Kicking Academy

As posted on AZBilliards forums by DeadAim

Threads start on December 18, 2004
Threads end on December 21, 2004

All content is unedited and is as posted.

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Posted December 18, 2004 on AZBilliards by Deadaim (Thread # 9114)

Kicking Academy – Intro

KICKING ACADEMY – INTRO

I’ve been mulling this over for a couple of weeks and decided to place this info on the
internet rather than making DVD’s and selling them; besides, everyone is just going to
make copies of them anyway, so why waste my time and money for nothing; I may as
well just post the info for free to begin with and will not have to set up my camera
equipment. Another reason why I decided NOT to go the DVD route is because of the
natural tendency of young players (meaning teenagers) not to want to listen and learn; to
you people, you BETTER pay attention because you don’t know JACK SHIT! If you
don’t want to learn how to shoot pool then go read a post about “who’s your favorite pro”
or something equally as meaningless. My original title for the DVD series was “Billiards
and how it relates to 9 ball”. I am officially retired now and have absolutely nothing to do
with my life but shoot pool and teach those willing to learn how to shoot pool.

This info should be of major interest to 9 ball players, and will surely aid their kicking
game which most players have NO clue as to what they are doing; sorry if you don’t like
that statement but that’s the FACT. I have watched numerous club players miss kicks by
as much as two diamonds, if you do not know how to kick you will NEVER be an
accomplished 9 ball player; if you want to take the easy way out and jump over an
obstructing ball then go ahead and do so, this series of posts will not be for you; BUT
REMEMBER THIS, I can teach a chimpanzee to jump over a ball.

This is how it works:

I will post the info and leave it up for one week, THAT’S ONE WEEK! After one week I
will DELETE the post and continue with the next installment; so if you want it you
BETTER save the threads to your PC, I will NEVER re-post the info again. If someone is
confused or has a question I will gladly answer it; if you wish to contradict what I have
posted DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME, I has NO interest in what you have to say; these
systems are tried and true and DO WORK. I also suggest that those wishing to learn pay
NO attention to them either. Most of the systems that I will post are from billiard books
and will probably be new material even for some pros, many pros play by feel (and so
should you, I will explain this later), but billiard players play by diamonds and systems.
There MAY be times when two posts will over lap before I have a chance to delete the
previous post.

What you need to know about kicking

All tables play different, all players stroke different; after learning these systems you will
have to apply them to your stroke. After learning these systems you will also begin to
play by feel when the system just doesn’t seem right for whatever reason; MEANING,

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you might make minor adjustments to the hit spot just because it doesn’t FEEL right.

I will try to explain these systems as simply as possible, but I WARN you that some of
these are complicated just by there nature; there are some 30 to 40 systems for ALL types
of kicks, if you learn all these systems I guarantee you will begin to have a 80 to 90
percent success rate with your kicks. DON'T believe it, watch Efren Reyes; he's an
accomplished billiard player and uses ALL these systems to make the hits he does. If you
want to kick like Efren then LEARN these systems and you WILL.

Well, that’s that. I will now go to work on PART 1, “The Diamond System”.

Good luck, and I hope that at least one person pays attention and learns from what I post.

J. R.

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Posted December 18, 2004 on AZBilliards by DeadAim (Thread # 9115)
Kicking Academy - Part 1

THE DIAMOND SYSTEM

I guess we could consider this the grand daddy of all kicking systems, it is actually very
easy to learn. Very simply put, “the sum of diamonds equals the ball position number”;
not to complicated is it? Diagram 1 shows the cue ball at ball position 5, hitting diamond
3 on the first rail will hit diamond 2 on the third rail and track to the corner pocket (2 plus
3 equals ball position 5). Diagram 2 shows the cue ball at ball position 4, hitting diamond
2 on the first rail will hit diamond 2 on the third rail and track to the corner pocket (2 plus
2 equals ball position 4). Adjust the firmness of your hit until you consistently pocket the
cue ball, use about one half to one tip running english.

The VERY FIRST thing you should do when playing on a table is to check it’s tracking
system by using the “diamond system”; these two go hand in hand. All tables track
differently, unless they are billiard tables, which have heated cushions and billiard cloth.
Diagram 3 shows the third rail track for a billiard table and a new cloth on a pocket
billiard table. As the cloth ages on a pocket billiard table it will begin to track short;
MEANING, in the example above for Diagram 1; on a worn cloth the cue ball will now
track “one” diamond ABOVE the corner pocket. I have seen some extremely worn cloth
that tracks “two” diamonds ABOVE the corner pocket. To check the table’s track just put
the cue ball in ball position 5 (corner pocket), aim THROUGH diamond 3 on the first
rail, it will hit through diamond 2 on the third rail and track to the “fourth” rail.

Let’s say in Diagram 4 that we want to hit the object ball at the corner pocket. Let’s also
assume that our table tracks SHORT; meaning, when we used the above test the cue ball
hit diamond 2 on the third rail but tracked one diamond above the corner pocket. SO,
what do we have to do to hit this ball? Well, looking at Diagram 3 we see that diamond 3
on the third rail tracks to the first diamond on the short rail; we tested our table before we
began to play and found that the table tracks SHORT, so now diamond 3 tracks short to
the corner pocket, RIGHT! So, from ball position 5 we need to hit diamond 2 on the first
rail to hit diamond 3 on the third rail and track to the corner pocket and knock the object
ball in the pocket, WE HOPE.

What do I mean by hitting THROUGH the diamond? The red lines in Diagram 1 shows
what I mean by this.

