Tom Bolton's

Updated
September 27, 2007

Three Cushion Billiards--Shot Diagrams

There are infinte billiards shots and possibilities that can be diagrammed to provide content for this web site. I'll share a few of the common shots as well as some that emerge from the depths from time to time. The diagrams are not necessarily the best shot choices. They are provided for entertainment, contemplation, and practice.

Please note that this web site is not based on scientific research. Diagrams are simply created by observing the outcome of successful and sometimes unsuccessful shots. Most shot diagrams and accompanying explanations are qualified with the closing statement, "Adjust shot to allow for table and other playing conditions."

Billiards books and videos written and performed by the experts provide optimum study and practice material. Beyond that, live instruction and training save many hours, days, months, and years of struggling with the trial and error method.

Fifty-five diagrams can be viewed without scrolling by clicking here . . .

(Using 1024 x 768 or higher monitor settings with Windows Internet Explorer Browser are recommended.)

If you prefer a printer friendly version including about 150 pages of additional diagrams, just scroll down on this page. There are currently 202 pages formatted for printing.

Snooker and Pool--Shot Diagrams

Basic Pool and Snooker diagrams can be found at this web site . . .

Click Here for Additional Double Kiss Shot Detail

 

 

English Guide Interactive Animation (Requires Java Virtual Machine) Click Here for Non-Animated English Guide

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Original Billiard Diagram--1986

Below is the first billiards diagram I plotted on a computer--This 5 rail shot was part of a billiards tutorial disk created for the Apple II computer about twenty years ago. Each line was programmed as HPLOT (hi res) coordinates to appear on a table grid. Animation was achieved by inserting a timing loop to slow down the appearance and sequence of the lines. This was crude, but it got the job done.

Today, the balls and ball path lines are positioned on a table grid (or table diagram) with a few mouse strokes. Once conceptualized a typical drawing of the type I create takes only a few minutes to complete. Even the more sophisticated animations usually take less than 10-15 minutes--of course, these are not state-of-the-art shot renderings. (You can see ainimations by following the Link below.)

Flashback!, 1986. Before there were internet browsers, my billiards diagrams were constructed one HPLOT at a time with AppleSoft Basic High Resolution Graphics. Screen coordinates were saved in a data list and accessed with read statements within a for,next loop as I recall. Thanks to Apple IIe Emulator I've resurrected some old billiards software I created in the mid 1980's.