The Principles of Defense

In this shot most beginning and intermediate players would simply hit the white thin, trying to make the cueball hit the first rail near a. The trouble is that the white gets banked from b to c and will be close to the red, at least, if you miss. Better here is a soft spin shot. Hit the white fairly full with maximum left english The white travels at moderate speed to the first rail spinning like a top, following the diagrammed path, stopping near the red if you miss. The white is zigzagged down the table as shown. Spinning the cueball is also good here because it enlarges the target on the third rail.