Your average — points divided by innings — is the single number that describes your real three-cushion strength. Enter a match or session below to compute it, see which level band it places you in, and project how long a given match distance will take you.
What the average actually measures
In three-cushion, the general average (French: moyenne) is total points divided by total innings. Unlike a won/lost record it does not care who you played — it measures how many caroms you produce per visit to the table, which makes it the universal currency of carom strength: tournament seedings, league classifications and handicaps are all built on it.
- General average: all points ÷ all innings across a tournament or season — the number used for rankings.
- Particular (match) average: the same ratio inside a single match — your “best particular” shows your ceiling.
- High run: the longest unbroken series of caroms in one inning — a burst indicator, not a consistency one.
A deeper breakdown of how the statistic works — and realistic milestones for each stage of development — is in the scoring-average guide.
Reading the level bands
The bands the calculator shows are approximate but widely used in carom clubs:
| General average | Level |
|---|---|
| < 0.350 | Beginner — focus on stroke and the first drills |
| 0.350 – 0.600 | Club player — systems start paying off |
| 0.600 – 0.900 | Strong club / regional — consistent diamond-system play |
| 0.900 – 1.200 | National level |
| 1.200 – 1.800 | International / professional |
| > 1.800 | World elite — the very best sustain 2.0+ over whole seasons |
For context: a 1.000 average means you score on every second visit; the all-time greats average above two caroms per inning against world-class defence. Compare your number honestly and re-measure monthly — the trend matters more than any single match.
How to raise it
- Count every session. Innings and points, no exceptions — an average built on selected good days is fiction. Ten sessions give you a real baseline.
- Train positions, not hopes. Reps on the classic position patterns convert “sometimes” shots into bankers; the practice-routine plan structures a week around them.
- Fix the decision, then the stroke. Most points below 1.0 are lost to shot selection, not execution — the shot-selection guide shows the triage.
- Simulate the pressure. Play fixed-distance matches against the clock in the free 3ball simulator and track your average per session; the solver tells you afterwards what the table actually offered.
Match distances and what they demand
Common race distances are 25–30 points in club leagues, 40 in international qualification and 50 in world-final formats. The projection in the calculator divides the distance by your average: at 0.700, a 30-point match means roughly 43 innings — knowing that in advance changes how you pace risk in the opening phase. Use it before your next league night, then come back to the diamond calculator to prepare the patterns the match will demand.