Natural Potting Angles

[jonny66]

3 attempts isn't enough.

[Alba_]

I practised 1/4 /1/2 3/4 ball shots for a while but only for the cue ball direction off each angle. It helped my safety game tenfold.

[Snookclops]

Blacks, high cue ball around 3/4 to 1/2 ball are a real cause of bewilderment for me

Pretty much any other pot I can at least see it, but I miss these from 6 inches so it’s my angles, not my cueing.

Weirdly, low CB blacks I see it much easier.

I set up a high 1/2 ball black yesterday and didn’t pot it in 3 attempts.

Anything straightish or even 3/4 and cuts I pot them more often, just finding BOB on those “middle of ball” shots I find really hard. Bob just doesn’t appear and when it does it’s wrong!

[Shockerz]

Only when potting to the left !!!

Don't forget the purpose of the half ball comes from billiards

Reference point to aim for (edge of OB)

Throws the cue ball to its widest throw possible for any given stroke - this is the main reason in billiards to know the reliable half-ball throw without using spin - add check side and it more narrower, add running side and it move slightly wider

Very good point. We used to put a ball directly between the object ball and the pocket to prove the cue ball throws round and going back on line.

[Shockerz]

Lots of good replies here guys and some interesting points.

I thought it may get complicated but thought the discussion would be worth it as it may bring up some misconceptions!

[Shockerz]

But what if the club shuts at 10 o'clock?

I have a key so I can come back at 10:30........

[rimmer10]

But what if the club shuts at 10 o'clock?

You're in the wrong club☺

[jonny66]

But what if the club shuts at 10 o'clock?

[rimmer10]

Would you agree that the 10:30 position is a natural half ball pot?

Half ball should be 11 and 1 o'clock. Three quarter ball should be 11.30 and 12.30 o'clock. And quarter ball should be 10.30 and 1.30 o'clock

[Mark187187]

Natural Potting Angles

I learned to aim using ghost ball initially, but i didn't find it that useful for longer shots or thin cuts. I found parallel aiming more useful. It's a method you can use to visualise the desired contact points on the CB and OB, then you simply hit the CB so that they hit each other. It's more precise that fractional aiming, and easier to visualise than an imaginary ghost ball. Check out https://www.thoughtco.com/mosconis-method-parallel-aim-368685 for the details

[Mark187187]

Natural Potting Angles

The easiest way to check all this is to place a second object ball as a ghost ball touching the OB, then walk around the table looking at different angles. Also, exercises like the Steve Davis one posted above. Trying to use maths to understand the logic, when the logic is the contact point between two spheres, isn't going to help you during a game. It's complicated maths if you try to work it out with pen, paper and a calculator. What fractional aiming does help with, is to find the general area of aim, and can act as an initial guide. All you need to know is that half ball is 30°, quarter is a hair off 45° and 3/4 is a hair off 15°. These are approximate, because looking for a 48° or 13° angle isn't so easy to visualise. If you google fractional aiming and look under the images tab, these angles will get confirmed for you in the images listed. You can research to understand why, but the general gist is that moving your aim 1cm to either side doesn't move the contact point 1cm to either side, it's less linear because of the curved surfaces.

[Mark187187]

Natural Potting Angles

Not sure whether I'm 100% on what you mean by 10.30, but if you mean that the cueball is at six o clock, and the pocket half way between 10 and 11, and the object ball is in the centre of the clock, then that would be nearer quarter ball (slightly thick though) i.e. you'd overlap a quarter of the balls by aiming the centre of the cue ball a quarter ball width past the edge of the object ball.

[tmax]

Would you agree that the 10:30 position is a natural half ball pot?

Only when potting to the left !!!

Don't forget the purpose of the half ball comes from billiards

Reference point to aim for (edge of OB)

Throws the cue ball to its widest throw possible for any given stroke - this is the main reason in billiards to know the reliable half-ball throw without using spin - add check side and it more narrower, add running side and it move slightly wider

[Shockerz]

Unfortunately, that isn't correct. Half ball hit (aiming the centre of the cueball to the edge) is approximately 30°. Quarter is a few degrees over 45 and 3/4 a couple of degrees under 15. I won't go into detail with why, this is why google exists, but the error you are making is presuming that the amount you adjust your aim moves the impact point between CB and OB the same amount. This isn't the case, because the balls are spheres not flat planes.

Would you agree that the 10:30 position is a natural half ball pot?

[Shockerz]

Unfortunately, that isn't correct. Half ball hit (aiming the centre of the cueball to the edge) is approximately 30°. Quarter is a few degrees over 45 and 3/4 a couple of degrees under 15. I won't go into detail with why, this is why google exists, but the error you are making is presuming that the amount you adjust your aim moves the impact point between CB and OB the same amount. This isn't the case, because the balls are spheres not flat planes.

Thanks for that, well I guess this is the point of the post and why I am posing it.

I will give it some more thought!