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Chapter 9. MORE ABOUT CANNONS

After your work with the red ball, which you must persevere with even if it is irksome to begin with, you may relax for a while by turning temporarily to a few shots of a more spectacular type. The first of these will test two things-your power of cue and the quality of the cushions of the table on which you play the shot. Figure 29 shows the stroke. The cue-ball is 9 1/2 inches from the side cushion, and a foot from the baulk cushion. The first object-ball is 9 inches from the side cushion and a foot from the cue-ball. The red is 7 inches from the top cushion and 11 inches from the side cushion. By playing to the right of the object-ball, you can make a simple two-cushion cannon via the side and top cushions.

But this is not the shot I want you to accomplish. I am asking you to do a fancy stroke of sorts by making the cannon off no less than seven cushions, as shown by the dotted line in the diagram. To do this, you must strike the object-ball thin with check-side on your own ball, which means striking your ball on the left, and you must also strike it fairly high to give it all the forward rotation you can. Let your cue drive clean through your ball, and if your cue-power is free and good, you will make this multi-cushion cannon.

As a shot to show to your friends it is rather amusing-it looks as if you played for the cannon off two cushions and fluked it off seven-so you had better "nominate it" beforehand. If you take my advice, this one stroke is the only "nomination billiards" you will ever indulge in-the ordinary "nomination game" is a wearying and worrying business far better left alone.

A Useful All-round Cannon

Fig. 30 shows an all-round cannon which is as useful as that shown in Fig. 29 is ornamental. It is played when the red is on the spot and the second object-ball is in baulk, as shown in my diagram. You can tackle this cannon in so many ways that I believe you might score it from almost anywhere in the "D". But the best plan, I think, is to place your ball on the centre-spot of the baulk-line and play a nice half-ball on the red with a bit of running side on your ball.

Played in this way, these cannons are anything but difficult. With a little practice it should be odds on a score every time the red is on the spot and the second object-ball "in the corner" as shown in my diagram. Furthermore, you will find this shot most useful when the second object-ball is a little removed from its present position. And by moving your ball to the right or left of the centre spot of the "D", while you still continue to hit the red half-ball with running side on your ball, you will be surprised to see what a large amount of the baulk is thus open to attack. If you experiment with this, you will become a really good player of those common cannons from hand when the red is on the spot and the second object-ball is in baulk.

Generally speaking, these cannons are looked upon as "safe" leaves, and they often are, because they are not tackled properly. If you play them as I advise, strike your ball a bit above its centre as well as where you want to hit it for the requisite side, and hit the red a nice half-ball, you ought to make these cannons oftener than you miss them, especially when the second object-ball is "in the corner" or thereabouts.

Kiss Cannons

Kiss cannons are worth knowing something about, and I propose to show you two or three of the most useful kinds. Fig. 31 shows the first of these. The red is tight against the side cushion a foot above the middle pocket, the white is three inches from the top cushion in line with the billiard spot.

If you place the cue-ball on the right-hand spot of the "D" and strike it exactly in its centre and not too hard, and play a true half-ball shot on the red, you will make the kiss cannon as shown in my diagram. You will also steer the red in the direction of the billiard spot as indicated by the continuous line in the diagram, thus transforming bad position into good, which is quite the best of billiards. For some inexplicable reason, many beginners seem unable to believe that this kiss cannon is so simple and easy as I have described.

They have an idea that the cue-ball must carry a weird amount of side and top, or both, when such shots are attempted. This is wrong, play exactly as I have directed, and you will make this cannon every time. When you can do this, put the red on the billiard spot, and try to find the place in the "D" to spot your ball to make the half-ball kiss cannon when the white is tight against the side cushion in a variety of positions on either side of the middle pocket, but not too far from it. By-doing this, you will pick up a useful wrinkle or two which will come in handy in actual play if your adversary gives a miss which leaves his ball tight against the side cushion in reply to your miss in baulk. Kiss cannons are often playable with great profit from such leaves. Sometimes you have to make them via the top cushion, and, very rarely, a little side may be necessary.

Ricochet Cannons

Fig. 32 shows the class of stroke which calls for a great deal of top and side, and is, by the uninitiated, confused with the stroke played in Fig. 31.

