Closing in the corner – riskyFrom the upper area the cue ball hits the right side of ball 2 with 3/8 ball (right reverse spin 2, speed 3) and goes to ball 3 via the left long, right long and bottom short cushions. Ball 2 goes down to the bottom short cushion and heads for the right long cushion. While the cue ball is coming down from its second cushion (right long) to the bottom corner, ball 2 reaches the same corner: the two balls close in on each other in front of the bottom right corner.
Typical kiss positions · Drill cards
Closing in the corner – safe: thin hitThe same position is played with 1/4 ball and right reverse spin 2.5. Ball 2 slows down, first goes to the right long cushion and reaches the corner after the cue ball; the cue ball has already left the corner. The green area is the old kiss zone. Ball 2 stops near ball 3; since it does not hit ball 3, this is also a good spread for the next position.
Parallel paths on the long cushion – riskyThe cue ball hits the right side of ball 2 with 3/8 ball (right reverse spin 3, speed 3) and zigzags down the table via the left, right and left long cushions to ball 3. Ball 2 comes back off the bottom short cushion and goes up along the left long cushion. While the cue ball takes its third cushion on the left long cushion, ball 2 is coming along the same cushion: in the middle of the left long cushion they come side by side along a long strip.
Parallel paths on the long cushion – safeThe same position is played with 1/4 ball and right reverse spin 3.5. After coming back off the bottom short cushion, ball 2 slows down and stops in the middle of the table before reaching the left long cushion; at the remaining crossings ball 2 passes long before the cue ball. The green area is the old kiss zone.
Close balls – riskyThe cue ball is closer than half a diamond to ball 2 and hits it on the left side at half-ball (left reverse spin 3, speed 3); the path is left long, right long, top short. Ball 2 goes to the top short cushion and comes back. Because the paths are short and the speeds are equal, while the cue ball is going to the right long cushion, ball 2 comes back off the top cushion to the same area: the kiss is in the upper part of the right long cushion.
Close balls – safe: thin hitThe same position is played with 1/4 ball and left reverse spin 3.5. Ball 2 leaves slowly and in a different direction: it takes the right long cushion and the top short cushion and stops in the upper half of the table. The cue ball reaches ball 3 via the left, right, top and left cushions; at no point do the two balls come close to each other.
Ball 2 on the cushion – riskyBall 2 is very close to the bottom short cushion. The cue ball hits it on the right side with 5/8 ball (right running spin 2, speed 3). Ball 2 comes straight back off the cushion and hits the cue ball, which is moving left along the bottom short cushion, before the cue ball even reaches its first cushion.
Ball 2 on the cushion – safe: thin hitThe same position is played with 1/4 ball and right running spin 3. Ball 2 hits the cushion at a narrow angle and goes up the length of the table; the cue ball passes the return point before ball 2 gets there and reaches ball 3 via the bottom short, left long and right long cushions. The green area is the old kiss zone.