3 cushions system
A PATRICK DUPONT' SYSTEM The next tip is an arithmetic help to play 3 cushions in the lenght of the billiard table without use the diamond system.
With this system we can know where the player's ball will go after 3 cushions
At first we need to learn how to aim really half ball
TO TRAIN ONESELF TO AIM HALF BALL
It is not as easy as it seems to be when balls are not close.
Due to the perspective we don't see the same size for the 2 balls.
The 2 two following exercises - ascending in difficulty - will let you work this aiming.
EXERCISE 1:
- draw the lines of the balkline on the table
- put the player's ball in the middle of the billiard
- put the red ball inside the upper angle of the central frame ( * )
( * ) Putting for a 2.80 m billiard :
( * ) Putting for a 3.10 m billiard :
You must aim half ball, follow shot without lateral english
The player's ball must come back at the second mark on the small cushion
EXERCISE 2:
Here the difficulty is increasing because the player's ball is farther, still in the same axis.
- draw the lines of the balkline on the table
- put the player's ball inside the lower angle of the central frame ( * )
- put the red ball inside the upper angle of the central frame ( * )
( * ) Putting for a 2.80 m billiard :
( * ) Putting for a 3.10 m billiard :
You must aim half ball, follow shot without lateral english
The player's ball must come back at the second mark on the small cushion
For these 2 exercises we can know as follows whether we have aimed half ball :
- the 2 balls stop rolling almost at the same time.
- the red one comes in the area at the left corner ( see the sketch : First mark Small cushion / Second mark Big cushion )
- the 2 balls generate a banging sound when they meet.
THE SYSTEM
With this system we have to determine what is the initial distance:
- draw a line linking the centers of the 2 balls ( or a parallel line at this one )
- look the end of this line one the small cushions
- count how many mark between the two end of this line one the small cushions
0 MARK :
It is a special case where the 2 balls are on a parallel at large cushions
Here are 2 examples in which the distance is 0 mark :
1 MARK :
Here are 2 examples in which the distance is 1 mark ( read on the left small cushion ):
2 MARKS :
Here are 2 examples in which the distance is 2 marks ( read on the left small cushion ):
3 MARKS :
Here are 2 examples in which the distance is 3 marks ( read on the left small cushion ):
4 MARKS :
Here are two examples in which the distance is 4 marks ( read on the left small cushion ):
With this example even if we are out of the table ( virtually ) we can evaluate the distance.
If we continue the line ball-ball we see that the distance is 4 marks.
Arrival lines are shown on the sketch below:
If the third ball is on the final trajectory, it's in the bag !
VIDEO FOR EXPLANATION
The next video is realised with Classic Billiard simulator - (c) Kozoom
It shows some examples for a distance of 0 mark
CORRECTIONS AND EXTENSIONS
The player's ball is rather inclined to turn a bit too much ( going towards the corner or the large cushion ) if :
- The red ball is not far from the player's ball (less than 3 marks)
- The red ball is near the left large cushion
To force the player's ball to go farther in the corner, we lower the cue tip before hitting the ball :
- hitting at the center of the ball is like 1 mark minus at the beginning
One example :
If the balls are on a parallel at the large cushions and the third ball is located in the corner
With 0 mark at the beginning, the system gives an arrival at the first mark on the small cushion
We need a minus of 1 marks
A solution could be : half ball, no english, 1/2 ball hit
In the final player choice, the quantity is chosen to avoid the chock
OTHER 3 CUSHIONS SYSTEMS
U can read other 3 cushions systems in free documents in the dowload area with following this link.