The object ball sits frozen or within a ball-width of the cushion, and the cue ball has to "graze" past it with an extremely thin contact — enough to redirect its own path onto the correct 3-cushion route without disturbing the object ball's position on the rail. One of the few shots where accuracy matters more than power, and where a full-ball hit is actually the wrong answer.
Reference route
Reproducible table setup
A measurable starting point for this route family. The line is a practice reference, not a guaranteed scoring path.
Normalized ball coordinates
| x/L | y/W | |
|---|---|---|
| White cue ball | 0.500 | 0.775 |
| Yellow ball | 0.335 | 0.141 |
| Red ball | 0.651 | 0.141 |
Two controlled variations
- A · Change only side spin; keep the setup and pace.
- B · Change only pace; keep the setup and contact point.
Arrival tolerance target: ±28 mm
Practice protocol: 5 sets × 5 repetitions
Calculation record: Physics 3.0.0-beta · Solver 4.2.0
Physics V3 remains measurement-pending; verify the line on your own cloth and cushions.
Open this exact setup in 3ball →Edge Shot — Setup
Object ball within about 1 cm of the cushion — close enough that a normal-thickness contact would drive it straight into the rail instead of sending the cue ball onward. Cue ball positioned for a genuinely thin-cut attack, aiming to clip only the outer edge of the object ball.
Stroke and english
Soft to medium pace with a deliberately thin cut on the first object ball — think of contacting only the outer 10-20% of the ball's surface. A touch of running english helps compensate for the thinness of the contact and keeps the cue ball's path predictable even at this fine a cut.
When to use it
Use it whenever the object ball is frozen against or nearly touching the cushion, since a full-ball contact in that position would simply drive the object ball into the rail without sending your cue ball anywhere useful. This is the position where "aim for the center of the ball" — the default instinct in most shots — actively works against you.
Common mistakes
Too thick a contact pushes the object ball straight into the cushion and kills the cue ball's onward energy — the single most common failure here. Too thin, and you either miscue entirely or make no contact at all, sending the cue ball off with no carom. Between those two failure modes sits a genuinely narrow window, which is exactly why this shot takes deliberate practice to feel out.
Practice notes
There is no universal hit rate for this position. Repeat it under the same table conditions and compare your own accuracy, route and speed consistency over time.
Pro players who use it
No player-specific usage claim is made without a position-level match sample. Treat this as a geometry and practice pattern, not as an attributed signature shot.
Practise this position
Open it directly in 3ball — adjust ball positions, stroke, and english to match your real-table setup.
Open in 3ball →Related positions: