"The Art of English"
Now for some fun stuff! If you know how to grip the cue, and your pretty comfortable with your stance, and your having fun - then how do you maneuver that cue ball to make some of those fancy shots. You'll find some of your answers in the art of sidespin. ( What is English? )
It's not just a language or a subject in school, but a billiard technique. You've probably toyed with the technique on your own if you've been practicing everything you've learned so far. It is, after all, the next logical step. ( Using English )
Why use English at all? You may think you're playing just fine without all these special effects, and you may be right about that. You don't have to use English to play a good game of pool, but there are times you will certainly find that it comes in handy. Foe example, the time to use English is when you are playing for position (meaning getting the cue ball to a certain place on the table that will put you in a better position for youe next shot) or if you need to scoot around a ball to strike an object ball you can't otherwise pocket. Imagine the control you can have over a shot when you learn how to use English correctly. - In the early nineteenth century, visitors from England introduced Americans to the art of spin, which is why sidespin is referred to as "English" only in th United States. It's also referred to as "spinning the rock." -
The reason not to plunge right into using English is because without pratice and understanding of the technique, you will find yourself missing your shots. The key to using English successfully is to not overuse it. Once you start praticing it, your going to want to see it in action, but don't get addicted. Using English is a special technique that should be used when absolutely necessary, or your liable to find yourself looking like a rank beginner, missing the simplest shots. ( How to Practice English )
When you can successfully hit the cue ball within millimeters of the center, then you can start practicing English. But before you get into details of practice, you should familiarize yourself with these definitions:
Hitting the ball with your cue stick on the left and right edges of the stripe (vertical axis) will apply sidespin to the ball. Try placing the ball on the foot spot and shooting it straight up and down the table. If you struck the ball on the right side of the stripe, you should see it head to the top rail in a fairly straight line and then after it hits the rail, it should came back to your right. Do the same with left English and the opposite should occur-the ball should came back to your left. Once you're able to visualize what you're doing, replace the striped ball with a real cue ball and keep practicing. - Hitting the ball to the right of the vertical axis is called "right English" and hitting the ball to the left of the vertical axis is called "left English." - Now picture the horizontal axis of the cue ball. When you hit the cue ball above the horizontal axis, you apply "topspin," otherwise known as "follow." When you hit the cue ball below the horizontal axis, you apply backspin, otherwise known as "draw." Both follow and draw are not English when used along the vertical axis. English is sidespin, not topspin or backspin.
( Follow and Draw )
English is often used with a combination of follow and draw, meaning that you are hitting the ball to the left or right of the vertical axis, and above or below the horizontal axis. For example, you might be striking the ball to the left of the vertical axis but also slightly above the horizontal axis, which would be considered high left English. Be careful not to strike the ball too far from center when first learning this technique. This could cause a miscue.
* Center English
( Deflection "Squirt" )
Any billiards student will tell you that dealing with deflection is a necessary evil that cannot be avoided when using English. Imagine a vertical line that cuts right through the center of the cue ball. If you strike the cue ball on the left of center, the ball will "squirt" a little to the right. - You'll find the "squirt" is the commonly used term by pool players when referring to "deflection," but either one is okay. Squirt is not as difficult as it sounds, and don't let the terminology scare you. These are just terms used to help you understand. You'll see what it's all about when you start experimenting. - Squirt only occurs when a ball is sliding. That means there is no top or bottom spin on the ball that is interacting with the cloth. It's simply sliding. It gets a little complicated here, because you can still apply a combination of sidespin with topspin or backspin to a cue ball, and still see the ball squirt. So, how can that be? The cue ball hasn't yet become affected by friction with the cloth and it will still slide until friction finally allows the topspin or backspin to take effect. ( Curve )
When the cue ball spins, the friction between the ball and the cloth, and the speed at which it travels, causes the cue ball to curve back in the opposite direction from which you hit it. For example, if you strike the cue ball on the right so that it squirts to the left, the spin and the friction on the cloth will actually cause it to move back to the right-a little bit like a boomerang. ( Throw and the Gear Effect )
The best way to understand throw is to visualize spinning gears. One gear moves in a clockwise direction while the other moves in a counter-clockwise direction. When the two meet, one causes the other to rotate. Okay, now let's apply that to the pool table. - Incorrectly gauging squirt, curve, and throw is the leading cause of missed shots when using English. -
But keep in mind that the effect of throw due to the transfer of English from the cue ball to object ball is minimal at best. The thing that should be of main concern to you once you become an advanced player, is that certain angled shots will result in more throw, which means more transfer of spin to the object ball. The reason for that is with certain angles, the cue ball may "cling" to the object ball a tad longer, which gives it more time to transfer spin to the object ball. ( Aiming )
When using English you will often have to compensate for the spin of the ball by aiming at a different collision point on the object ball. For example, if you are using left English with the intention of pocketing a ball into the corner pocket to the right of the object ball, you cannot aim directly for the pocket, but should pick a collision point on the object ball that would normaally send it just slightly to the left of the pocket to compensate for the throw. ( Keep Practicing )
Now that you've learned the ins and outs of English, you should spend some time practicing it. It will certainly take awhile to get used to aiming at a place that isn't where you know the cue ball will wind up. It kind of feels like trying to hit the bull's-eye of a dartboard while aiming for the top or bottom of the board. It definitely feels strange and it's something you'll have to get used to. Believe it or not, it's not as impossible as it sounds, and it won't take very long, Just keep at it.
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> As you're first learning to apply English, it's a good idea to try and hit the cue ball just half tip off center. Using this trick of the trade will allow you to understand how striking the cue ball just a tiny bit off center will affect your aim. The further off center you strike the cue ball, the more off line your aim will be. To begin using English, try using a striped ball as your cue ball with the stripe as a guide.
The stripe will help you to visualize the vertical axis of the ball. Try hitting the striped "cue ball" dead center and then try aiming just a tiny bit to the right or left of the center of the cue ball, and see what happens. This will take a few tries, but keep going-this is the first step to learning English.
