An email from David Bridger gave an insight into one method of escaping from a snooker. His method and others are explained below.
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Years ago, I learned that you can almost always hit a snookered ball with the
cue ball if you do the following:
Assuming the cue ball and object ball are the same distance from one cushion,
go to the spot at that cushion where the object ball is 90° to the cushion. Then
hold the tip of your cue very close to the object ball and set your finger on the
cue where the cue intersects with the inside edge of the cushion.
Now holding your finger at that spot on the cue, pull the cue back (keeping it
at 90° to the cushion) until the tip is exactly at the inside edge of the cushion.
Now sight a line from the cue ball to the tip of your finger and make careful
note of where that line would touch the inside edge of the cushion between
the cue ball and your finger on the cue.
If you can hit that spot on the cushion with no english, you will hit the object
ball. If the cue ball and object ball are not the same distance from the cushion,
you have to adjust the spot to hit. More toward the cue ball side if the cue ball
is closer to the cushion.
Have you experienced this and have I remembered it correctly?
David Bridger
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Yes, you have remembered this correctly. Your system
measures the lines A and B from which you find your
line of aim to the cushion.
Clearly A and B must be of equal length and your use of
the cue confirms this. But for the method to be accurate
the cue-ball needs to strike the cushion at an angle of
about 45° or more, as it then rebounds from the cushion
immediately. At shallower angles the cue-ball tends to
slide off the cushion and leaves at a slightly smaller angle
than it arrived, making this method less reliable.
An example of this is shown on the left of the diagram.
When the object-ball is well off the cushion this can work
well and those new to the game may find this useful - but
it would not be allowed in a match. It is one of the few
occassions where a foul can be called without a ball being
struck, and would receive the highest penalty of seven
points. So a more practical method has to be found.
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Many players imagine a mirror image of the table, and
aim at where the object-ball would be on that table.
The advantage here is that the two balls don't need
to be the same distance from the cushion. You simply
imagine the "mirror" ball and aim towards it.
Another advantage is that you always imagine this
mirror image from the playing position, making it
much easier to find your line of aim to the cushion.
With practice it becomes fairly straightforward
and you should quickly become quite accurate.
Obviously success depends on how carefully you play
the shot. Stay down on the shot and keep your eyes
fixed on your point of aim until the cue-ball has hit
the cushion. Only then should you look away to see
if you've hit the object-ball.
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On many occasions there will be more than one way to
escape from a snooker so it's important to choose the
one that gives you the greatest chance of success.
Four obvious escape routes are shown for this snooker.
- This is the easiest angle to judge as both balls are within
your line of sight. There's a reasonable chance of pushing
the red safe and you might even get a snooker in return.
- This is second best. You're less likely to hit the blue than
you are from the other side of the table, but there is a
chance of pushing the red towards the corner pocket.
- Even if you miss the blue a thin contact may push the
red towards the middle pocket and it also gives a natural
angle for an in-off in the corner. If you strike the red full
ball you may double it towards the opposite corner.
- The most dangerous. There is a great danger of hitting
yellow or blue and even if you hit the red you may send
it towards one of the two top pockets.
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An Impossible Snooker ? Not At All !
Play the stroke with left-hand side and aim towards the
black cross. The cushion-rubber will compress just enough
to let the cue-ball out without disturbing the black, and
the cue-ball will rebound from the top cushion to make
contact with the blue.
Even if the cue-ball wasn't trapped, and you were free
to play across the table, this might still be the best way
to escape from the snooker. By playing into the cushion
you are able to place your bridge hand freely on the bed
of the table, and are not faced with difficult cueing over
the edge of the cushion.
This type of shot deserves some practice but you will find
it takes very little before you can judge them quite well.
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