One time, Frank a road player, walked into the South Hills Golden Cue and asked several patrons to play 9-ball?  In talking to the owner Jim Marino he asked me to get a message to the road player.  I told Frank that there was a player who was interested in playing 9-ball?  Frankís response was that he would play anyone except for Jim Marino!  Jim Marino said this was the player he heard about.  You are probably already thinking that this playerís name wasnít Frank, and you would be correct. 

Before Earl Strickland would leave us that weekend we would see him exhibit the art of shooting jump shots in a manner that none of us had ever seen before. From studying Earl that weekend and then practicing afterward I noticed certain consistencies about jump shots, which I will call principles. (See diagram) Those principles are: 1) Angle of Impact equals the Angle of Rebound, 2) Path of Projectile motion, 3) Closer the object ball, the larger the Angle of Rebound, and 4) The Strike point will vary indirectly with the Angle of Impact.

The ìAngle of Impact equals the Angle of Reboundî gives you an idea on how to aim your cue stick.  The location of the object ball to be jumped over and how much of the ball will need to be jumped over will dictate the necessary Angle of Rebound, and thus we will know what our Angle of Impact should be (See diagram).

The ìPath of Projectile motionî (See diagram) is the flight of the cue ball.  The total distance traveled by the cue ball through the air will always have the cue ball reaching its maximum height off of the table at the midpoint of the flight.  This is helpful for the object ball, which you are trying to strike needs to be far enough away so that there is enough room for the cue ball to return to the table.

ìThe Closer the object ball, the larger the Angle of Rebound will beî.  As the object ball gets closer to the cue ball, the Angle of Rebound will need to be larger so that the cue ball can clear the object ball sooner.  Ideally we would like to jump the cue just enough that it will just clear the ball we are jumping over.

Lastly, the Strike point will vary indirectly with the Angle of Impact.  Your cue stick should strike the cue ball below center relative to the reference frame created by the Angle of Impact.  As the Angle of Impact increases, your strike point on the cue ball will move toward the base of the cue ball. As the Angle of Impact decreases, the strike point can move toward the top of the cue ball.  What is important is that we avoid the cue stick double hitting the cue ball as it rebounds from the table.

The stroke for the shot will come with practice.  Start by jumping the cue ball first over a piece of chalk.  If you need more power, then try choking up on your cue stick.  And one last bit of advice, practice this shot on a table with a worn cloth while you are developing the stroke.  As you start to execute the jump shot on different surfaces you will notice that the cloth weight and texture will also affect your shot.

Good luck practicing your jump shot and have a Happy Easter!  Remember, if you have a subject that you would like Mr. Billiards to write about, please e-mail your question to MrBilliards@ThePlayersLeague.com

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