Clearing the Colours - Blue to Pink Troubles

[Gerry Armstrong]

Well what would happen if you played that shot with LHS ??????

The cueball when bouncing off the black cushion would move more towards the side cushion than if played with no sidespin i.e. the natural angle off the cushion would be widened, hence running side.

[nrage]

Well what would happen if you played that shot with LHS ??????

Running side, obviously Seriously tho, it all depends on the path the white is taking onto the cushion. Everyone knows what "check" side means and no-one would mistake check for running or vice versa on the actual table. But, people do get confused as has happened here when they're each having to imagine a shot described in text and each coming up with a slight but important difference, specifically the angle the white takes onto/off the cushion. It all hinges on the angle

[jrc750]

The cueball when bouncing off the black cushion would move more towards the side cushion than if played with no sidespin i.e. the natural angle off the cushion would be widened, hence running side.

Hmmm well that's totally opposite to what i thought, i think i better head to the club later and play a few shots

[nrage]

Well what would happen if you played that shot with LHS ??????

The cueball when bouncing off the black cushion would move more towards the side cushion than if played with no sidespin i.e. the natural angle off the cushion would be widened, hence running side.

Yep, unless the shot on the blue was thin, in which case the natural angle would have it come toward the yellow side cushion and LHS would then make it check off the top cushion

[jrc750]

..... It all hinges on the angle

I think this is the key to this little debate

[Gerry Armstrong]

Hmmm well that's totally opposite to what i thought, i think i better head to the club later and play a few shots

You're clear that the white is near the middle pocket on the yellow side of the table before the shot and bounces off the black cushion after passing the pink on the green side of the table?

[jrc750]

You're clear that the white is near the middle pocket on the yellow side of the table before the shot and bounces off the black cushion after passing the pink on the green side of the table?

Nope lol, i was assuming the cut on blue was meaning the white passed the pink on yellow side of table
problem over i think

[Gerry Armstrong]

Nope lol, i was assuming the cut on blue was meaning the white passed the pink on yellow side of table
problem over i think

Phew!!!

Means I don't have to convert to the "English" system of using/describing side. You now how us Scots love the English!!

[nrage]

Aww man, and I just prepared this diagram too..

check-or-running.png

[hotpot]

As has been said the position of the balls will determine if check or running side is used .

[Terry Davidson]

OK, to stop the confusion on the definition of 'check' and 'running' side (and hopefully I don't confuse you more).

As nrage has said above, it all depends on what ANGLE the cueball comes into the cushion. So check side will change the direction the cueball would have normally had off the cushion and will change that to the reverse angle (or straight off the cushion depending on the amount of check side) AND it will reduce the speed of the cueball.

With running side the cueball will go MORE in the direction it would have gone without side and the speed of the cueball will INCREASE off the cushion.

So now to give you an example...I will use the blue ball and the top cushion as that seems to be the most common shot where pros and good players will use side. So we set up a 3/4-ball blue with the cueball on the yellow side of the table and we are playing for position on the pink, as near straight in as we can get it. For this shot I would use H7/R2/P4 (above centre, right side) and bring the cueball past the FAR SIDE (green side) of the pink to catch the top cushion about 1ft to the green side of the black spot and then 'CHECK' back (hopefully) straight up the table. This shot will have a margin of error of around 2ft and anywhere within that 2ft you can easily pot the pink and get on the black.

Using the same shot but with RUNNING side I would hit with H7/L3/P3 (above centre, left side) to catch the top cushion right around 1.5ft from the black, then the left (running) side will take the cueball into the side cushion and have it bounce out for a good shot on the pink, however this shot with running side is a little harder to control and for the club player it depends on 2 cushions instead of 1 cushion.

I hope that clears up any confusion regarding check & running side. The definition being check side will narrow the angle the cueball takes off the cushion and running side will increase the angle

Terry

[Gerry Armstrong]

There was no confusion about the defintion check or running side, only with what side of the table the cueball was striking the black cushion after it made contact with the blue.

[choice]

Terry
I think it is more confusing to write about it, than to play it.L.O.L.

[choice]

Must admit i think Terry has got it wrong too, right hand side on that shot scenario is NOT check side ?????

I think more difficult to write about it, than play it Terry.

[vmax4steve]

So now to give you an example...I will use the blue ball and the top cushion as that seems to be the most common shot where pros and good players will use side. So we set up a 3/4-ball blue with the cueball on the yellow side of the table and we are playing for position on the pink, as near straight in as we can get it. For this shot I would use H7/R2/P4 (above centre, right side) and bring the cueball past the FAR SIDE (green side) of the pink to catch the top cushion about 1ft to the green side of the black spot and then 'CHECK' back (hopefully) straight up the table. This shot will have a margin of error of around 2ft and anywhere within that 2ft you can easily pot the pink and get on the black.Terry

All well and good Terry but seeing as the cue ball will deflect and arc when using side, what is the aiming point for the blue at the correct pace needed for position on the pink ??