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Thus (Suppose the balls to be)

suppose the balls to be in the position shown in diagram (2) (Fig. 10), 1 being the striker's ball. The player should strike his ball high, and with a considerable amount of left-hand side, or, to answer the varied positions of the balls, with considerable cushion side. He aims so as to strike the ball 2 nearly full. The ball 2 rebounds from the cushion, and I runs up the cushion and cannons on to 3.

FIG. IO. 7 This stroke is by no means difficult; consequently it can be played with varied strength, either hard or gently, so as to leave an easy score.

THE KISS CANNON. - The balls are sometimes in a position where to the inexperienced a cannon would appear impossible, or at least extremely difficult, yet a kiss cannon can be made almost to a certainty. As an example of the kiss cannon, the following may be given (Fig. 11).

Suppose A B C a cushion, I the striker's ball, the balls 2 and 3 being in the same straight line with 1. If the player strike his own ball high, and hits the ball 2 all but full, the ball 2 strikes 3 and causes 3 to rebound from the cushion, I follows on, and is A B 3 2 7 FIG. II.

C "kissed" by 3, and the cannon is made.

This stroke may be made when the white ball covers the red, which is on the spot, and the player can place his own ball in baulk in the same straight line as the other two balls. After a little practice it will not be found a very difficult stroke, and it can be made when no other easy stroke is available.

Whenever a player has learnt how to make such a stroke as the preceding, he should not be contented merely with making this stroke, but should try it with various strength, and by this experiment discover what is the best strength to employ, not only to make the stroke, but to leave a break after the score has been made.

Another form of kiss cannon, generally known as the "swing stroke," can be made by those who elect to play a dashing game, and have no cause to fear their adversary.

It is, however, a very risky stroke, and never ought to be tried for when a formidable antagonist is opposed to you, unless this stroke has been practised so often as to cause the striker to know he is tolerably certain of it.

This cannon is as follows (Fig. 12) :- Suppose one ball at 2, the other at I.

The ball 2 touching the cushion, the striker's ball being at I. The ball I is struck high, and with a great deal of left-hand side, the ball 2 is struck nearly full, but slightly on the right of the centre. The player's ball I is kissed by 2, and if the stroke be played [BILLIARDS correctly, the ball I will spin off 2, and will, as it were, hug the cushion and strike 3.

When playing for this stroke, I have frequently just missed making the cannon, but have gone into the top pocket, and I have seen more than one professional play for and succeed in making such a hazard. 03 2 1 THE SCREW-BACK CAN- NON.-When a player has by practice become sufficiently expert to be certain that he can strike his own ball exactly where he aims, the screw-back cannon may be attempted. Before trying this stroke the cue should be well chalked, otherwise a miss cue will occur, and perhaps the cloth will be cut.

The following may be given as an example of the position of the balls for a screwback cannon (Fig. 13). FIG. 12.

The striker's ball is 1, the ball he plays at is 2. By striking I very low, considerably below the centre, and slightly on the left, the player aims slightly to the left of the centre of 2. The ball 1, after striking 2, comes back and cannons on to 3. 1 2 This is a stroke which requires the greatest care, for if the player does not strike his own ball exactly where he aims, assuming that he aim at the correct part of his ball, he will either fail to bring his own ball back if he aim too high, or will miss cue and probably tear the cloth if he strike too low. This is an excellent stroke for testing whether a player can strike his ball correctly. If he finds that he can make this screw-back cannon 3 FIG. 13. 7 ten or twelve times in succession, he may feel some confidence in his skill as regards striking his own ball exactly where he aims.

Cannons off the Red. - When an easy cannon can be made off the red ball, there is a good opportunity of placing the red after the stroke in any required position. Two examples will be given of the correct and erroneous method of playing such strokes, and from these the reader will be able to reason out how other cases might be treated.

When the red ball is below the middle pocket, the white ball near the upper cushion, and the striker's ball in hand, a BILLIARDS] cannon can be easily made, as the white ball can be placed in any part of the D. The question, however, for consideration is, how is the red ball to be struck-full, fine, or as a half ball? In selecting the position for the striker's ball, it should be noticed whether the red ball can be doubled over near to or in the middle pocket, and the white ball left near the top pocket. If this stroke can be made, a promising break may result. If the red be struck too full or too fine, it may be left much below the middle pocket, whilst the striker's ball, after the stroke, will be left at the top of the table, and neither a winning nor a losing hazard off the red will follow as an easy stroke. 2 3 When a cannon is left at the top of the table under the conditions shown in the following diagram, this cannon can be played in two ways: one way is that in which an inexperienced player will usually play it, the other is that from which the best results may be obtained.

