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Does Side Spin Transfer from the Cue Ball to the Object Ball?

1/6/2022 3:55:21 PM

Does Side Spin Transfer from the Cue Ball to the Object Ball?

Imagine that I am shooting at the 1 ball. I am aware of the following:

  • Upon contact with the object ball, the cue ball will naturally follow the tangent line to the left or right.
  • If I strike the cue ball with side spin, the path of the cue ball will change after contact with the object ball.

But I am unsure of whether the side spin on the cue ball will transfer to the object ball.

So, let's say that all of the following remain constant:

  • the amount of side spin,
  • the strength of shot,
  • the exact location within the pocket at which I am shooting the 1 ball

Given that, will the sidespin on the cue ball transfer to the object ball it strikes? If so, how much will transfer?

I was once told that English will transfer and reverse direction upon contact with an object ball. Is this true?

Thanks for your help.

Does Side Spin Transfer from the Cue Ball to the Object Ball?

Replies & Comments
  1. user1641513320RayMills on 1/6/2022 4:48:28 PM

    I am by no means a proficient shooter, but I have recently discussed this with YouTube experts Dr.Dave and FXBilliards.

    My favorite author, Robert Byrne, states in his books that sidespin transfer from the cue ball to the object ball was negligible, and I believed him. I have never really incorporated it into my game because I felt the "gear effect" was so slight because the billiard balls are so hard. "Throw" is more noticeable. However, I believe Byrne changed his position on this in his later books.

    Especially when you consider that experts need to know all about our pastime and presumably should be excellent-enough cueists to advise the masses, the negligibility of the transfer must be addressed.

    Dr.Dave has high-quality slow-motion video that proves that sidespin on the cue ball will indeed transfer and cause the object ball to spin, even if only for one-half rotation over a 2-foot distance away from the cue ball.

    Bryan from FXBilliards will show you in videos that this spin can indeed make a certain shot possible when no other methods offer a reasonable percentage chance of pocketing the ball. This is usually because that small rotation has more impact on what the object ball will do after it bounces off of a cushion, mostly during a bank shot.

    I won't be trying to embed this gear effect into my shots, especially in 8-ball, because I am not good enough yet to counteract how off-center cueing spoils my fundamental shooting. Until then, I will select different shot strategies, including defensive shots, which can win the game for me anyway. I don't play for the memorable miracle shots—I play for the win.

    That said, I don't think sidespin changes the path of a cue ball as much as top- or bottom-spin (except for deflection).

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Does Side Spin Transfer from the Cue Ball to the Object Ball?

  • Title: Does Side Spin Transfer from the Cue Ball to the Object Ball?
  • Author:
  • Published: 1/6/2022 3:55:21 PM
  • Last Updated: 1/14/2022 3:56:03 AM
  • Last Updated By: billiardsforum (Billiards Forum)