How Topspin Affects the Cue Ball

Video Transcript

"Okay, our next step in exploring what the tangent line will do for us, is we're going to see what actual direction can we make the cue ball come off of that object ball starting out in the general direction of the tangent line. So what we need to be aware of is that with the tangent line, say this one right here for instance. This is our tangent line. Cue ball coming form this position here cutting that ball a little bit to the left, the cue ball is going to start out that line, but it's not going to follow that line exactly unless it has exactly the right kind of action on it when it comes off. And I'll tell you right now what it needs to do to follow that line exactly. In other words come over here and then head straight down that pathway is it needs to slide into that ball to get down there. Like a stop shot. Like you'd hit it just for a stop shot. But, if it's not going to slide into that ball, let's say that it's going to have a forward roll to it, a natural roll or you're going to put excess top spin on it like you would for a follow shot, what's going to happen is it will start out along the tangent line and it will only follow it for a very short distance for an inch or less. That top spin will take over and it will arc forward. So instead of it going say pointing down to where that butt end of that stick is down to that part of the table, if we hit this with top spin then it's going to arc forward and see hit over in there. We use that knowledge to once again position the cue ball."