Thin clip difficulty near cushion, why?

[Billy]

Will someone please explain why commentators are always saying a thin-clip safety, off a ball that’s close to or touching a cushion, is so difficult?

Is it that the ball’s proximity to the cushion is off-putting for the player, or that the double kiss is a possibility?

Other than these there is, logically and as far as I can see, no reason why it should be more difficult than any other thin-clip safety shot. The contact (too thick or too thin) will determine how far the cue ball travels back up the table, and that’s true whether the object ball is on a cushion or in the middle of the table.

[Ginger Freak]

Yeah its one of those strange things, where, as you say, logically there should be no reason for it being more difficult, but, speaking as a player, trust me, it strangely enough is!

I think it might be due to a) being ever so slightly harder to see the edge of the ball when it is next to a cushion, and b) the fact that if you hit a ball on the cushion too thick, invariably the result is disastrous, whereas if you catch the edge of say the pack of reds too thick, there is more of a chance of getting away with it, and thus psychologically playing on your mind a bit!

[Cue crafty]

Physical presence of the cushion behind the ball and especially when tight to it, means the ball on is squeezed into the cushion and and can struggle to escape without a double kiss.
The hardest thin edge often mentioned is when trying to strike across a ball from distance, (so imagine the white in baulk yellow side and the red on the black Cush green side) there isn’t much of and edge to see so that one’s very difficult to judge.

[Ginger Freak]

I think the point he is making is that, if you have to get the finest of clips on a red, for example, it shouldnt make a difference if it is on the cushion or not, you still have to hit the ball in the same place, therefore IN THEORY, it should be the same difficulty! Of course we all know it isn't, or at least never seems to be!

To get the perfectly desired outcome, its more or less the exact same shot, its just that if its on the cushion you HAVE to be deadly accurate, whereas clipping of a ball in the middle of a table, you have a bit more leeway, its all psychological really!

[Billy]

Thanks for the responses, guys. I have played in the long ago past, but only for fun (highest break of about 17 😆). Anyway, I’m a little clearer now.