Lesson
8

English (Sidespin)

Squirt, swerve and throw

Goal

Understand how english changes the ball paths before you start using it.
No english: the cue ball leaves the rail at about the same angle it came in.
Video lesson

Key points

Hitting left or right of center makes the cue ball squirt (deflect) to the opposite side of the english.
English changes the angle off the rail much more than it changes the object ball's path.
Friction between the balls throws the object ball the opposite way from the english, most noticeably on slow shots.
Only use english when you can't get the job done without it.

Common mistakes

Using english on every shot
Not compensating for squirt on long shots
Drill
Shoot the cue ball straight into a long rail with left english, no english and right english. Mark where it comes off the rail to see the difference.