The Draw Shot. This is exactly the reverse of the follow shot, the ball being struck below the centre, and the cue passing at least three inches beyond where the ball stood, as shown in the diagram. This gives the cue ball a retrograde motion, similar to that imparted to a child’s hoop by spinning it backward while throwing it forward, so as to make it return. If the object ball is reached before this retrograde motion is exhausted, the effect will be to stop the forward motion of the cue ball, and to give what is left of the retrograde motion full play, making the cue ball return. The two great mistakes made by beginners in playing draw shots are that they pull the cue back, instead of driving it clear through the ball aimed at, and that they strike so hard that the forward motion of the cue ball is too strong for the retrograde motion to overcome it, or the object ball to stop it. It is never necessary to strike harder than sufficient to reach the object ball and get back to the carrom ball, unless one is playing for position.
When the balls are so close together that to run the cue through the ball would make a foul shot, the draw may still be made by pointing the cue off to the side, and pushing it past the cue ball, instead of through it. This will secure the retrograde motion, but accompanied by a great deal of twist, which must be calculated for if the cue ball is to strike a cushion. A short draw may also be made by using the pinch.
The Massé. Most players imagine this to be a very difficult shot, but it is extremely simple if the principle of the direction of the cue and the effect of the pinch are kept in view. If we place the three balls in a straight line, about four inches apart, we have the simplest form of the massé. To find the exact spot at which the cue ball must be struck, join the centres of the cue and object balls by an imaginary line A-B. At right angles to this will be a line A-E, and no matter which side of the ball B you wish to massé upon, your cue must strike the ball A somewhere on the line A-E. Suppose you wish to massé to the left, as shown in the diagram. The pinch must be made on the ball about a quarter from the top, the cue being pointed in the direction in which you want the ball to go, which will be to the extreme edge of B, on the line C-D. The cue must be held at an angle of about 70 degrees. A firm but light blow with a well chalked cue will pinch your ball toward E; but the direction of the cue will propel it toward D. If the cue has been held at the right angle, and you have not struck too hard, the ball will feel the effect of these two forces equally, which will make it move toward a point half way between D and E, which will be F. The retrograde motion being stronger than the propulsion of the pinch, will gradually overcome it, and the ball will return toward G. Contact with the ball B will cause it to lose all but the forward motion, and it will roll easily toward H, making the carrom.
The Side Stroke. It is a popular delusion that the only way to change the course of a ball is by giving it “twist,” “English,” or “side.” Side has little or no influence on the cue ball until it touches a cushion. Striking above or below the centre is all that is necessary. If it is required to vary the angle at which the object ball is to be struck, the distance below the centre will change the angle of direction in the cue ball without any side stroke. The art of accomplishing this is called compensation, an illustration of which is given in the diagram, A being the cue ball, and B the object ball. This is a half draw or force shot, the ball being struck about half way between its centre and the cloth. If we draw imaginary lines connecting the centres of A-B and B-C, and bisect the angle, we get the point D, which the cue ball must strike to make the carrom. This will drive the object ball in the direction D-E; but if it is desirable that the object ball should go more in the direction G-F, so as to secure a better position for the next shot, the cue ball will have to strike at G, which will make a draw shot, bringing it back in the direction H, securing the position, but missing the count. In this position the ignorant player puts on side, but all that is necessary to compensate for this deviation in the point of impact is to approach the point of the cue toward the centre of the ball the exact distance that the point G is from the point D. The higher the point of the cue is raised, the further the ball will go from the line D-H. If struck much above the centre, it will follow through the object ball, passing beyond the ball C altogether.
When side is put upon a ball, it spins in that direction. If it is struck on the left, and then goes to a cushion directly in front of it, it will tend to fly off the cushion toward the left, making the angle wider. If a ball spinning to the left goes to a cushion on the left, it will tend to make the angle smaller, and the effect so produced is called reverse English, which tends to slow the cue ball.
THE AMERICAN GAME.
In the American game every carrom counts one point, and the number of points that will constitute a game must be agreed upon before play begins. The players string for the lead, the one bringing his ball nearer the head cushion having the choice of balls and of the first shot.
The great art in the American game is to keep the balls in front of you, so as to leave yourself a comparatively easy shot. Every time you get the cue ball between the two others you will find yourself in difficulties; but whenever both the balls are in front of the cue ball, there will be some chance to score. When there is a choice of several ways of making a shot, the balls being wide apart, it will usually be found that one of them will bring the balls into better position than the others, and for that reason it is called a gathering shot. The expert tries to get the balls on the rail by a series of these gathering shots, and if any of the three positions shown in the diagram can be arrived at, a large run may be made by the rail nurse. When the balls are not left in one of these positions they are said to break, but there are several positions in which they may be recovered by a kiss or a massé shot. In No. 4, the player must be careful to come back on the proper side of the carrom ball, so as to get back to position 2, if possible.