Pool table????

Question

On the pool table there are those nails/marks put in along the sides of the table and is meant to help you for the direction off the side. im not quite sure and would like a proper explanation what they are used for and how to use them to get balls in the pockets.

Answer 1

I'll give an abbreviated answer, not withstanding, the previous answer is on the money too. I do recommend as well the "Standard Book of Pool and Billiards" by Robert Byrne. You will read it over and over again and always seem to find something you missed earlier. Here's another thought for you I just posted.

This is more of a statement than a question but has anyone ever really considered the physics of the game? Most everyone that talks about pool laments about how the game is one of geometry.

What brings this up is that I was playing Ray Martin (His name is well worth typing into the google search engine) and he said he didn't study the geometry, or angles if you will, about the table when he first started playing. Rather he studied the action and reaction of the cue ball, they physics.

When Ray Martin talks, people listen, so I went home and looked something up about the subject. I highly recommend you take some time to read up on the link I provided. You'll be surprised at how intriguing it is and how much you'll want to apply the concept to your game.

http://www.google.com/search?q=cue+ball+...

Answer 2

The Diamond System in Billiards utilizes the imagined but geometric division of the playing surface that is usually permanently marked on the rails of a billiard table. Most billiard tables provide this visual aid to enable the shooter to mentally calculate and visualize complex angles for their shot.

These divisions denote "invisible lines" going from diamond to diamond. That is, for example, they go from diamond one on the left hand side to diamond one on the right hand side. Actually working with basic fundamentals of using this aiming system, in trial and error will teach you how to see the angles of a shot.

The Diamond System can generally be figured out with practice sessions done with simple geometry in mind. The general principle is that if you hit the cue ball (or any ball) perfectly straight at one diamond, it will travel completely straight back toward the diamond at the opposite end of the table. That being said, you could hit it from ten degrees either way, and it should rebound ten degrees out in the opposite direction. If you find yourself playing a situation where a diamond is not in the appropriate spot, you will have to envision "imaginary diamonds" in the appropriate spot, and the corresponding imaginary lines. (Imagine that!) It may sound complicated, but it can generally be worked out with an few hours at the table with only the cue ball. By the end of the session, you should have a good feel for the diamond system.

If it sounds too complicated its probably best to read a more detailed description like the one found in Robert Bryne’s book called: "Bryne's New Standard Book of Pool and Billiards." He covers the system in the "billiards" section. Although I personally feel, trying to comprehend by reading about it makes understanding more complicated than just experimenting with the diamonds on the table on your own.

Good Shooting!