General Points

The cross loser is one of the most important shots in Billiards and should be played for wherever possible. By potting the red into a top corner pocket, taking the cross loser and thereafter the middle pocket loser, an easy 9 points are gained.

Standard shot

It is usually possible to get the shot quite comfortably by addressing the cue ball at the centre, but on some tables this can be risky as the cue ball can throw slightly wide. Therefore, as a general rule it is best to play all cross losers in the same way, with TOP. A hint of check side may also be used as 'insurance' to prevent any running side being imparted, which would cause the cue ball to throw wide.

Hitting the top cushion will usually result in a missed shot, whilst hitting the far jaw of the pocket will normally get the shot. Unless you are playing on a table with very large pockets or using heaps of running side (because the shot is wide), avoid the top cushion at all costs.

Distance

The closer the cue ball is to the red the higher you should address the cue ball to avoid any stun effect. As you get very close to the red the becomes distorted and care must be taken to stand back to try to see the path the cue ball will take after contact with the red.

Wide with running side

When the angle is slightly wide, use a small amount of running side to get the shot. Address the cue ball above centre to avoid the stun. As the angle widens, more and more running side should be used. Although you will get the widest throw of the cue ball with about half maximum side, the combination of the nap effect and the fact that the side will cause the cue ball to enter the pocket, even after hitting the far jaw, means that at the widest angle you should be using maximum running side. Use a slightly slower pace than the standard cross loser to allow the side to work on the nap. It is interesting to note that at a very wide position the shot actually becomes easier than the standard shot because the running side that you need to use means that the effective size of the pocket is much bigger (the side widens the pocket). Here you can hit the top cushion and the cue ball will be spinning enough to then hit the far jaw and spin in. The centre of the pocket effectively moves towards the top cushion. As you get to the limit of the shot an advanced technique is to aim slightly lower on the cue ball. This will give a fractionally wider throw but is dangerous as you can easily stun the shot.

Narrow with check side

When the angle is slightly narrow then use a bit of check side. As the angle narrows further, use more and more check side. This shot should be played slightly slower than the standard cross loser to prevent a wider throw due to increased pace and also to allow the side to work on the nap. As this particular shot is played more slowly than a standard cross loser, it can often be advantageous to address the cue ball at 4.30 or 7.30 rather than above centre. By the time the cue ball reaches the red it will be rolling nicely and and you will have imparted more side on it due to the fact that you aimed low. However, this is quite an advanced technique and if you do this, be careful to play smoothly. If there is any doubt in your mind, use top instead.

Contact

There comes a point that the shot can not be made with check side alone, remembering that if you hit the top cushion with this side on the shot will almost certainly be missed. Now the shot changes and should be played thinner than a true half-ball. A hint of check side may be used, but this is only 'insurance' to make sure that you do not put any running side on. As the angle becomes very narrow you should generally play the shot thinner and faster. The extra speed is because of the thin contact - a medium pace here would not be sufficient to push the object ball towards the middle pocket. Eventually you will judge that the shot is not on and that a pot red is more certain.

Swerve

As the angle widens there comes a point when you can not get the shot with side alone. You should now be able to get it by raising the butt of your cue slightly and playing a mini-swerve.

Pace

As the angle widens further, even a mini-swerve is not enough and more pace and top (along with maximum running side) must now be used to get the shot. You must be careful to get the top on as any stun will end in disaster. This is a very dangerous and quite difficult shot as after the cue ball contacts the red it will arc the wrong way towards the pocket. Once again you must be very careful not to hit the top cushion and you should judge the pace to allow the cue ball to arc back to the pocket, almost parallel to the top cushion. The red should go in and out of baulk.

Leaving a Middle Pocket Loser or a Pot?

The cross loser position is mostly achieved by potting the red into a corner pocket. A standard cross loser will usually result in leaving a middle pocket loser as the next shot. If you wish to leave a pot red as the next shot, try to leave a wide cross loser beforehand as this will push the red nearer the middle pocket. Interestingly, a narrow cross loser will also result in the red being pushed nearer the middle pocket, but as the narrow loser is risky it is much better to avoid this.

Remember

• Address the cue ball above centre
• Use a hint of check side
• Play a thick half-ball
• Use medium pace to leave a middle pocket loser
• Make sure that you miss the top cushion
• Learn your limits from various positions

Common Mistakes

• Incorrect assessment of how to play a variation on the standard shot