Week 4: Finding the Angle

Moving from straight shots to angled shots, by understanding the relationship between the cue ball, the contact point, the object-ball path and the pocket.

15 March 2027

• Learn

  The core idea this week is a chain: cue ball, contact point, object-ball path, pocket — and you work it out starting from the pocket, not the cue ball. Because both balls have physical size, you cannot aim the centre of the cue ball at the centre of the object ball for an angled shot; you aim at the contact point that sends the object ball where you need it to go. The pre-shot routine from Week 2 and the stroke from Week 3 don't change just because the shot is angled.

• See

  Visual examples progress from a straight shot through small, medium and larger-angle cuts, so the object-ball path and the cue-ball aiming line are visibly different from one shot to the next.

• Think

  Given a cut shot, work out which pocket line is correct, where the contact point is, which ghost-ball position is correct, and whether the aim looks too thick or too thin.

• Play

  Progress gradually through straight, slight-angle, medium-angle and larger-angle shots, using the same pre-shot routine each time.

• Table check

  Given several illustrated cut shots, identify the correct contact point or aiming option before playing the shot.

Finding the contact point#

Start from the pocket, not the cue ball:

1. The object-ball path. Visualise a line from the target pocket through the object ball. That’s the direction the object ball needs to travel.
2. The true contact point. Because both balls have physical size, you can’t just aim the centre of the cue ball at the centre of the object ball for an angled shot. The true contact point is determined geometrically from the object-ball line to the pocket and the cue ball’s approach line — it’s the point on the object ball’s surface the cue ball must contact so the object ball travels along that required line.
3. The ghost ball. Imagine a cue ball touching the object ball at that contact point. This imaginary ball is the same size as the real cue ball, and its centre gives you the cue ball’s aiming reference.
4. The same routine. After finding the contact point, the sequence doesn’t change: stand and establish the aiming line, enter the stance, align the cue, lower into position, and use the same stable stroke from Week 3.

Think it through#

• Which pocket line is correct for the shot in front of you?
• Where is the contact point?
• Which ghost-ball position is correct?
• Are you aiming too thick, or too thin?