Snooker Physics

[Rjcmcmlxxix]

I know I over analyse things. But I noticed if I hit a canon lined up perfectly from the yellow spot at half ball. Firstly if I hit the ball gently the pot goes exactly where intended. If I smash it, the object ball misses by a few inches or more.

Does the same thing happen without the canon? just a regular shot. My thoughts are that the object ball is being hit with half of the cue ball and skiding momentarily before taking on its movement. I think at half ball it would be affected the most.

[Rjcmcmlxxix]

Want to edit but didn't know how. I also meant yellow to long top pocket, (Table length shot)

[PatBlock]

When you say "a canon lined up perfectly" do you mean a plant where the two balls involved are touching?

Sorry if I've misunderstood the question.

You may need to have 10 posts under your belt before you can edit.
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[Rjcmcmlxxix]

Oh yeah! My bad, Meant plant, Been a while since I've played.

[Terry Davidson]

What you are getting is the 'squeeze' or 'throw' effect from 2 balls that are touching or very close to touching. If you line up your plant perfectly and then his the first ball as if you were going to pot it you should make the pot on the second ball.

However, if you now line them up perfectly again and attempt to cut the first ball in the opposite pocket you will notice the second ball in the plant will go the OPPOSITE way to what you think it should.

The same thing will happen if you cut the first ball the other way.

This is what the TV commentators mean when they show a plant that isn't quite dead into the pocket and say the player can 'make' the plant (by cutting it in the opposite direction). Some commentators call it the 'squeeze effect' where the middle ball of the 3 balls when the cueball contacts gets squeezed and throws the last ball in the opposite direction.

A normal part of the game

Terry

[Rjcmcmlxxix]

Thanks for that Terry, Just wasn't sure on that. I remember the first time I took on a dead straight plant and thought "Yeah this is a shoe in" Missed it completely.

[deant1982]

Thanks for that Terry, Just wasn't sure on that. I remember the first time I took on a dead straight plant and thought "Yeah this is a shoe in" Missed it completely.

You still need to hit it vaguely in the right direction. When its a dead on plant, you don't have to be 100% accurate how you hit the first red, but you obviously cant hit completely the wrong side and expect it to go in...

[vmax4steve]

This squeeze effect is in reality a push shot but where the illegal push shot is one where the tip of the cue does the pushing, in this case it is the cue ball that does the pushing ie: staying in contact with the first object ball for a short time while all three balls are in motion before breaking contact, making the second object ball travel in a different direction.
Hitting the first object ball with the cue ball at the point needed to make a dead set plant means the cue ball stays in contact with the first object ball at the correct point of the lateral inertia going through the centre of the cue ball and the first object ball and the direction that the second object ball needs to take whereas the squeeze effect push shot is where the cue ball hits the first object ball off set from the centre of the lateral inertia, travels with the first object ball with the lateral intertia of both the cue ball and the first object ball pushing the second object ball before contact is then broken and the second object ball has been pushed in a different direction.