Technically speaking, the stroke shown in Fig. 32 is not a kiss-cannon.

It is called a ricochet cannon, and is made like this: You spot your ball to make the angle as shown, put top and right-hand side on your ball, and strike the object-ball three-quarter full at least. When the object-ball is tight against a cushion, as it is in the present case, you will fail every time if you play at forcing strength or anything like it. The correct stroke is sharp rather than hard, and the main thing is to gauge exactly the right ball-to-ball contact. In this connection, the most common fault is a tendency to play a shade too full on the object-ball. If the first object-ball is almost touching the cushion, the stroke can be played as if it were touching. But if the object-ball is distinctly clear of the cushion, perhaps by as much as an inch and a half, it is then necessary to play with all the force at your command.

Hit your ball as hard as you did when attempting the seven-cushion cannon, put on all the top and side you can, when you may make a very beautiful ricochet cannon. Pockets can also be played for on the ricochet principle, and are frequently scored. But there is always an element of luck-it is a matter of the final curve of the cue-ball happening to end just right to take that ball into a pocket-which is rather more than even the best players can be positive about.

Another Kiss Cannon

The kiss cannon shown in Fig. 33 is very easy. All three balls are dead in line, as shown in the diagram. You play to hit the red full-ball, when the cannon cannot be missed if you play at moderate strength and fail to do what you are aiming for. This is to hit the red exactly in its centre. If you did so, a double kiss would spoil the cannon. What happens is that you aim to hit the red full with absolute accuracy, but you are sure to be just a little off the target at the range.

Consequently, the red travels a little obliquely on the white, and kisses that ball away from the cushion to meet your ball as it runs through the red. A very good shot to know, as it offers a certain score when the balls are in an otherwise safe position. Slight variations of it are playable when the balls are not quite straight in line, but the margin in this direction is very small. Never play these shots too hard, or anything may happen except the kiss cannon you are attempting.

Positional Sequences after Kiss Cannons

As regards positional sequences dependent on kiss effects, these are mainly intricate refinements at the spot-end. They belong to top-of-the-table billiards, a specialized scoring method invented by John Roberts, and perfected and played by Tom Newman as no other cueman has ever handled it.

Rightly considered, it is almost a game by itself, and so very difficult that I doubt whether any amateur has ever gained anything by it. Some of the top-fighters among the amateurs get going "at the top" on occasion, but never with any marked effect, and it is a very open question whether they would not score more points if they kept to the all-round game. As this is the case, what is the use of asking the average amateur, never mind the beginner, to cope with the difficulties of the alternating red winner and cannon movement?

Top-of-the-Table Game

Figure 34 gives some slight idea of what these difficulties are. The red is on the spot, the white is tight against the top cushion, and the cue-ball is favourably placed for a simple ball-to-ball cannon from red to white. Played properly, in a top-of-the-table break, this cannon should be made so that the cue-ball drops full on the white and kisses gently off it without moving it from its position against the cushion. At the same time the red is directed over the top pocket in perfect position for the next stroke. This is a red winner played to leave a similar cannon from the other side of the spotted red. Then the cannon is repeated, the kiss effect, really a gentle double kiss, is made to perfection, the red is pocketed and set-up once more, and once again the sequence is repeated.

"Postman's Knock"

This is known as the "postman's knock" position because of the double kiss utilized every time the cannon is played. Charles Dawson used to play it very well, Willie Smith keeps it going to good purpose when he thinks he will, and Tom Newman is master of it, as he is of every other position at the spot-end. It looks the easiest thing in the world to "keep on doing it" when you see a first-rate professional playing it so cleverly that he may make six or eight cannons, with their accompanying red winners, without moving the white ball a fraction of an inch away from its position against the top cushion. But you try to do it and see what happens, even if you are reckoned "quite useful" among your billiard-playing friends. You may make the first cannon fairly well, but you are excessively likely to spoil the sequence as soon as you pot the red, most probably by leaving a cannon which cannot be played with the requisite double-kiss effect. Then you may be compelled to open the game, which I should advise you to do in the first place. If you play the cannon with the idea of leaving the red where you can pot it and leave the familiar half-ball loser off the spotted red, you will do much better than you will by trying for the "postman's knock" sequence of positional kiss effects, and I advise you to plan your break-building accordingly.

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