Elevated Cue Shot

Classical Mechanics Level 2

Instead of playing versus billiard games, professional players also spend their time to create special trickshots for championships and during their leisure time.

Suppose that a professional player elevates the back end of the cue (between $30^{\circ}$ and $60^{\circ}$ with respect to the table surface) and aims a bit below the center of the cue ball along the vertical. Which of the given scenarios will more likely happen to the ball if he strikes with a maximum force?

Assume that the stroke is perfectly executed, and that the cue is completely chalked.

It will travel straightly and normally on the table surface. It will spin backward. It will be split in half. It will leave the table surface. It will spin at the different direction.

1 solution

Steven Chase
Jan 2, 2017

This trick is known as a "jump shot".

Yes, you are right about it! :)

Michael Huang - 4 years, 5 months ago

That's interesting. Can you explain how this works?

Agnishom Chattopadhyay - 4 years, 5 months ago

Not really

Steven Chase - 4 years, 5 months ago

Seems like you are not willing to explain how the shot works, hm. If nobody is willing to volunteer for the solution or partial solution, I will go ahead and show you. :)

Michael Huang - 4 years, 5 months ago

@Michael Huang – Please do that. Thanks!

Agnishom Chattopadhyay - 4 years, 5 months ago

How does this answer the question "Which of the given scenarios will more likely happen to the ball if he strikes with a maximum force?" ?

Pi Han Goh - 4 years, 5 months ago

In fact, what Steven brought up is least expensive and time-consuming. This is the part of billiard physics.

If you watch billiard tournament games and trickshot video, such as Venom's billiard trickshots , you should realize why elevating the back end of the cue at a certain height creates the ball bounce.

Without friction, the ball will of course deflect at the usual angle (as long as the cue blocking is a distance away from the center of the ball). This closely follows the law of deflection.

With friction, the jump angle deviates by some angle. Here are the following illustrations:

These cue-positioning are not like holding it parallel to the table. If the cue were to be held parallel to the table, then the ball rolls on the table surface. The difference is that the force is applied an angle toward the table surface to produce the bounce. If suppose the ball is blocked by either object balls or cushion, then it depends on where you want the ball to be aimed at.

Still thinking about the best way to create the solution in simple terms since the topic may be a bit too sophisticated to think about. If there is nothing else to consider, I might post the solution.

Michael Huang - 4 years, 5 months ago

What is the role of "aims a bit below the center of the cue ball along the vertical." Is it only about the rules of the game or something to do with physics?

R G Staff - 4 years, 5 months ago

@R G – It actually has to do with the physics. It's not the rule of the game since the cue positioning deals with how you execute the shot.

Michael Huang - 4 years, 5 months ago

The idea was that once people knew the name, they could do their own research as they please. We know that it's the most likely because it is what happens when you follow those particular steps. Exactly why is another question.

Steven Chase - 4 years, 5 months ago

Elevated Cue Shot

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