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Thus (Suppose the two curved lines)
suppose the two curved lines AB, Fig. 1, to be the sides of a pocket. The ball to enter this pocket must not strike the sides A or B. If, however, a ball were between A and B, this ball would be struck by another ball which travelled anywhere with in a space indicated by three balls placed side by side thus, and these A B FIG. I. three balls cover a space nearly twice as great in extent as that occupied by the mouth of a pocket.
A cannon made in what may be termed a thoughtless manner is a comparatively easy stroke, but to cause the striker's ball to effect the cannon, and to strike the second ball either "full,” or on the right or left side, is not by any means easy. Yet the ease or difficulty of the subsequent stroke may depend entirely on which side the second ball is struck. If the red ball be nearer the striker's ball than is the white ball, and the white ball be on the right of the red, the three balls being close together, as shown in Fig. 2, it would be easy to R 1 FIG. 2. 2 cannons make a cannon.
If, however, the player striking his own ball 1, caused this ball to strike 2 on the left side, he would scatter the balls and probably would not leave a second easy cannon. If, however, by playing gently he displaced the red only a few inches, and struck the other ball (2) on the right, the red ball R and the ball (2) would be left close together, and one or more easy would follow. It is by such delicate and thoughtful play that several first-class players will make a series of so-called "nursery cannons," without ever moving the three balls over a greater space than could be covered by a sheet of writingpaper. Delicacy of touch is essential in making these "nursery cannons," but all the skill of the hand and cue will not result in success unless the head be also used, and the results of the stroke thought out before the cue strikes a ball.
Whether to come on to the second ball on the right or left, when playing for a cannon, is one of the elementary but most essential steps towards becoming a billiard player.
There are such multitudes of cases where the manner in which the second ball is struck produces success or failure in the next stroke, that a book might be filled with diagrams on this one item. It is better for [BILLIARDS the player to practise such strokes himself, noting where he leaves the balls, according as his own ball strikes the second ball on the right or left.
The Following Cannon. - When the three balls are so nearly in a straight line as to render a fine cannon almost impossible, a "following cannon" may be easily made by striking the nearest ball almost full, and hitting your own ball near the top, so as to make it follow on after it has struck the ball played at. 3 The three balls shown in Fig. 3 indicate a position where a fine stroke to make a cannon would be almost impossible. I represents the player's ball, 2 the ball which I first strikes. It is required to make I follow on after striking 2, and to make a cannon by striking 3. To make I follow on, it should be struck high, and given a sort of additional rolling motion besides that given by the blow of the cue. 2 1 FIG. 3.
After some practice this one stroke can be made almost to a certainty, and the next advance can be made, which is to make this stroke with any required strength.
Young or thoughtless players are usually so fully engrossed with making this one stroke that they do not consider where they will leave the balls after the stroke has been made. It may be advisable to play on 2 with just sufficient strength to leave this ball over a pocket; or, again, it may be necessary to strike it sufficiently hard to cause it to strike a cushion, and to return very near number 3, which may be struck only gently, by means of giving but little "follow" to your own ball. Never be content to make the one stroke only, but before playing it consider the results that will follow according as it is played gently or the reverse.
If, instead of a ball being at 3, a pocket is in the same position, a following hazard may be made in the same manner. But it must be remembered that the cannon is easier than the hazard, because the ball 3 is larger than a pocket.
A following cannon, when the balls are within a foot or so of each other, is easy, but when the third ball is four or five feet from the second, success is more uncertain, because the striker's ball as it travels may miss a distant ball, whereas it would strike this ball had it been nearer the second ball.
To make this fact clear, examine Fig. 4.
Suppose 2 the ball that is first struck by the striker's ball, and that the striker's ball follows in the direction of B. If the third ball were at 3, a cannon would be made. If, BILLIARDS] A 4 B however, the third ball were at 4, this ball would not be struck, and the cannon consequently would be missed. If the striker's ball followed on in the direction of A, similar results would follow.
One of the most common cannons frequently missed by beginners is where there is what may be termed one short leg and one long leg-in other words, when the striker's ball, after striking the second ball, has to travel over a long distance before it reaches the third ball. As an example of this stroke, place the red ball on the spot at the top of the table, one of the white balls an inch out of the baulk. Then place your own ball in baulk, and play for the cannon by striking the white ball first. It will be found that this cannon is not made as frequently as it would be if the red ball were within a foot or so of the white ball. 3 2 FIG. 4.
It must always be remembered that a slow cannon should never be played far off the white ball on to the red, unless the striker is almost certain to accomplish the cannon. For if the cannon be missed, the two balls will be left close together, and will leave an easy stroke and probably a long break for the adversary.
