Possibily a stupid question about draw shot

[GeorgeNg]

For a draw shot, is it possible that most of the energy is used to increase the spin of the cue ball, instead of the speed of the cue ball? For instance, is it possible for someone to hit a draw shot to cause the cue ball with lots of spin but with little speed?

[Terry Davidson]

In snooker there is a shot called a 'soft screw' (I guess 'soft-draw for a pool player) where there is a lot of spin imparted to the cueball but the shot is very soft. It's normally accomplished by using an extended follow-through and it's seen most commonly around the blue or black balls where the player is attempting to hold the cueball for position on an angled shot. The soft screw reduces the distance the cueball will travel and sometimes reduces the angle of throw off the object ball.

Despite what some players believe, a soft screw shot is accomplished using a lot of follow-through and that's the only way it can be done

Terry

[bkpaul]

Despite what some players believe, a soft screw shot is accomplished using a lot of follow-through and that's the only way it can be done

Terry

Disagree - but I cheat! (sorry Terry!), play a form of masse shot will give you the same effect and generate more spin making the ball travel appear to travel slower, and trust me its not easy!

Also the soft screw must be played with dead straight cueing or you will be in serious trouble, it is a highly technically advanced shot which some players never master, the slightest bit of side imparted will have a big effect on the cue ball (a swerve), the timing also has to be virtually perfect to execute the shot correctly, very little margin of error!.

[GeorgeNg]

Disagree - but I cheat! (sorry Terry!), play a form of masse shot will give you the same effect and generate more spin making the ball travel appear to travel slower, and trust me its not easy!

can you tell more about your masse shot?

[Terry Davidson]

bkpaul:

Yes, for sure tell him how to simulate a soft screw shot by cheating and using a masse shot.

However, I believe the soft screw shot would be more accurate than a masse shot, no matter how good you are at it.

Terry

[bkpaul]

It's nothing more complicated than playing a straight masse (no side spin) but it gives you a great deal of control once you are used to playing it.

Imagine playing the cue ball with the cue vertical and striking obviosuly down on the nearest face of the ball, this give you an easy way to control the effect but striking a larger or lesser proportion of the ball.

Its also far easier to ensure you do not impart side spin.

As Terry said for many and in particular those that use a firm to hard tip the soft screw he uses is far more easier to control, this shot that I play is therefore one of those shots I refered to on another thread that cannot be played with anything other than an ultra soft tip.

I only tend to use this shot when I need absolute position insted of approximate position as I have a far greater success rate with it.

I also would not recommend the shot to anyone except a very good player and one who has no problems using the masse shot as it can obviously if done incorrectly damage the table, not as badly as a masse shot as you are using far less power.

I actually leaned the shot many years ago (aged 12) from a few good pool players I knew who swore by it, I thought it was daft until I actually started to practice it....!, once you get use to it the control of pace is so easy its virtually a banker shot.

Funnily enough they also tought me the reverse swing shot (black to baulk end)... maybe I should have learned pool before snooker

[Marlboro]

How can you pot a ball 3 feet away when cueing vertically down??

Typcal situation of using a soft screw would be potting a 2/3 ball into the middle pocket and holding for the blue, you can't do that when cuing vertically down.

[bkpaul]

I didn't say you use it all of the time, like any other shot its specific to the given situation... you can't use a soft screw the way you play it if you are close to a cushion can you?

[Krypton]

yes, bkpaul, good example.

table open, reds all spread out, opponent manages to leave himself with no shot on, as he managed to just kiss the red near the cushion and leave the balls too close together. so, with no other safety options, he just sneaks the cue ball up 'behind' that red close to it, leaving you with the difficult situation.

you step to the table, judge the angle, raise the butt of the cue and pot that red thing into the middle, even managing to screw the white back off the cushion for position on a colour, without a push shot of course. starting a break from exactly the position he was in and decided to leave for you, as there was 'only a risky, push-shot-like pot' on...

not a shot you'll need in every frame, not even every 3, but well worth knowing, once the situation arises.

[Marlboro]

But thats not a soft screw...I shut up.

[Marlboro]

Even though Terry is a coach, I play soft screw differently. I prefer to jab at the cue ball to create the spin, but minimal follow-through (half my usual follow-through) to reduce the pace of the cue ball.

[Krypton]

But thats not a soft screw...I shut up.

you're right, that's not a soft screw ... i didn't want to say it was, i just found the shot he was describing very helpful sometimes.

a soft screw is the shot Terry (and others) described perfectly as being played with lots of follow trough, nice touch and feeling. and of course this shot occurs much more often, so it has to be trained and mastered first

[bongo]

There isn't any need to 'jab' at the cue-ball when playing soft screw. The way to play it correctly is by cueing it sweetly. Sometimes the soft screw for position may not be on and you may not be able to 'hold' for position.

[bkpaul]

Yes its not, you are right Marlboro, I use this shot mainly to lay snookers but also occassional pots, it does also help if you are reasonably tall as I am sure you can imagine... and a requirement of the shot is its close to a cushion (otherwise you can't reach!)

Bottom line dont' knock it until you have tried it, I almost made that mistake!!

[GeorgeNg]

When I look at this clip, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tcKx...eature=related , it seems that he was neither using a soft screw nor a Masse shot to hit the cue ball. The outcome, in my opinion, is that the cue ball was with massive spin but ran very slowly. I understand that a good follow-through would produce tons of spin but at the same time also increase the ball speed. How can he do it? Is he a magician?