Cue Sport Group

Archive for January, 2010

For the Prop/ Novelty/ Special Arts subcategory, the billiard balls are not necessarily got by the cue ball in one shot. But the speed during this type of competition is important and the number of balls dunked with the shortest time is the goal. Like the title itself, props or accessories are also used to give complexity to the game. Some players use bridges or racks for this one. This general amusement game could also require the utilization of only one free hand for a shot. This game is quite interesting, right?

Backspins are the key on the Draw subcategory where the cue ball needs to be shot below its centre. When this kind of shot was done, the cue ball would tend to go towards the direction of the shooter after contact with the target ball. If you’ve been watching television commercials, Jimmy Moore usually show off this kind of shot.

Professional trick shot artists mastered several tricks as a requirement for every tournament. With unlikely set-ups that require awesome execution, these artistic pool players routinely practices the eight trick shot subcategories that include trick and fancy, prop/novelty/special arts, draw, follow, bank/kick, stroke, jump, and masse. The next articles would give you an overview regarding each necessary shot and thus, allowing you to focus on learning them through trainings.

The first on the list is Trick and Fancy where the billiard balls are set on the table at different locations but with one cue ball shot, these target balls should dunk into the pockets. The Just Showing Off shot is a good example for this one. You better check out some videos on the internet as your guide.

If you are an avid fan or just a spectator of the recent happening in the world of billiards or pool, here is your chance to meet the game masters up close and in action. On March 18 – 21, catch the 2010 Masters Artistic Pool Championship at Valley Forge Convention Center in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.

Witness the amazing shots of the top players in trick shot tournaments as they reveal once again their respective skills on the table. As guided by The Artistic Pool and Trick Shot Association, this event is a must-see for those interested in learning the trick shots or even those that find this kind of competition highly entertaining.

Let me introduce to you the five most famous artists when it comes to trick shots. They were ranked according to their respective performance and scores in every tournament that they participated on. The Artistic Pool and Trick Shot Association screened each of the qualified players and determined their final places. The first on the list is Tom Rossman followed by Andy Segal then Nick Nikolaidis. The fourth on the rank is Sebastian Guemelli and Eric Yow comes in the fifth.

These men mastered the craft through exposures and practices for years. They are now highly respected and popular on the whole wide world.You may take these people as great inspirations to continue your endeavor with the trick shot journey.

Watch Hoppe, Greenleaf and Willie Mosconi. You will see is them flicking their wrist into every shot they make. It’s what they do to make the cue ball dance the way they want it to. When you’re swinging all your wrist and forearm together as one, you can’t flick the wrist like Mosconi because you never cock it back so it can unload and flick into the ball.
You need to begin your stroke not by moving your forearm back, but with a back bend of your wrist that moves your forearm along behind it. At the back of the swing you then release the cocked wrist with a flick and again the wrist leads with the forearm following through the ball.
Let the arm hang loose, now bend the wrist back, farther and farther until pain hits you, then flick it hard, that is your power to your stroke. Your break shot will double in power. You goal is to see how far you can learn to bend your wrist back and that’s how you can measure the force on each shot.

To get you inspired and motivated on learning the trick shots, let me give you an example. This shot is not just a diagram. It was done during the 1970’s by Steve Mizerak on a television commercial for a beer product. A totally classic where on one shot, all six balls dunk into the pockets.

At first, the cue ball hits one ball and end up getting the ball hanging on left uppermost corner. The first contact allows five balls to be dunked; two on one side pocket, one in the opposite and one each on the lower corners. Both the execution and the set-up are critical in this one. This trick shot is quite amazing but really doable with lots of practice and perseverance.

If you are interested on doing a trick shot, you better have an idea on how it could be possible. When aiming for a shot, you think on where the balls will go after the contact. The directions of the balls depend on their respective centers. This is quite true in general and easy to imagine if only two balls are involved. If you consider the frictional effects as well as more balls, that would seem complicated.

But this section is for the basics. Let’s have two to three balls for examples. If the cue ball comes in contact with an isolated target ball, the target would go in the direction that connects the two balls’ centers. You could make an imaginary line for this purpose.

In another scenario, if the cue ball targets ball A and ball A has contact with ball B, where would the target balls go? The ball B would be in the direction that connects ball A and ball B centers while ball A would be on the tangent line’s direction drawn between the two target balls or simply perpendicular to ball B path.

Cue ball positioning is your key to get that next shot perfect. It’s all about setting up a plan until you get it all right on the pocket. Or, on the other hand, make it a tricky shot for the opponent.
Positioning of the cue ball depends on the strength of the shot, the cue ball spin whether it’s on top or base or combined with side. This affects the travel and the angle to which the cue ball will be positioned.
Tips:
Back spin – Back spin is used to stop or reverse the cue ball after impact.
Top spin – Using top spin causes the cue ball to spin faster in the direction of travel. These results in the cue ball moving further than it would naturally, following impact with a cushion or object ball.
Now remember, the cue ball position is your key to that next shot. Take your time standing, thinking, planning and making sure that that cue ball is right where you need it.

When you shoot the cue ball across the table to cut shot, it becomes likely that your cue ball falls into that side pocket. The slightest miscalculation can lead your cue to scratch in the side. Besides this, it becomes even harder to focus on leaving the cue ball on the left side of the side pocket. This shot should not be done unless you rehearsed it multiple times and are already fully comfortable and confident on not making any miscalculations.
Do not use the side spin as you may first instinctively consider on doing first. You may concentrate on doing the top and back spin instead to reduce the number of variables involved. It will also increase your consistency from table to table. When you have this mastered, you will have a feel on pocketing the 1 then positioning your cue ball for the next shot.
Avoiding the side pocket is a sound advise for beginners but once mastered, it can be a trick you can bring along with you to get you that win.

Pool is a very challenging game and that’s why we love it. If it were easy, never missed a pocket, We’d easily get tired of it. The best pool players in the world have the skills. Damn right they have “IT”. But one thing we might miss seeing that these champions have is that it requires much more than just the skills. It is, in fact, a thinking game. Physics; unlike any other game, it demand much precision. You know why? Look at it this way. Other games played on the greens do require physics but there is much space for adjustments. In pool, space for adjustments? You have 4 1/2′ by 9′, or 8′ by 4′, or 3 1/2 by 7′. There isn’t much space in there for adjustments. Given this sport being played on an area so small, you need to have focus, focus and focus. “The Thinking Position” is a very crucial part of every shot you take. Seeing the patterns, shot angles, ball paths, and layout problems. When you lean towards that table and you had the slightest feeling of doubt, go back. Stand up and go back to your thinking position. One millimetre of mistake could cost you missing that pocket. And ultimately, the game.