Diamond SystemFive and a Half · Base 50 · Corner-5

Cushion orderL→S→LDifficulty FREE🖨 Drill cards ✓ Exam on this system PRO 📐 Measure on your table PRO

ScalesReference linePath

Reference positionStart 50Arrival 20Aim 30

Spinside −4 · center

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Ball fractionNot specified

Speed3/5

Start at corner 50, arrival 20 on the 3rd cushion. Aim = 50 − 20 = 30 (3rd diamond of the right long cushion). With a start from 50 there is no correction; the ball follows the 20 track line to the bottom-right corner.

The most basic and most widely used three-cushion system. The cue ball aims at a long cushion, crosses the short cushion and comes to the opposite long cushion (3rd cushion): long–short–long. There are three separate numberings (start, aim, arrival) and the calculation is a single subtraction. A large share of the points in a game rely on this system, and many other systems are built on this numbering.

When? In every position where the cue ball has to go to a long cushion, cross the short cushion and come to the opposite long cushion (and, if needed, from there to the 4th cushion): on bricole shots, on shots that hit ball 2 thin and then go to the cushions, and when balls 2 and 3 lie close to the 3rd or 4th cushion. The start value must be greater than the arrival value.

✓ 9/9 examples verified by the formula

Calculate

Aim = Start − Arrival

Start

Arrival

Target on the 4th cushion (track correction)

Aim30

Basis: Start − Arrival30
Aim30

✓ Example: Reference position: 50 − 30 = 20

Voice coach

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Watch outThe system is built for maximum running spin and medium speed. Reducing the spin or hitting very hard changes the path after the 3rd cushion; do not try to fix the calculation by changing the spin.

Watch outIf the cue ball is very close to the aim cushion, a hard rebound off the cushion can shorten the path; play with a soft, long stroke or choose a slightly longer 3rd-cushion target.

Watch outOn shots that hit ball 2 full (fuller than half ball), the cue ball's follow can lengthen or shorten the path; in this case the calculation only gives a starting idea.