Push strokes, which for many years were of great assistance to accomplished players in the compilation of large breaks, having now been declared illegal and consequently foul, no further reference to them is necessary.
The Side Stroke. Before proceeding to describe cannons to be made off one or two cushions, it is advisable to treat of the "side" to be given to a ball. 66 Side" is usually the ruin of inexperienced amateurs, who, having learnt how to give side to their ball, are so proud of the performance that they miss score after score in consequence of giving side when none is required. Before attempting the side stroke, the player should get his eye accustomed to the natural angle at which one ball will glance off from another, when the second ball is struck in a particular part, and the player strikes his own ball just above the centre, and, consequently, without giving any side to it. The effect of putting side on a ball is to alter the angle at which this ball will come off" from the ball it strikes, so it is necessary to learn what result will follow a stroke made without side before any player can know whether any side is required to correct the natural angle at which his ball would come off the second ball. Amateurs not unusually commence at the wrong end, and begin by playing every stroke with as much side as they can put on; by this means they carefully avoid making many cannons or hazards which they could scarcely have missed had they struck their own ball fairly in the centre.
It is a very common proceeding on the part of indifferent players, when they play for a losing hazard in the top or middle pocket, and have the option of placing their own ball in any part of baulk, to select to place their own ball in such a position as to make the hazard a difficult one, and almost impossible unless a large amount of side is given to their own ball. If the ball had been placed on another part of the baulk, the hazard could have been easily made without giving any side at all.
Such erroneous proceedings are due to the fact that the player's eye has not been trained to know the angle at which his ball would come off if struck without side; consequently he is electing to play for very difficult strokes, when he could have selected very easy strokes.
The first thing to learn relative to side is the effect produced by it on the striker's ball after it has struck another ball, and the following diagram will serve to illustrate this effect (Fig. 5). “ The ball I is the player's ball, 2 the ball at which he plays. If the ball I be struck true," and the ball 2 be hit by I at S, the player's ball would run in the direction S A.
If the ball I be struck on the righthand side, and 2 S driven with the same strength as before, and made to strike 2 at S as before, the ball I 66 will come off " at G a greater angle, and will travel in the direction S B.
FIG. 5.
C A B If the ball I be struck on the left-hand side with the same strength as before, it will, after striking 2 at S, travel in the direction SC. Consequently, the manner in which the ball I is struck enables a player to increase or to decrease the angle of the rebound without varying the strength with which he hits his own ball. This side stroke, how ever, should not be attempted until the player has learnt how his ball will travel when struck "true." The value of a know ledge of the results of this side stroke, when judiciously used, is very great. A cannon which without side would require the player to strike very hard to accomplish-a proceeding which would cause the balls to scatter about the table-may be made by a gentle stroke which would leave the balls close together. The effect of side is to cause the angle of rebound of the striker's ball to be increased or decreased according to the side put on. Thus, by a judicious use of this side, the second ball may be struck either on one or the other side, according to which side will leave the best break afterwards.
The effect on a ball which has a large amount of side on it when it strikes a cushion is much greater than when it strikes a ball. The ball that is struck gives way, and the full effect of the side is not felt by the striker's ball; but a cushion throws off the ball at an angle very different from that at which the ball would rebound if no side were given.
A very simple example can be obtained by placing a ball in baulk, striking the cushion out of baulk, but giving to the ball side on the baulk side; the ball, after striking the cushion out of baulk, will rebound and come into baulk. This effect of side can be made use of to make cannons off cushions, which cannons could not be made unless side were used.
Take, for example, the three balls in the relative positions shown in Fig. 6 where I C 2 A 3 B D 1 FIG. 6. c 1 is the striker's ball, CC the cushion. If the player were to hit his own ball "true," this ball would strike 2, and rebound from the cushion somewhere in the direction of A B. By giving to the ball I plenty of [BILLIARDS right side, and striking it low down, the ball 2 may be struck gently, but on its touching the cushion at A it will shoot off in the direction A 3, and make the cannon.
The amount of side that can be given to the striker's ball when the ball first struck is near the cushion is very great; so that when playing this stroke, care must be taken that the player's ball does not pass between the cushion and the ball 3, in consequence of too much side being given.
Cannons may be made off two cushions by the aid of the side stroke, which could not be accomplished if the player merely struck his ball "true," the two cushions being made use of when a sufficient quantity of side cannot be given to the striker's ball to make the cannon off one cushion.
REVERSE SIDE produces the opposite effect on the striker's ball to that which is caused by the last-named stroke. Thus, referring to the last diagram, if the player struck his ball (1) on the left side, and played at the ball 2 in such a manner as to cause his own ball to strike the cushion at A, his ball would rebound in the direction AD.