One little remark made in my hearing has benefited my game considerably. It was that in follow-through cannons it is better to err, if anything, on playing too thickly, as this gives the whole of the object ball to play at instead of one side only.—R. T.
The hint that did me more good than any other that I remember was the advantage to be gained by allowing the cue during the swing simply to lie on a loop formed by the thumb and one finger—preferably, in my opinion, the second finger.—E. G.
A hint that enabled me finally to do what I had for years longed for, namely, run up a 100 break, was to make no stroke without a mental forecast as to where the cue ball would approximately be left after a pot, the object ball after an in-off, and at least one of the object balls after a cannon.—S. S.
It used to be my habit when the cue was not exactly in the line of aim to sway the body slightly so as to get the required line. An experienced player told me that it was the feet that should be slightly moved, and not the body. This hint has since been worth many points to me.—R. L.
When Stevenson was once asked what he considered the best scoring area of the table he replied: "An imaginary arc oval the width of the D and drawn from the spot to the centre spot of the D." The effort to keep the object ball within this oval in making hazards has been a good playing asset to me.— S. L.
I never knew where to aim when putting side on the cue ball until a good amateur suggested to me that I should aim through the part of the cue ball at which the cue was addressed and exactly so much fuller or finer on the object ball as the cue tip was removed from the centre of the cue ball. I can now pot with side almost as accurately as without it.—P.