Suppose the three balls to be 7 FIG. 14. in the position I, 2, 3 in the diagram (Fig. 14), I the striker's ball. This cannon may be made either by striking the red very fine, or by striking the red and making the cannon off the top side cushion. If, instead of attempting either of these strokes, the striker hit the red hard, and put "follow" on his ball, and make the cannon by means of a run through, he will drive the red round the table, and cause it to come back and remain near the pocket, close to which the ball 3 will be situated. This stroke would be played when the cannon off the side cushion would require that the red ball be struck hard, and the balls therefore separated. By a little practice it can be accomplished with exactly the required strength, and the three balls will be left close together, near the right-hand top pocket. Care must be taken that the red ball does not kiss the striker's ball.

In order to obtain the delicacy of touch requisite to make a series of nursery cannons, it is an excellent plan to place the three balls in the position shown in the following diagram (Fig. 15), where I represents the striker's ball. A series of cannons may now be made without disturbing the positions of the balls more than a fraction of an inch.

If the player strike his own ball too hard, he will make probably two or three cannons, but by delicacy of touch a dozen or more cannons can easily be accomplished.

Ten minutes' practice at these strokes during each day for a week or so will be of great service to the inexperienced player, and will also aid to 66 7 FIG. 15. 3 2 steady down" the hard hitter, who usually seems to think he can score more by brute force than by skill.

CANNONS WHEN TWO BALLS ARE IN BAULK.-When a player has "potted" his adversary's ball and has made a good double baulk, so that an almost certain score can be made if the two balls remain undisturbed, the player whose turn it is to play must endeavour to do something to disturb this comfortable arrangement.

It may here be remarked that there is no stroke on the table requiring greater care and thought than that of making a good double baulk. To leave the red ball and your own ball within the baulk line, but in such a position that a score by the player who has made the baulk is very difficult, is no great advantage. The adversary can give a safe miss, and the game proceeds, without much advantage to the player who made the double baulk. If, however, when the double baulk is made the balls are placed so that an easy losing hazard off the red can be made by the player whose ball is in baulk, then his adversary must risk playing so as to disturb these balls. If he fail to disturb them, or if he succeeds in hitting one of the balls, he may yet fail to prevent leaving his opponent an easy score, because to strike a cushion first, and then to strike a ball in baulk, is not so very easy; but to be able to place these balls, after hitting one, is a stroke that even few, if any, professional players can be certain of.

When, however, the red and the adversary's ball are in certain positions in baulk, a cannon can be made probably twice out of three trials, and may therefore be played even when the balls, if allowed to remain where they are, would leave no certain stroke for the next player. for In order to accomplish such a cannon, a player must make himself acquainted with the angles of the table. Now, although all billiard tables look very much alike, the cushions of different tables sometimes vary very much. Some cushions are much faster than others, and will cause a ball to rebound at a slightly different angle from that at which it would rebound from a slower cushion. Hence, to cause your own ball to strike a particular spot on the bottom cushion after it had struck the right top side cushion, then the top cushion, then the left side cushion, would require the top side cushion to be struck at slightly different points on different tables, and it would also require that the ball should be played with varied strength, according to the fastness of the table. Thus, although the exact angle and strength may be known for a table to which a player is accustomed, these may not hold good for another table. Very A nearly the same C 7 2 3 FIG. 16.

B results will follow, but one or two trials are requisite in order to make certain of such a stroke.

The annexed diagram (Fig. 16) will illustrate how a cannon can be made when the red and the adversary's ball are in baulk, and the player is in hand.

Suppose the two balls to be in the position 2 and 3. Place your own ball about two inches from the left-hand spot on the baulk line; strike your own ball high, and slightly on the left side, and aim at the right top cushion at A. This ball will rebound from A to B, and thence to C, and will either make the cannon by striking 2 then 3, or will strike the bottom cushion, and then make a cannon, striking 3 then 2.

Many variations of this stroke can be accomplished, such as placing the ball on different parts of the baulk line, and striking either the right- or left-hand top cushion at different points. A player must train himself to understand these angles, and some players who have done so are specially certain of some strokes which to other players would appear merely lucky scores.

When both balls are in baulk a cannon may be made under certain conditions, if the striker is sure of the amount of side he can put on a ball, so as to cause this ball to come off the side cushion at a particular angle, when played out of baulk.