Fullness of the Cut
The diagram above illustrates a progression
of cut shots. In position A, half of the cue ball contacts the object ball.
This is called a half ball hit. In position B, 1/4 Of the cue ball hits the
object ball. Only 1/8 of the cue ball contacts the stripe in position C. Finally,
in position D the cue ball barely grazes the stripe. The lesson from these
examples is clear: as the cut angle becomes greater, less of the cue ball
will come in contact with the object ball.
Target Size
This diagram shows the size of the target on
a shot that's facing directly toward the pocket. You can strike the rail 1/2
inch on either side of the pocket and still make the shot. This makes the
pocket's effective opening 5 3/4 inches wide. The size of the target becomes
slightly smaller when the object ball approaches from an angle.