check side

[ardvark66]

Hi
This is one concept I could never understand can anybody give a quick explanation or guide me to any links that explains what it is and how to play. I have played many frames where I have hovering around 20/30 break and then played bad shot to be told I should have used check side.

[davipp]

You obviously run out of position by along way, and this could have been because you used running side or for that matter unintentional running side. Check side is what it is, it takes the pace off the cue ball off the cushion to hold for the next ball. You need to do a practical demo of this on the table to actually see the cue ball response when using running side or check side. I'm sure some where there is a video of this.

[nrage]

The simple rule is - check side will narrow the angle off the cushion, running side will widen it.

Secondly, if you're 20-30 break standard avoid side spin if at all possible.

However, to explain check/running side..

Imagine a ball going onto the right hand cushion at 45 degrees (measured from straight in which is 0 degrees), it would normally come off at -45 degrees giving a total of 90 degrees from angle on to angle off.

If you play with right hand side, this will be check side. The angle on will stay at 45 degrees but the angle off will be smaller, say -25 degrees (from straight in) - so it will head more into the middle of the table. The white will check up off the cushion, and it will also slow down as some of the speed is used up achieving the new angle.

If you play with left hand side, this will be running side. The angle on will again stay at 45 degrees but the angle off will be larger, say -65 degrees (from straight in) - so it will head more down the cushion. The white will run on down the cushion, and it will also speed up as some of the side spin is converted into forward motion.

But, play the same shot off the left hand cushion and you need to reverse which side of the ball you strike, now right hand side is running side and left hand side is check side.

This is one of the issues with terms like check/running side, which side of the ball you strike depends on the angle it is going to take onto the cushion.

In fact, for certain shots (where the ball will normally go onto the cushion near straight in (0 degrees)) you can actually get either check or running side by striking higher or lower on the ball - all without changing which side of the ball you're striking!

This is because by striking lower/higher you alter the angle onto the cushion and because check/running side describes the change in expected angle, due to side spin, the same side spin now has a different effect on the new expected angle off the cushion.

Hopefully that's not too confusing, I know I tend to write too much

[j6uk]

If I played 3hrs a day 5days a week sparing, I would use check side maybe 5-10 times and they would be mainly safety shots.
I like a plane ball game with trying to master the pace of the table and angles off the cushions.

[magicman]

Get yourself onto YouTube and search snooker check side. Neilmaxman's vids are correct and unlike many others on YouTube he actually knows the difference between running and check side.

[shredder]

Get yourself onto YouTube and search snooker check side. Neilmaxman's vids are correct and unlike many others on YouTube he actually knows the difference between running and check side.

Exactly. Neil has some real nice videos with decent explanations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1A-dPJCwW4

[vmax4steve]

Get yourself onto YouTube and search snooker check side. Neilmaxman's vids are correct and unlike many others on YouTube he actually knows the difference between running and check side.

Correct magicman. It's not about left or right hand side as a black off its spot from the same side of the table will change right hand running side into right hand check side depending on the angle of the pot.

[nrage]

Exactly. Neil has some real nice videos with decent explanations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1A-dPJCwW4

His earlier videos, and it seems the reason he started making videos was to correct the "snooker tips" videos - so the initial videos are those guys arguing about whether something is check/running side.. and the reason they were arguing, was because the shot they were arguing about had a natural angle which was almost straight into the cushion, so a small change in potting angle, or a bit of top or screw and running becomes check and vice-versa.

[ardvark66]

Thanks guys great info will look at youtube