COLUMNIST San Francisco Billiard Academy www.sfbilliards.com
Bob Jewett
San Francisco Billiard Academy is a BCA Certified Master Academy. The academy offers: Private Instruction Basics Clinic Eight Ball Clinic Nine Ball Clinic Introduction to Billiard Instruction BCA Recognized Instructor Course BCA Certified Instructor Course
Fancy and Finesse
BY: BOB JEWETT
Here are two draw shots suitable for propositions or demonstrations. The goal in each is to make the 9 ball with draw. In Shot 1, the goal is to draw from the 2 to the 9 while going around the 3 ball and not touching the rail at A. It requires good power but nothing of a championship level. Like a lot of “fancy” shots, it helps to set up the shot exactly the same way each time if you want to make it in less than 100 tries. Place both the 2 ball and the cue ball exactly one ball off the cushion, using an extra ball as the gauge. Each ball is on the half-diamond as far as placement along the short rail. This placement doesn’t need to be accurate down to a millimeter, but it should be consistent. The main thing to learn from this shot is how to adjust it if the first tries do not succeed. If you run into the cushion at A, you need to hit the 2 ball fuller. Since the ball is so close to the pocket, you have a fair amount of margin on aiming. If you pass to side B of the 3 ball, you need to either shoot harder or thinner on the 2. If you get past the 3 without hitting the cushion but the cue ball misses the
10 The Break - October 2011
shot along line C, you need to have more draw on the cue ball. Finally, if you get around the obstacle OK but you miss along path D, you need to take a little draw off the cue ball. Shot 1 may be nearly impossible on old, sticky cloth. If you think that could be a problem or if you just want to see some amazing cue ball action, rub the cue ball with silicone spray, such as ArmorAll. That will delay when the draw takes and you will get much more dramatic curves. In Shot 2, finesse is needed rather than power. It gives even very good players trouble unless they have tried to play it before. The mistake most players make is to hit the one ball too thinly or too hard so that the cue ball hits the cushion before it has time for the draw to take and curve back towards the 9. The technique needed is “dead draw” which is standard in carom billiards. Hit the 1 ball nearly full with just a little draw and quite firmly. Since you are taking draw off the ball, you need to compensate by hitting the cue ball harder than you normally would for that distance of draw. Once you have the technique down reasonably well, modify the position by moving the cue ball farther from the rail. How far out can you move it and still make the shot?
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