A Half-Ball stroke which strikes two cushions

I have known for a long time - as part of billiards folk-lore - and I also vaguely remember reading somewhere, that if an object ball is played half-ball, then the cue ball, after striking two cushions, should return to the point from where it was played. Clearly there will be exceptions to this, "Rule of thumb." However, for example, if the red ball is on the spot, and a player plays a half-ball stroke from, say, the right-hand spot of the D, then the cue-ball should, according to this theory, return to that spot via the top and side cushions, If this were a fact then it would be a useful piece of billiards knowledge.

Daigram 7

Daigram 8

I recently tried a few shots on this basis. The result of my trials is shown on Diagram 7. The cue-ball consistently returned more-or-less on the line as shown. It looked as if it ought to come back over the spot but never did. Either there was something wrong with the conditions, my cueing - or the theory. When I tried in two other positions, as shown in Diagram 8. where it looked as if the cue-ball would not return anywhere near the point from where it started, the results were quite surprising.

In these positions it does not look as if the cue-ball will return to the point from where it was played. It consistently did so. Perhaps at this close range I was able to strike more nearly a true half-ball. If a second object ball lay on the line shown, then scoring a cannon would be a fairly simple matter. Readers comments please.

CIU Individual Billiards

P. Shelley (Ball Green) beat G. Thomas (Ferndale) T. Hodby (Clay Lane) beat P. Welham (Swaffham) M. Westthorp (Newport) beat F. Hodge (Broad Oak) M. Goodwill (Newport) beat D. Causier (Grangetown) (Detailed scores not yet available).

Semi-Finals T. Hodby v M. Goodwill P. Shelley v M. Westthorp.

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