Trick Shots & Tips

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Each month Joe will provide a new set of Trick Shots for you to learn, to keep your friends baffled and amused. There are also some shots for you to practise to improve your game, with tips for beginners as well as more advanced players.

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The aim is to pot both red balls.

Both reds are sitting in the jaws of the pocket so you just need to touch them to make them go in. The shot is achieved with a double-kiss - hit low on the cue-ball with medium pace hitting the red full ball. The double-kiss will knock the red in and push the cue-ball up to the middle pocket where it knocks in the second red.

Cue ball contact - 6:00


Walter Lindrum once described this as his favourite trick shot. The aim here is to sink the black ball.

Hit the nearest red to the side cushion to cannon into the line of reds. The red on the extreme left is just off the cushion to give yourself a bigger target. The black is obstructed by the red ball sitting just off the cushion, so you need to play a cannon with the white to hit the red half-ball and knock it out of the way. The black will run straight along the cushion and into the pocket.

Hint: If you have trouble hitting the red in the right direction to hit the line of reds, put a second ball in front of it and line up a plant. This will guarantee the direction of the object ball.


The "drop-cannon", one of the most important shots in Billiards.

The perfect placement of the yellow is 9 inches up from the centre pocket and 14 inches out from the side cushion. A half-ball contact with top-spin on the cue-ball will make a full-ball contact on the red. The yellow will join the other two balls next to the red spot and (hopefully) leave top-of-the-table position.

It is important to hit the white with the correct power - do not hit too hard or you will knock the red out of position and the yellow will not land near the spot.


The "long-loser", a fundamental Billiards stroke from which Snooker players can benefit greatly.

The position is that of a re-spot - i.e. after a foul or a touching ball. The red is on its spot, the yellow is on the centre spot and the white is in-hand. The correct placement of the white varies from table to table, but varies from 2 to 3 inches from the yellow spot. A half-ball contact on the yellow with top-spin on the white will make an in-off every time - as long as your cueing is correct...if you miss the shot, you have either lined up incorrectly or there is something wrong with your technique.

Practice at this shot will develop a pure cueing action, and help you to recognise the natural half-ball angle at other places around the table.

Trivia: The name "long loser" comes from "Losing Hazard", the traditional name for an in-off. Potting a ball is called a "Winning Hazard".

Extension 1 - Leaving the next shot on.

Hitting a perfect half-ball on the yellow will actually make it hit the red off two cushions, but this leaves unpredictable position and is bad Billiards. The best way to play the shot is slightly thicker than half ball, with enough power to bring the yellow around the table and back down for an in-off into the middle pocket. (You could then play the in-off to leave a drop-cannon and get to the top-of-the-table).

Extension 2 - Wide Throw.

The path of the cue ball after a half-ball contact is not actually a straight line. When hit with sufficient pace and correct top-spin, the cue ball "throws" wide then straightens on the natural angle.

At first glance you would think that the in-off is not possible because the path is blocked by the red ball, but the red is actually not in the way at all.

Try it out and see for yourself - remember to hit firmly with plenty of top-spin.


Here is a good shot to cultivate a pure cue action.

Line up a straight pot with the black on its spot. Pot the black and follow through with the white to go in-off. If you have any trace of side on the white you will miss the in-off.



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