The Vexed Question of Transmitted side

Transmitted side has been a topic of discussion and controversy since the very early days of the game. Players still disagree as to whether or not side on the cue ball is transferred to the object ball and, if so, whether or not such an effect could be of any use in the playing of the game. The question has recently surfaced once again as a consequence of Geza Gazdag's book. Here Chris Hudson looks at the question from an historical point of view.

Discussions on the topic of transmitted side have been common amongst billiard players since the last century. The views on the subject seemed to have very little to do with the playing abilities of those putting them forward. Certain top professionals would deny its existence whereas humble club players would hotly argue that they could exploit it. Some pros would claim they employed transmitted side whilst other players, both professional and amateur, would say that it was impossible. Most players were however agreed on one thing, that there were certain strokes that gave the appearance of transmitted side. The most common example was that of the loser from hand when the object ball was in the area of the pyramid spot. If the cueball was spotted wider than for the plain half-ball shot and running side was used, the object ball would take a slightly different path and result in better position for the middle pocket in-off. Protagonists of the transmitted side theory said that this effectively put running side on the object ball. Non-believers said that the different course of the object ball was due entirely to its being hit on a different spot from a slightly different direction.

Most of the, "for," school said that transmitted side on the object ball took effect when that ball hit a cushion in the same way as a cueball carrying side. In the case of the example quoted the object ball has two opportunities to demonstrate that it is carrying side because it hits two cushions. Lindrum was a believer in transmitted side as is shown in the diagram reproduced from his, "Billiards," 1930.)

Both strokes are shown with the cueball spotted in the same place. In the accompanying text Lindrum makes this amazing statement, " - the effect of the side is transmitted to an extent which could scarcely be surpassed if you were putting side on the object ball with your cue." Lindrum was not alone among the greats in his belief in transmitted side. Davis, Newman, and Smith all agreed on its effectiveness and although the views of the first two gradually changed over the years, that of Willie Smith never altered.

In his, "Billiards for the Million," Vol.3. 1928, Riso Levi has a 36 page article on transmitted side in which the following list is given:-

Non-believers - John Roberts, Jnr; Dawson; Stevenson; Newman; Davies; Inman; Reece; Gray; Williams; Arthur Peall; Mannock.

Believers - Willie Smith; Cook; Charles Roberts; and the amateurs E. C. Breed, Lonsdale, and Sydney Fry.

Riso Levi always made strenuous denials about the practical use of transmitted side. He did not deny that side might be transmitted, he maintained that no player could make practical use of it. One un-named professional player experimented by spinning a ball with the fingers in a soup bowl and then placing another ball in with it. The second ball soon begins to rotate in the opposite direction. Levi caustically pointed out that billiards was played on a table and not in a soup bowl. Levi, studied the subject thoroughly and fully understood two other phenomena often claimed to be examples of transmitted side - cushion imparted side, and side transmitted during a run of nursery cannons.

Cushion imparted side

When an object ball travelling at speed hits a cushion at an angle it picks up side. If the next cushion hit by the ball is at 90 degrees to the first, (side cushion - top cushion,) this becomes running side. If the second cushion is on the opposite side of the table then it becomes check. This latter effect is something that snooker players are well aware of when playing fast centre pocket doubles. Cushion imparted side has an effect on many shots at billiards though most players will play the strokes without giving much thought to the theory.

Side Transmitted during nurseries

With the balls in a nursery cannon position, most players, without being nursery experts, know how to advance or retard the travel of the first object ball. This is caused by side on the cueball, but the close proximity of the cushion must have some contributory effect possibly due to squeezing or pinching.

Looking at Lindrum's diagram again, what causes the object ball to take a different path the instant it is hit by a side laden ball? The major part of this difference is that the shot with side is taking the object ball less than half-ball. But is this the whole story? If there is some interaction between an object ball and a cueball carrying side, then this would contribute to the effect of transmitted side. What of the great players? In 1928, Joe Davis said, "transmitted side - to an extent which has any playing effect is, in my opinion, another myth." Newman in 1923, "If anyone can show me how to transmit an effective amount of side - I shall be obliged to him." It is not known whether Lindrum changed his mind, but he never altered his published views on the subject, in his only other book the matter is not mentioned.

One player who certainly never changed his mind was the great Willie Smith. In 1926 he made the following amazing claim, "It is my secret how I transmit side to the object ball and I suppose this is the reason why I am the world's premier billiard player." So vexed was the whole subject that Willie actually gave lectures on the subject, hardly anyone daring to contradict him.

Except Levi! There must be some doubt as to who was the more obdurate in his view. Smith's argument was that as he was a thousand break player and Levi a mere amateur then he (Smith) must be right. Not so replied Riso demolishing this point of view with impressive logic.

Possibly the time is ripe for a reappraisal of the whole question The aim of any investigation should simply be to establish the practicality- or otherwise - of the use of transmitted side in actual play in an unbiased a manner as is possible.

A View from the Amateur Champion

Whether the following will have any practical effect on your billiards is debatable. It would certainly be more to your advantage to practice losing hazards than to mess around with transmitted side. However, in the Summer of 1991, Phil Davis and myself spent a couple of hours experimenting to find out what we could about transmitted side. What follows is a concise account of our experiments.

• 30 ounce BCE cloth
• 5 and 1/2 lengths table speed
• Temperature 25+ degrees C.
• Westbury steel block cushions
• Cueball hit with strength equivalent to 4 lengths Hit with maximum side and stunned.

To ensure that the object ball travelled up the centre of the table, tape was put on the baulk cushion so as to indicate any deviation from centre. The cue ball was stunned with maximum side. The object ball would thus travel from the pink spot on the centre line of the table, hit the baulk cushion centrally and return to the top cushion where any deviation from the centre line could be recorded. After analysing 50 shots with each side, it was found that the object ball struck the top cushion, on average, 16.2 cms from the central point thus proving conclusively that side can be transmitted! But enough of the theory and experiment, what are the

practical implications?. Willie Smith said:- "All I bother about is that in effect, I can get results equalling the transmission of a decided amount of side."

Walter Lindrum went a step further:- "Get away from the theory, put the balls on the table and I will prove to you that the influence of side on the cue ball is transmitted to the object ball to such an extent that you cannot play billiards without it." Enough said!

The use of side to alter the path of the object ball has many applications. I would like to mention just one.

If the losing hazard shown is played with strong right hand side, the object ball will follow path A; and with left hand side path B. Some of you will now be thinking about the path the cue ball takes when playing with strong side. Perhaps more noticeable is the, "Throw effect," which occurs when a spinning ball comes into contact with a stationary ball. I do not wish to go any further into the theory, fascinating though it is. What is important is that you should be aware that the run of the object ball may be quite often controlled by use of side on the cue ball. As Walter said, "you cannot play billiards without allowing for it."