The 13 typical shots
Each shot is described by the attack, the ball fullness and the cushions touched
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The balls
1: the cue ball, the player's own. 2: touched first. 3: touched second, it completes the carom.
Ball fullness, from finesse to full
| Shot | How it's played | What it gives, and what to remember |
|---|---|---|
| By attack and ball fullness | ||
| Natural shot | High hit; ball fullness from ¼ to ¾ (often called "half-ball" for simplicity). Never a full hit. | Ball 2 leaves on its line, ball 1 is sent off with the natural deflection (about 45°) toward ball 3. |
| Draw (retro) | Low hit, below center. Simple setup: low and with no side spin. | Ball 1 comes back after contact: it brakes and repositions without "running up" with the other balls. Risky if balls 1 and 2 are too far apart (needs a hard hit) or too close (push shot): in that case, go through one or two cushions and attack the other ball instead. |
| Follow (coulé) | High hit; ball fullness from ¾ to full — the opposite of the natural shot. | The closer to full, the more ball 1 keeps going straight after contact. The border zone around ¾ is called the half-follow. |
| Side spin | Hit to the left or right of center. | Changes the exit angle after a cushion: the tool for correcting or exploiting the paths of cushion systems, such as System 4. |
| Finesse | Very small fullness: less than a quarter-ball. | Ball 2 barely deflects, ball 1 keeps most of its path. Useful when the target is almost straight ahead, with very little angle; often a waiting shot, and trickier the finer you play it. At high power, hit a touch higher to keep some forward roll. |
| Stun (amorti) | Ball 2 is hit full enough that it leaves with almost all the speed. | Ball 1 stops dead on contact; ball 2 goes on to reach ball 3. |
| Piqué (elevated cue) | Near-vertical cue, though not as steep as for a massé. | Brings the ball back strongly: useful at short range when a classic draw lacks the power to pull back. |
| Massé | Cue very steeply angled, close to vertical. | Curves the path sharply, usually to go around a ball in the way. For experienced players only: risk of tearing the cloth. |
| With cushions | ||
| Cushion-first shot (bricole) | Ball 1 touches a cushion before touching ball 2. | The angle of reflection depends on the angle of incidence and any side spin: the territory of the calculation systems. |
| Double (2 cushions) | Two different cushions before the first contact. | More technical than the cushion-first shot: two angles of reflection to work out instead of one. |
| Triple (3 cushions) | Three different cushions before the first contact (the same cushion counted twice doesn't count). | The principle behind three-cushion billiards; the most common pattern: long rail – short rail – long rail. Calculating these paths isn't on this site yet. |
| Reversed (retourné) | One cushion, then the adjacent cushion (the one at the corner), then back toward the first cushion before continuing. | A shot with reverse side spin, which takes a good feel for how the side spin carries through contact with both cushions. |
| Grouped balls | ||
| Combination (rencontre) | Balls 2 and 3 are touching or very close together. | Ball 1 pushes ball 2, which transmits the impact to ball 3: it's this second push that completes the carom. |