Billiards - Feature: Se Habla English?

Basically, english is what comes about when striking the cue ball with the tip of the cue anywhere besides dead center. This imparts spin onto the cue ball. This spin has various effects on how the cue ball reacts - BEFORE making contact with the object ball, AFTER making contact with the object ball, and more importantly, when making contact with a TABLE RAIL.

The pre-object-ball contact will influence the way we have to aim, and the post-object-ball and post-rail contact will influence the way we get position on the next ball. The former is just as important as getting position on the next ball, because if you aim wrong, you will not pocket the ball, and if you don't pocket the ball, what is the use of getting position on the next?

There are basically four types of english: high english, low english (draw), left english and right english. Beyond that, there are innumerable variations of combining either of the first two with either of the last two.

First, we will look at the first two, since they are the easiest, and less likely to complicate your shot. I will compare it to playing with no english at all, i.e. center-ball striking, to give you a better idea.

No English


	No English - Aerial View
	No English - Side View
As illustrated by the aerial view (top image), you will see that the cue ball travels slightly forward after contact with the object ball. If you look at the side view of the shot, you will see what really happens: because the cue ball is in contact with the cloth of the table, as soon as it is struck by the tip of the cue ball, the cloth offers resistance to the forward motion of the cue ball by virtually "gripping" at the contact point where the cue ball is resting on the bed of the table. This automatically imparts backwards spin onto the cue ball, even though the cue ball is traveling in a forward motion. But soon after its forward motion has begun - depending on the initial distance between cue ball and object ball - the cloth will offer enough resistance (friction) to neutralize the backwards spin, and simply let the cue ball roll forwards before making contact with the object ball.

High English


	High English - Aerial View
	High English - Side View
As illustrated by the aerial view (top image), you will see that the cue ball travels forward after contact with the object ball, but where this differs from the shot with no english, is that it will travel much farther after contact. If you look at the side view of the shot, you will see what really happens: the tip of the cue strikes the cue ball well above center. This imparts top spin onto the ball. This time, the resistance offered by the cloth just as the tip makes contact with the cue ball, is overcome by the top spin imparted by striking it well above center. Once the cue ball has made contact with the object ball, there is still enough spin on the cue ball to make it speed forward farther that it would have, had there been no spin on the ball. It will spin forward until there is no spin left, and then the momentum of the ball will carry it farther, until it comes to a gradual halt. It is much like car tires spinning in one place, and then gripping the pavement, projecting the car in a forward motion.

Low English (Draw)


	Low English - Aerial View
	Low English - Side View
As illustrated by the aerial view (top image), you will see that the cue ball travels backwards after contact with the object ball. If you look at the side view of the shot, you will see what really happens: the tip of the cue strikes the cue ball well below center. This imparts bottom spin onto the ball. The cue ball skids forwards across the bed of the table, all the while spinning backwards. When it makes contact with the object ball, the backspin will take effect by gripping the cloth, making the cue ball spin back towards where it came from, until all the spin has been exerted, and then roll normally until it comes to a gradual halt. It is much like a car being pushed forward by a huge truck, while its wheels are spinning in reverse, and then hitting another intervening car. The obstructing car will be enough to make the original car stop suddenly, and with its wheels still spinning in reverse, it will now grip the pavement and project the car in a backward motion. You get the idea.