Two crossings: one yellow, one redThe cue ball hits the right side of ball 2 at half-ball (left running spin 2, speed 3) and goes to ball 3 via the right long, top short and left long cushions; ball 2 goes up to the top short cushion and comes back down. The paths cross twice. At the yellow crossing, ball 2 passes on its way up; the cue ball gets there much later, so there is no danger. At the red crossing, ball 2 is coming back off the top cushion while the cue ball is heading to the top cushion, and they reach the same point: the kiss zone.
Seeing the kiss · Drill cards
Repeating the check with a full hitThe same position is played with 3/4 ball and speed 4; to hold the same path, the spin is taken to right (reverse) 2. This time ball 2 takes the top short, right long and bottom short cushions, and the paths cross at different places. At the crossings in the yellow areas one of the balls passes clearly first. The green area is the old kiss zone; note that the new crossings are also checked after the change.
Ball 2 zigzagging: four crossingsThe cue ball hits the left side of ball 2 at half-ball (left reverse spin 2, speed 3) and comes down to ball 3 via the top short, right long and bottom short cushions. Ball 2 zigzags between the right and left long cushions in the upper part of the table and crosses the first two straight segments of the cue ball again and again. At the yellow crossings the arrival times of the two balls are far apart; in the red area ball 2 is coming back off the right cushion while the cue ball is coming down to the right long cushion.
Thin hit: fewer crossingsThe same position is played with 1/4 ball; spin and speed are the same. Ball 2 travels slowly, takes only two cushions and stops near the middle of the table. At the remaining crossing ball 2 passes early thanks to its short path, and the cue ball comes after it (yellow). The green area is the old kiss zone.
A hidden crossing on a long pathThe cue ball hits the left side of ball 2 at half-ball (right running spin 3, speed 3) and goes to ball 3 via the left long, top short and right long cushions; after the top short cushion ball 2 moves on to the right long cushion. The first crossing, on the left side of the table, is harmless: ball 2 passes there much earlier (yellow). The real danger is in front of the top short cushion: while the cue ball is heading to the top cushion, ball 2 is coming back off it (red).
Full hit: the dangerous crossing disappearsThe same position is played with 3/4 ball and speed 4; the spin is taken to left (reverse) 2. Ball 2 goes fast to the top short cushion, comes back and leaves the zone before the cue ball reaches the top cushion. The remaining crossings are on the left side of the table, and the balls pass there at different times (yellow). The green area is the old kiss zone.