3. How do I hit a jump shot?
Description
This article is from the Pool & Billiards FAQ, by Bob Jewett with numerous contributions by others.
3. How do I hit a jump shot?
Is about a 45 degree angle of elevation for the cue correct?
For most practical shots, it will be less than 45 degrees. It depends
on how much of the ball you need to clear and how soon.
Should I hit the cue ball right in the center or a little above center?
Below center is better, but not so low you miscue, which is a foul on
jump shots, at least at nine ball. If you hit above center, the cue
stick tends to trap the cue ball on the cloth.
Rule 3.24 says it is illegal to "dig under" the ball to get it to jump.
Hitting the cue ball below center is not "digging under". By "digging
under" I assume they mean a miscue. Miscues are illegal by rule 3.25.
Should I stroke through the cue ball, or does that interfere with the
cue ball jumping?
You need to use a somewhat shorter stroke to avoid hitting the cloth.
If you are already slowing the cue down at the instant of contact, it
will act as if it were lighter, which is better.
Does it have to be hit extremely hard?
It depends on the distance from the cue ball to the obstruction, the
weight of the cue stick, and how much of the obstruction you need to
clear. The cue ball's path while in the air is a parabola, and you can
calculate how fast the ball must be going to just clear the obstruction
at the peak of the trajectory.
The most important factor is the kind of cloth on the table. If it is
very high quality, thin cloth, jumping will be very difficult. If it is
thicker or maybe rubber-backed, jumping will be easy.
Start with an easy drill: Freeze three balls together in a line
parallel to and about a foot from a rail. Remove the middle one. Place
the cue ball an inch from the rail, and shoot it through the hole.
Twenty degrees elevation should be plenty for this shot. Do the same,
but place an object ball to be pocketed after the jump. Move the two
obstructing balls closer to each other and/or farther from the cue ball.
Can I make an object ball jump over an obstruction?
Yes, this is the "double jump." If the cue ball is in the air when it
hits the object ball, the object ball will jump some. Details are left
as an exercise for the reader.
At snooker, it is a foul for the cue ball to jump over a ball, whether
intended or not (unless the cue ball has already struck an object ball)
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