Cue-Action
Historical Notes
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Without a really good cue-action no player can consistently
strike the cue-ball accurately enough to make steady
progress in their chosen game.
The first part of this section then will begin with a few
strokes to test your cueing. If your game begins to suffer,
some practise at these should tell you what is wrong.
One of the most reliable tests, and the easiest to set up, is
the well known shot of playing the cue-ball over the spots.
Place the cue-ball on the centre spot of the 'D', and play it
over the blue, pink and black spots to strike the top cushion.
If you have struck the cue-ball without side it will return
over those spots to your cue.
This stroke is comparatively easy at a slow pace, but try
playing it with power to see just how difficult it can be.
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In this variation five colours have been placed so they
are an inch away from the cue-ball when it passes.
The shot is exactly the same as before - but it looks
more difficult. This can be enough to affect your
confidence, your concentration, and your ability
to play the stroke correctly.
Quite frequently there will be little room for the cue-ball
to pass another before it reaches the ball you're aiming for.
In these situations, have a good look to satisfy yourself
that there is enough space for the cue-ball to pass. Then,
when you play the stroke, completely ignore the one
that's almost in the way. Don't look at it as the cue-ball
travels towards it and keep your eyes fixed firmly on the
line of aim. This will help to keep your cue-action straight.
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Another excellent practise stroke is shown in the diagrams a, b, and c.
In each case the player has to pot the red into the middle
pocket, and by striking above centre, follow-through into
the same pocket.
Stroke A is for the beginner, stroke B for players who
make 20 to 30 breaks, while stroke C is for players who
regularly make breaks of 50 or more.
Again, these strokes are comparatively simple at a slow to
medium pace. As you increase the power you will see how
easily you lose accuracy and fail to pot the cue-ball.
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If you've mastered the exercise across the middle
pockets so you can play shot 'c' 8 or 9 times out
of ten, then you're ready to try this far harder one.
It's an example of one practised by Terry Griffiths
before he became world champion in 1979.
He would place the cue-ball about two feet behind
the blue and have them lined up to one of the corner
pockets about eight feet away. As before the idea is
to pot both the blue and the white in the same pocket.
This is a severe test that not only demands a perfect
cue action, but also a very good table. While you may
succeed with shot 'c' across the middle of the table
more often than not, you should be very pleased if
you can get this just twice out of ten.
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And here's something to practise at home !
This exercise will prove
how straight your cue
action really is.
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Few players can afford a full-sized table at
home, yet to practise your cue-action you only
need an empty plastic drinks bottle and a table
of suitable height. The animation shows the idea
quite clearly, and you should practise at various
strengths as you would during a normal game.
If you have difficulty in playing screw you are
almost certainly striking the cue-ball too high.
This exercise will teach you how to push the cue
through straight, and improve your entire game.
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Historical Notes
(From "The Badminton Library: Billiards" by Major W. Broadfoot, pub. 1896. Page 136)
For practise: place ball 1 on the centre of the D on the baulk-line, put ball 2 a
foot up the table in the central line, play 1 full on 2 with varying strength, at
first with strength to carry 2 to the top cushion; the truth of the stroke will be
shown by 2 passing over all the spots in the central line and 1 following slowly in
the same line for a short distance. When tolerable certainty is acquired play the
same stroke harder, and if correctly struck ball 2 will return from the top cushion
and meet ball 1, kiss as it is called, in the central line. The stroke can be made
more difficult by placing ball 2 further up the table, say on the centre spot, and
playing as before, and again by placing it on the pyramid spot. This practise,
though it may seem uninteresting, is most useful; it combines and continues
that recommended for one ball with that required for truth of stroke on another.
It also, as will hereafter be shown, is directly useful in the matter of cannons,
hence it should be assiduously practised.
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