Does the cue ball impart spin onto the object ball?

[grey]

Hello to all on my first post!

I'm just starting out on a snooker table. I am very keen, but have more questions than answers - for this I apologise in advance, and I hope you all bear with me until I get up-to-speed.

I have played a lot of English 8 ball, and consider myself a fairly good cueist (if there is such a word), though with no snooker experience whatsoever!

I have found most things on the snooker table bigger: the distance (obviously), the nap and the balls... despite this, miniscule differences appear to have a huge effect on the shot's outcome.

As a result of everything being exaggerated, I'm noticing an unusual response of the object ball in certain situations - for instance: if two object balls are close together (not touching), and I play them (strike middle cue ball) as a straight plant, the first ball hits the second and stops immediately like an executive toy!

If I were to play the same shot with backspin, the first ball hits the second, and instead of stopping abruptly, it carries on for a short distance.

This is something I've been mulling-over since last practice, and suggests to me that the cue does impart some spin onto the object ball, but if so, what else can you do with this impartation? Is it possible to persuade a touching plant to go off-line by adding extra side?

I will try next time I'm at the club, but in the meantime, I would be very interested to here your views and any tips on this matter.

[Tiger800]

a tech article

http://billiards.colostate.edu/techn...ofs/TP_4-3.pdf

More principles

http://billiards.colostate.edu/techn...ofs/index.html

[fractivsammy]

Many people will say there is no such thing as transfer of spin between the cue ball and object ball, but these videos convinced me otherwise:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhunp9HeLBc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jUL_8aZ2LU

So it does appear to have measurable (but subtle) effects in certain situations.

[mythman69]

"Is it possible to transfer side from the cue ball to an object ball? It is one of those questions that seem to divide opinion among players. Many people say it is impossible, but I believe you can get an object ball spinning a little. Test it. Put the brown on its spot and the cue ball about a foot behind it in baulk. With extreme bottom side, strike the brown full face and hard. The colour, travelling up and down the centre spots, will come off path very slightly as it makes its second trip the length of the table. The side you put on the white sets up a counter reaction on the object ball. If you play the white with bottom left, the brown comes off the top cushion slightly to the right, and vice versa with bottom right. But - and it's a big but - the effect is so marginal that it's practically pointless to bring into your game. Over distance of about 23 feet, you might get the object ball moving an inch off line. Even then, whether it does or not depends on cushions and the state of the cloth. For what it's worth I say that you can impart side, although not enough to make much of a difference."

(p.23 Jimmy White's Snooker Masterclass).

[itsnoteasy]

You tube type in the search, snooker tips side does not transfer to the object ball, see what you think.

[golferson123]

You tube type in the search, snooker tips side does not transfer to the object ball, see what you think.

def does try it with a pool ball, no doubt

[ADR147]

i know several very good players who say it does not but i can and do do it!

[golferson123]

yep running side down the cush puts opposite side on the ob and pulls in of the pocket angle,billiard players use it all the time

[cyberheater]

yep running side down the cush puts opposite side on the ob and pulls in of the pocket angle,billiard players use it all the time

I can't be certain if it does impart spin on the object ball but I use a trace of running side on all of my shots when the object ball is on the cushion and I'm trying to pot it into a pocket and they go in every time. They just hug the cushion.

[itsnoteasy]

I don't know if people are getting throw on the ball and side on it mixed up, side can throw the ob, but does it impart onto it?

[itsnoteasy]

I can't be certain if it does impart spin on the object ball but I use a trace of running side on all of my shots when the object ball is on the cushion and I'm trying to pot it into a pocket and they go in every time. They just hug the cushion.

Try doing the same shot with the ball an inch from the Cush, and see if you can get the ob, to pull into the Cush, if side is imparted you should be able to do it with the object ball anywhere on the table, you might just find that running side will throw the ball out wider when it's not on the Cush.

[cyberheater]

Try doing the same shot with the ball an inch from the Cush, and see if you can get the ob, to pull into the Cush, if side is imparted you should be able to do it with the object ball anywhere on the table, you might just find that running side will throw the ball out wider when it's not on the Cush.

I'll try it next time I get some solo practise.

[grey]

Thank you all for your responses.

I tried some shots out in practice tonight. Frustratingly, I wasn't pushing the cue through very well, which made it difficult to see what I was actually achieving! I'm keen to find if the object-ball hugs the cushion with running side as suggested, but until I manage to really put it to the test, the original question will remain unresolved in my mind.

However, I did manage to replicate the 'throw effect' a demonstrated on the link provided by fractivsammy, and it does explain much of what I've been noticing on the snooker table. I am aware of this effect, but truly surprised with how much more exaggerated it is on a snooker table (as opposed to english pool tables I'm more familiar with).

Special thanks to Tiger800 for providing the link to the mathematical equation for 'throw'! I wrote it down on the back of my hand so I wouldn't forget it whilst in the club (unfortunately I didn't understand any of it).

[Samcheung001]

Yes to the original question. If you play a double at same angle and with left and right spin, you will see the difference.

[narl]

More than likely it does, I've played many shots where the object ball has reacted off the cushion with obvious side spin on it. Even Steve Davis who in the 80's was convinced spin didn't transfer changed his opinion.