What Angles Do You Follow When You Play Pool?

The angles in pool make it difficult. If all the shots were straight in, pool certainly wouldn't be much of a challenging game. Cutting balls into the pocket at various angles take practice and skill in aiming at the correct spot. No magic formula exists, and there are an infinite number of angled shots that can come up during a game. However, there are some rules regarding cue ball angles after completing a shot.

  1. Aiming

    • The key to pocketing your object ball when shooting at an angle is to aim in the correct place. To do this, draw an imaginary line from the center of the pocket to the center of your object ball. The spot where the line exits the object ball is the spot where you want to hit the ball with the cue ball, which determines your angle.

    Thirty-Degree Rule

    • Anytime you hit your object ball with the cue ball, the cue ball will deflect. For straight in shots, the cue ball will stay on the same path after you hit the object ball. After you draw your imaginary line through your object ball, you will notice that the cue ball will more than likely not be hitting all of the object ball. You may only be hitting one-third to three-fourths of the object ball. In these cases, the cue ball will deflect off the object ball at a 30-degree angle. Look carefully at this angle to ensure the cue ball will not deflect into a pocket after contact with the object ball.

    Ninety-Degree Rule

    • For shots in which you hit three-quarters to all of your object ball, the cue ball will deflect at a 90-degree angle. Again, you want to look at this angle prior to hitting the object ball to ensure that the cue ball will not go into a pocket when it deflects off the object ball. The 90-degree rule can be measured by aiming your pointer finger at the spot where you will hit the object ball. Spread your thumb out like you are making an "L" or backwards "L." Wherever your thumb is pointing is where the cue ball will go when deflecting at a 90-degree angle.

    Exceptions

    • Exceptions exist for every rule. After you play for awhile, you will learn that hitting the cue ball at either the top or the bottom will affect the 30- and 90-degree rules. Hitting at the top of the cue ball will make the angle increase, and hitting the cue ball at the bottom will make the angle decrease or become shorter. The speed in which you hit the cue ball also affects the angle.