Half ball black into corner troubles.

[nullsys]

throtts:
Yep, I have a sneaky feeling that I'm not hitting centre ball. Perhaps I'm considering it "too easy" and just not concentrating.

Terry:
Thanks for confirming the object ball angle thing. It was just one more thing I needed to make sure that it's me and me alone causing the problem.

Alabbadi:
lol I know right, so arrogant of me to say those things, but everything was potting so well today. Everything I did was spot on, and then BAM, half-ball consistently failing.
Must be off centre on the white or just not catching the very edge.

Thanks everyone, I have a few things to try tomorrow. I don't expect to get it right, but hopefully an improvement and less frustration would be nice!

[nullsys]

I think the black is a difficult pot, it's at about 33 degrees or less to the corner pockets, very little to aim at ... pink is much better, it's at 45 degrees to the corner pockets so will go in off either jaw ... blue is nice if you're fairly straight(ish) on it to either centre or corner ... I personally am a big fan of yellow and green - they are roughly at 45 degrees to the baulk corner pockets and quite close to them, if I fail to get position on black or pink (which is very often!) I'll always have a go at yellow/green from 9ft away if I can see them with good success ...

But blacks are tricky, especially as you're probably also trying some delicate positioning to get on the next red at the business end of the table ... they are certainly not a natural shot ... lots, lots and lots of practice required ...

Also interesting that Steve Davis advocates cutting 1/2 ball blind blacks onto the near (end cushion) jaw whilst I think Terry always suggests the far (side cushion) jaw ...

You've just hit the nail on the head with tomorrow's practice:

Yellow and Green's at half-ball
I'm stupidly excited about it lol.

[nrage]

message removed

[nullsys]

Spent an hour putting blue into middle pockets from 1/2 ball.

Considerably more went in than not!!
It felt great. I could power them in, roll them, add screw, top, etc. Everything went really well.

I think I'll try the Yellow and Green tomorrow, maybe black another week lol

Thank you everyone for helping!

[throtts]

Spent an hour putting blue into middle pockets from 1/2 ball.

Considerably more went in than not!!
It felt great. I could power them in, roll them, add screw, top, etc. Everything went really well.

I think I'll try the Yellow and Green tomorrow, maybe black another week lol

Thank you everyone for helping!

Don't shy away from the big bad black, haha.. I smacked a 1/2 ball black in today with top to splt the pack, it come off but I fell on sweet fa, typical...

[Terry Davidson]

throtts:

I like to see the pros use the 1/2-ball black to break the pack open using top spin off the top cushion. Unfortunately when I do it here my cloth isn't like their new #10 and the balls don't spread too well, although sometimes. It nice to watch the cueball curve from all the top stuff.

I would advise club players on slower cloths to use the blue to break the pack open if they can, as long as the top balls (or pink) are tight and the pack isn't still together too much as if you miss the pink you will definitely go in-off. The worst thing though is to pot the blue perfect with lots of power, smack the pack and then watch a red trickle into a top pocket. Take a gun and shoot me!

Terry

[Gerry Armstrong]

I quite like the low half ball black and straight in to the reds on club tables. No top cushion to bounce off, just direct in to the reds so more power in to the reds and if you stun the white and catch the reds correctly, with some running side to help the white comes off the side cushion and in to the middle of the table and you more often than not have at least 1 red to go at to a middle pocket.