too fine on the left and too full on the right side you are either standing too much to the right or holding your cue too much to the right. You must get your line of aim before you settle down to the stroke and adjust the position of the body to it at that time. The cue hand should work as near to the body as practicable.
305.—"Will you kindly inform me if a room 15ft 8in. wide would do for a full-size billiard table? The length of the room is ample. If not wide enough will you kindly state the minimum width a room should be to contain a full-size table?"
The width of 15ft. 8in. is not quite enough when the ball is close to the cushion and the stroke is straight, across the table, especially if the cue be held fairly parallel with the floor, as it ought, to be if a swerve is to be avoided. Personally, we should put 16ft. as the minimum, but even with 15ft. 8in. annoyance should not often arise, as the occasions when the ball is close under the cushion and the stroke is also straight across the table might not very often occur.
300.—"B spots in the D with the intention of playing at the. red ball. By so doing he will have to play over part of the baulk outside of the circle. Is B entitled to do this?"
It does not matter in the least that a part of the baulk outside the D area is traversed in playing from the D on a ball that is out of baulk, and this applies even when five-eighths of the object ball is in baulk.
307.—"During a game of billiards last Saturday evening a dispute arose amongst a few friends of mine regarding the correct meaning of a ' push stroke.' As the opinion of several differed I should feel greatly obliged if you will kindly explain."
A "push stroke" is made when the cue is still in contact with the cue ball when the latter touches the object ball. The player, if he knows any thing about billiards, is always aware by the feel of the stroke when he has fouled the ball. Another proof is that when pushed the two balls proceed closely or near together, whereas when the stroke is cleanly made the cue ball, unless finely played or with masse recoil, should lag behind the object ball.
308.—"Would like you to tell me which balls you think the best for hard and constant use—bonzoline or crystalate—and if they are of one quality or have you to pay more for a specially selected set—say for tournament playing?"
Bonzoline are, perhaps, the more lasting balls, while crystalate are more similar to ivory in their qualities. The ordinary standard bonzoline or crystalate set should answer all purposes Touching Ball when Taking Aim.
300.—"A player is in hand and has fixed his ball about the centre of the D for his shot; he gets down to play his stroke, and in the preliminary swinging of the cue he accidentally moves his ball, but does not send it out of the P. Is this a foul stroke?"
It is a stroke—not a foul. It is equivalent to giving a miss, and it is a stroke even if the ball, although touched does not move at all. (Rule IV., Section F., B.C.C).
310.—"A player is in hand. Is he allowed to knock his ball about the D with the top of his cue until he has got it fixed in position for his shot, or must he fix it in position with his hand?".
It is quite usual and orthodox to use the cue for this purpose, which has nothing to do with the actual act of taking aim. It is far better to use the cue than the hand. When a professional uses the hand, he is playing with an ivory ball and is laying it with the core horizontal to ensure greater accuracy in slow running.
311.—"The prophets seem to have been quite out in their reckoning over the championship, and I am wondering whether you can suggest a reason for what has happened. Everyone seemed to put Stevenson and Gray first."
Not everyone.
Inman put Stevenson second and himself first, and he was not far out, as Stevenson finished only 115 points behind Reece.
Whether Inman would have beaten Stevenson as he did Reece is, of course, a question. But we should say that Gray lost because he had not sufficient ivory ball experience; that Stevenson lost because he was not playing up to his real form; that Reece lost because he did not follow up his early lead with sufficient vigour and determination; and that Inman won because he took no risks and played, in the main, an open game.