How to Pocket Carom Shots
A carom shot is when the object ball glances off a second object ball and into the pocket. In the diagram, the 1-ball has been shot towards the stripe ball. After contacting the stripe ball, the one ball has been diverted to the left and into the pocket.
A couple of easy steps will tell you where to aim the first ball. First, visualize an imaginary line that runs from the opposite side of the pocket to the edge of the second object ball (the ball you want to carom off). This line is called the tangent line. Where it touches the second object ball is your point of contact for the ball that you wish to pocket. The contact point is simulated by the dashed l-ball. At contact, a line drawn from the center of the 1-ball to the pocket will bisect the pocket.
Carom shots should be shot with at least a medium hard stroke if the balls are more than a foot or so apart. At longer distances carom shots become impractical because the first object ball will pick up forward roll.
The right portion of the diagram illustrates the spectrum of possible carom shots. In this example, the l-ball can be pocketed offthe stripe ball anywhere within the borders labeled 0°-70°. Past 70° the shot can no longer be made as the stripe ball will "give way" to the full hit by the l-ball. This will cause the l-ball to miss to the left of the pocket. Although caroms can be made at shallow approach angles such as A and B, these are difficult to visualize because of the thin carom offthe stripe. Approach angles C and D are the easiest angles to visualize and execute.