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Does This Shot Have A Name?

10/31/2014 8:27:07 AM

Does This Shot Have A Name?

Some times when I'm playing 8-ball this situation arises:

My ball is fairly tight up against another ball. Looking from where I am standing to try to hit my ball, the second ball is almost hidden by my ball - it is almost directly in line.

I could possibly fine cut my ball into a pocket, but I notice that the second ball is touching, or almost touching, my ball at such an angle that if I hit my ball almost head-on, it will be squeezed into the pocket - it will come off the second ball at the right angle to go in the pocket.

The shot is like a plant, except that it is the first ball that the cue ball strikes that goes off slowly into the pocket.

This question relates to the following billiard rules:

Does This Shot Have A Name?

Replies & Comments
  1. Phuket_RogerZeke on 10/31/2014 2:07:39 PM

    I recently ran into this shot twice in the same night. Never having practiced it before, I messed with it and realized it is merely a simple carom shot - but one we should all know how to make.

    The balls being so close, the carom is not evident at first. A much closer look from atop gives up the required aim angle.

    Thanks for the heads up.

  2. Phuket_RogerPhuket_Roger on 11/1/2014 2:39:42 AM

    Thanks for the post, Zeke.

    I actually read about carom shots while I was trying to find the name for this shot. The carom shot didn't seem to fit what I was doing. I believe the carom shot is where the cue ball hits one object ball and then goes on to pocket another object ball. So that is not what I'm doing.

    I just had a look at a lot of sites that were describing carom shots, combination shots and canon shots, but I think the correct name for what I am doing is the "kiss" shot or "ricochet".

    This is where the first ball you hit ricochets off a second ball to go into a pocket. This can happen when the two object balls are some distance apart.

    My particular question was about the situation where the two object balls are touching, or almost touching, so that the first ball hit is "squeezed" out between the second ball and cue ball to go off into a pocket.

    So maybe that particular situation doesn't have a name! It's just another variation of the "kiss" shot.

    I'd love to hear more thoughts on this.

    Regards, Roger

  3. Phuket_RogerZeke on 11/1/2014 8:01:44 AM

    A carom shot does not assume either a cue ball - OR - object ball deflection.

    It is a generic term for any ball having a glancing blow - after being struck.

    The CB could be deflected en route to the OB. The OB could be deflected en route to a pocket - both are "caroms."

    A "kiss" (or kissing) means any two balls are touching each other. "Almost kissing," implies a void between two close balls that are NOT physically touching - but for the purpose of a "point of aim" - will react as if they were, in fact, touching. The physical span between these two "almost touching" balls would on the order of under 1/4".

    That's my opinion however, not a fact.

  4. Phuket_RogerPhuket_Roger on 11/1/2014 8:25:15 AM

    Thanks again for your explanation, Zeke.

    I played for a few hours today and managed to do one "carom" shot - I screwed the cue ball back off one object ball and the cue ball hit and potted another that was right over a pocket!

    It's great to play "friendly" games where you can practice these kinds of shots without worrying too much if you're ultimately going to lose the game if you miss!

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Does This Shot Have A Name?

  • Title: Does This Shot Have A Name?
  • Author: (Roger Phuket)
  • Published: 10/31/2014 8:27:07 AM