Cushion calculation: which system to choose?
Four systems, two questions: “where does my ball arrive?” or “where to send it?”
They give the arrival
You know where you aim, the system tells you where the ball arrives: System 4 and the One-cushion system.
They give the aim
You choose the arrival, the system tells you where to send the ball: the Conti and the Diamond.
| System 4 | One cushion | Conti | Diamond | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Question | Where does my ball arrive? | Where does my ball arrive? | Where to send it? | Where to send it? |
| Shot concerned | One cushion, natural shot, after ball 2. | Crossing the width, grazing ball 2 at half-ball. | Three cushions: long, short, long cushion. | Three cushions, as a backup to the Conti. |
| Formula | gap + carry-over = 4 | CD = 4 − AB | start − arrival = aim | aim = arrival − start |
| What you read | The gap between two cushions, in diamonds. | The distance AB from the starting cushion to ball 2. | A start and an arrival on four number scales. | A start between the 2nd and the 7th diamond of the long cushion. |
| Spin | No spin. | No spin; each dose adds one diamond. | High hit with the maximum of “good” side spin. | Ball hit at the center, 2 tips of good side spin. |
| Setting at your table | A regular table is enough. | Check your positions at your table. | Four test shots to measure your table. | Theoretical values, to be checked. |
| Your situation | The system | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You are starting out with diamonds | System 4 | A simple rule, one cushion, no spin: the best way in. |
| The shot crosses the width, grazing ball 2 | One cushion | A single line, CD = 4 − AB, to work out where the ball arrives opposite. |
| You want to score on three cushions, arrival of your choice | Conti | You fix the arrival, a subtraction gives the aim. To be tuned to your table. |
| The Conti does not work, a ball is on the line | Diamond | Same principles, other reference marks: useful as a backup. |
| Three balls grouped in a corner, to keep there | Scale points | A shot set according to the angle, not a cushion calculation. |
In what order to learn them
- System 4: read the diamonds, predict an arrival.
- One-cushion system: same reflexes across the width.
- Conti: to play three-cushion, after testing your table.
- Diamond: as a complement, when the Conti does not work.
To remember
- All are counted in diamonds, the marks on the cushions.
- They only hold if the shot is repeated identically: same hit, same speed.
- These are theoretical values: check them at your table.