maybe I finally played a shot that wasn't pants

[merlin1234]

Hi guys. I'm rubbish at snooker. I play a couple of times a year, highest break ever is late 20s.

So the other day I played my dad and managed to video myself knocking in this blue from just off the cush, and it looks to me like I cued it ok.

Have I finally done something decent on a snooker table?

eta I suppose it's more likely I miscued and swerved it a bit and that's why it went in

[nrage]

I think even a pro would have been happy with that shot. It looked like you got 1/2 decent position as well

[ace man]

Crazy pot, I'll give you that, but should have gone for safety on the green or brown really. This is too low percentage for anyone.

[merlin1234]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Yeah I know I'm not going to win many frames taking on shots like that, but I'm not going to win much anyway so knocking in the odd colourful shot is about all I can manage.

Plus I didn't think I was likely to land on the loose red unless I hit it right. I was thinking sort of stun run through type thing for position, and I think that's what I got.

eta or maybe there's no stun there and there's just a bit of top on it

[nrage]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Yeah I know I'm not going to win many frames taking on shots like that, but I'm not going to win much anyway so knocking in the odd colourful shot is about all I can manage.

Plus I didn't think I was likely to land on the loose red unless I hit it right. I was thinking sort of stun run through type thing for position, and I think that's what I got.

eta or maybe there's no stun there and there's just a bit of top on it

I reckon the white was rolling, possible with full forward roll, on contact with the blue. So, no stun by the time it made contact. The white always slides/stuns a bit when you first strike it with this sort of power, but I reckon that had worn off by the time it made contact.

[merlin1234]

Thanks, that makes sense.

[mooneyy]

I would say the cue ball had actually some top on impact. Notice how the cueball first deflects to the left and then starts to roll down the table.

[nrage]

I would say the cue ball had actually some top on impact. Notice how the cueball first deflects to the left and then starts to roll down the table.

It had top spin in the sense that any rolling ball which impacts another ball will stop moving forward (or deflect off) but keeps spinning forward as if it was still rolling in the original direction. The spin forward is now greater than the movement forward so you can say it has "top" spin, or over-spin, but that's not what is typically meant when someone says "top" spin. What is typically meant is that the ball is struck above center and this "top" spin causes it to start rolling earlier. It's actually likely impossible to strike a white with a cue and make it over-spin, that is spin forward faster than it is rolling. Does that make sense?

[DandyA]

nice shot merlin1234 ... I agree with other posters, good shot with a rolling white at mid pace, well done ... I see you looked like you tried to hit it as a stun but over that distance on a club cloth at that power, the white will start rolling ... all the stun does is delay the roll coming into effect ... it worked well

if you're interested in cueball effects, see Dr Dave Alciatore's great website http://billiards.colostate.edu/ ...

there are 100's of videos on there but I'm sure if you ask, nrage will be pleased to provide some links to some that you may enjoy - nrage has got a brain like an encylopedia ... either that or he's got a very well organised SQL database

[mooneyy]

@nrage: Yes, I know what top means. I said that, because it looks to me as he has hit the cueball just a fraction above center, bot woth lots of power and, more importantly, lots of follow through.

[nrage]

@nrage: Yes, I know what top means. I said that, because it looks to me as he has hit the cueball just a fraction above center, bot woth lots of power and, more importantly, lots of follow through.

Sure, saying he played with "top" makes sense, but saying the ball had "top" doesn't really, it's the same as saying it was rolling, and that's true of all shots which are no longer stunned/sliding - that's what I was trying to make clear.