Reference position: ball 2 to the opposite cornerThe cue ball is near the left long cushion, the red just to its right, the yellow in the upper half of the table. Hit the red with a 1/4 ball fraction, slight left (running) spin and medium speed; the cue ball comes down to the yellow via the right long cushion, the top short cushion and the left long cushion. The thin hit sends the red to the bottom right corner, and the cue ball arrives softly at the yellow and stops next to it. Result: the cue ball near one ball, the other ball in the corner as a big target. Alternative: you can hit the same path fuller with more spin, but ball 2 then goes past the corner. Typical mistake: too much speed; the red comes out of the corner and back to the middle of the short cushion.
Basic principles of position play · Drill cards
Mistake: full and hard hitSame layout, same cushion order. This time the red is hit with a 1/2 ball fraction; to keep the cue ball's path, the spin is taken to the right (reverse spin) and the speed goes up. The point is still made, but the red hits the right long cushion and comes back to the middle of the bottom short cushion (red zone). On the next shot ball 3 is left in the hardest place on the table. Lesson: if there are two different shots for the same point, choose the thin, soft one that does not spread the balls.
Thin hit to the diagonal cornerThe cue ball is near the right long cushion, the red a little lower and to the left, the yellow in the upper area. Hit the red with a 1/4 ball fraction, no side spin and medium speed; the cue ball comes back to the yellow via the bottom short cushion, the right long cushion and the top short cushion. The red slides in one move to the bottom left corner. Why: the natural direction of the red already points to the corner; the thin hit gives it just enough speed to carry it there. Typical mistake: hitting it full and driving the red into the left cushion; the ball comes out of the corner into the middle of the table.
Ball 2 near the short cushion slides to the cornerThe red is near the top short cushion, the cue ball below. Hit the red with a 1/4 ball fraction, slight left (running) spin and medium speed; the cue ball goes to the yellow at bottom right via the top short cushion, the left long cushion and the bottom short cushion. The red touches the top short cushion and the right long cushion and stops in the corner, one ball off each cushion. The cue ball stays right next to the yellow. Typical mistake: hitting it full; the red settles in the middle of the short cushion (red zone).
Carrying ball 2 on the bottom cushion to the cornerThe red is near the bottom short cushion, the cue ball above it, the yellow in the upper area. Hit the right half of the red with a 1/4 ball fraction, no side spin and medium speed; the cue ball reaches the yellow via the bottom short cushion, the left long cushion and the top short cushion. The red slides along the short cushion to the bottom right corner; it does not stay in the middle of the cushion. Alternative: a thinner hit leaves the red almost where it is, but the middle of the short cushion is a dangerous zone. Typical mistake: adding speed and bringing the red back out of the corner.