Aiming with side

[dcrackers147]

learn how to play well with side and it will make breakbuilding so much easier!! You will never have to hit the ball hard again once you perfect it and are cueing well!!

[Rahal]

Thanks for the very detailed response. I guess at this stage of my game I'd better not use side apart from when at the practice table. I feel that it makes potting a bit vague, particularly at distance.

[jonny66]

I'm no expert but I don't think sidespin and distance go together, best used on shorter shots to start with.

[vmax4steve]

basically, if you are putting left hand side on the cue ball you will be hitting it left of centre which will push/deflect it to the right of the line the cue ball would take if you hit it centre ball, meaning you would miss the shot to the left of unless you can compensate for the deflection or push off the normal line that is caused by you hitting the cue ball left of centre - so you need to compensate by adjusting your line of aim further to the left - and vice versa, to the right for right hand side

Actually this isn't true, it's not a simple case of vice versa, you have to aim for a thicker contact point almost all of the time when playing with side.

This is because of the effect of the nap on the spinning cue ball.

Take a black off its spot into a corner pocket from the yellow side of the table with the cue ball high and needing check (left hand) side to stay on a red. The shot should be aimed for the near jaw as the cue ball is spinning in the same direction as the nap which makes it swerve far more than it would with running (right hand) side when it is spinning against the direction of the nap.

Check side (left hand) on this shot will make the cue ball deflect to the right initially, but swerve across the line of aim to strike the black thinner than aimed, so aim for a thicker contact to offset this.

Right hand side will make the cue ball deflect to the left but it will not swerve back across the line of aim when struck with firm or medium pace as it is spinning against the nap so will stay on its deflected path, so again aim thicker unless you are playing the shot very slowly which give sthe cue ball more time to swerve across the line of aim against the nap.

Practise this, see how much the cue ball deflects and changes course across the line of aim when spinning with and against the nap, by how much and to which side you miss the pot and adjust accordingly.

When playing side with extreme power over a short distance you only need to aim for the initiall deflection of the cue ball as the spin doesn't have time to react against the nap on the cloth.

Very important thing to remember about playing with side is that once you have decided to use it, and have aimed for a different contact point on the object ball than is needed to pot it, you must keep your eye on this contact point and not the actual contact point the cue ball will make once it has deflected and swerved across the cloth. If you switch your eyes to the actual contact point then your hand will follow your eye and you will miss every time.

[md5299]

No one can teach anyone how to play with side we all have our own way,different allowances,cues,tips,cue actions and querks to say the least,it's all about hours of solo practise and trial and error and you will find what works for you.Line up straight blues to the corner pockets about 2 feet from the cue ball and play with side and watch where the blue goes then play them at different paces and then vary the distance and you will see you've got a job on your hands.

Actually this isn't true, it's not a simple case of vice versa, you have to aim for a thicker contact point almost all of the time when playing with side.

This is because of the effect of the nap on the spinning cue ball.

Take a black off its spot into a corner pocket from the yellow side of the table with the cue ball high and needing check (left hand) side to stay on a red. The shot should be aimed for the near jaw as the cue ball is spinning in the same direction as the nap which makes it swerve far more than it would with running (right hand) side when it is spinning against the direction of the nap.

Check side (left hand) on this shot will make the cue ball deflect to the right initially, but swerve across the line of aim to strike the black thinner than aimed, so aim for a thicker contact to offset this.

Right hand side will make the cue ball deflect to the left but it will not swerve back across the line of aim when struck with firm or medium pace as it is spinning against the nap so will stay on its deflected path, so again aim thicker unless you are playing the shot very slowly which give sthe cue ball more time to swerve across the line of aim against the nap.

Practise this, see how much the cue ball deflects and changes course across the line of aim when spinning with and against the nap, by how much and to which side you miss the pot and adjust accordingly.

When playing side with extreme power over a short distance you only need to aim for the initiall deflection of the cue ball as the spin doesn't have time to react against the nap on the cloth.

Very important thing to remember about playing with side is that once you have decided to use it, and have aimed for a different contact point on the object ball than is needed to pot it, you must keep your eye on this contact point and not the actual contact point the cue ball will make once it has deflected and swerved across the cloth. If you switch your eyes to the actual contact point then your hand will follow your eye and you will miss every time.

[Staezione]

practice, practice, practice - these shots you have to play time after time after time to learn the difference between them and centre ball shots, you can pick up a copy of the old eddie Charlton book very cheap which explained it well enough I thought

basically, if you are putting left hand side on the cue ball you will be hitting it left of centre which will push/deflect it to the right of the line the cue ball would take if you hit it centre ball, meaning you would miss the shot to the left of unless you can compensate for the deflection or push off the normal line that is caused by you hitting the cue ball left of centre - so you need to compensate by adjusting your line of aim further to the left - and vice versa, to the right for right hand side

that is just the basics which cannot cover the subject nor can any amount of writing in my opinion, the amount of deflection is affected by distance, pace, top, bottom and is something you simply learn by trial and error, start off with simple shots from the black spot and work your way up to full length of the table shots, with drag or screw for reverse side, etc.

fun to learn but best done an hour or so at a time, on your own in a dark corner of the club, unless you have a practice partner who is good enough and will show you. this is also where a basic book is worth it's money, it can be there to refer to constantly until you get it

When i play this shot i miss to the right and not to the left..

[mythman69]

Tip: when you have a choice between running side and check side. Use check side on a fast table and running side on a slow table.