Later I will explain a system that shows you where the cue ball will hit the second (short)
rail.

Whenever you use a THREE rail kicking system you MUST always be aware of it’s
track.

Also something to consider, on NEW cloth the balls sometimes tend to SLIDE along the
rail causing the ball to rebound LONGER. My recent visits to pool halls have led me to

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believe that "Championship" cloth is a major culprit of this phenomenon, but ALL new
clothes have a tendency to cause the balls to slide off the rail.

PART 1 consisted of:

THE DIAMOND SYSTEM

FOURTH RAIL TRACKS

J. R.

(Images attached to the post begin on the next page)

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7 of 36
Question posed by Landshark77
J.R.,

Thank you so much for sharing this. I have been trying to understand this system for a
few months now, but my pea brain has yet been able to comprehend it. I think I'm
starting to "get it" now. Thank you.

I do have a question or two, and if the answers will be reveled in a later post then I
apologize for getting ahead of the game.

I guess my first area of confusion is that you started off talking about 3 rail kicks. I have
mostly been obsessing about 2 rail kicks using the cb only, trying to determine where the
contact point of the second rail would be from the first rail. (Does this make sense??) Are
there any diagrams out there or a system that will help me understand that aspect of the
diamond system? For example I am in position 5 and hit Diamond #3 on the first rail and
the contact point on the second rail (center ball) will be between the 2nd and 3rd
diamonds? Or am I focusing too much on learning something silly?

Also given your 3 rail kick system, if I am at position 3 then I aim thru the 1st diamond
on the first rail thus making contact at the 2nd diamond on the 3rd rail to pocket the ball
in the corner pocket? I just want to make sure I really comprehend this. (I am a blonde
female, LOL.) What about if I am in-between positions? Say I am in-between position 4
and 5, how do I figure out which diamond I need to hit on the first rail? What about 3 rail
kicks that start out on the short rail?

I am sorry for all of the questions, but I am VERY egger to learn this system. I do have
some books that I have started to read, but I haven't gotten very far yet. (They are books
not solely concentrating on kicking.) If I have no clue please feel free to tell me that I
should forget pool and take up bowling.

Thank you for your time and knowledge.

Reply from DeadAim

Landshark, I’ll get to your question; but first I MUST clear something up.

Ouch, I’m sorry; I forgot something VERY important and is NOT widely known about
the diamond system

This is usually the reason why people of miniscule minds say the diamond system doesn’t
work.

There is a compensation that has to be made as the cue ball position moves up table.

From cue ball position 5 (corner pocket) hitting through diamond three on the first rail
will go through diamond 2 on the third rail and track to the corner pocket; assuming our

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table is tracking true. NOW, if we move up to cue ball position 3 ½ (three diamonds up
table)’ 3 ½ minus 2 equals a 1 ½ hit on the first rail to get the cue ball into the corner
pocket; BUT, this will NOT work. For each diamond we move UP table we must
compensate “one” ball width LESS hit, in my example I moved up table “three”
diamonds which means “three” ball widths of compensation OR ½ diamond. The only
confusion here is that it is NOT actually “three” ball widths because a billiard table is
LONGER than our pocket billiard table and has “six” ball widths between diamonds, out
tables have approximately 5 ball widths. SO, here we are again playing by “feel”; I
equate three diamonds on our table to ½ diamond and adjust from there. If I’m at ball
position 3 (side pocket) I will adjust a shade more than ½ diamond and so forth. SO, what
does all this mean? NOW, because of the compensation I must hit the first rail at
diamond 1 instead of 1 ½.

Sorry for the extra post but this is TOO important to omit.

Now to Landshark,

“I guess my first area of confusion is that you started off talking about 3 rail kicks. I have
mostly been obsessing about 2 rail kicks using the cb only, trying to determine where the
contact point of the second rail would be from the first rail. (Does this make sense??) Are
there any diagrams out there or a system that will help me understand that aspect of the
diamond system? For example I am in position 5 and hit Diamond #3 on the first rail and
the contact point on the second rail (center ball) will be between the 2nd and 3rd
diamonds? Or am I focusing too much on learning something silly?”

Yes there is, this will come later but I will answer your example with the system I know.
Ball position 5 will now translate to diamond number 8 in this system, your example of
diamond number 3 now becomes 30 on the opposite long rail, the short rail hit numbers
for the diamonds are 2,3,and 4; 2 being closest to the long rail you want to hit. I hope this
isn’t confusing but it is hard to do without a diagram (which will come when I explain
this system) SO, 30 divided by 8 equals 3.75, shooting with a “dead ball” (center ball hit)
this is where you will hit; using “running english” you will end up approximately 3.25.
It’s good to know this information so you can navigate any obstructing balls. Here's an
easier way to explain this:

Let's say I want to hit an object ball at the middle diamond (number 3) on the short rail
and I am at the corner pocket (ball position 5 which now translates to number 8). 3 times
8 equals 24, hit the long rail approx. 2 1/2 diamonds above the corner pocket and you
should bury the object ball head on. Here's another neat trick I will show later; let's say
there is an obstructing ball at diamond 2 1/2, move "one" diamond up table to 3 1/2 and
use maximum (3 tips) running english. VOILA! Still hits the object ball dead center.

“Also given your 3 rail kick system, if I am at position 3 then I aim thru the 1st diamond
on the first rail thus making contact at the 2nd diamond on the 3rd rail to pocket the ball
in the corner pocket? I just want to make sure I really comprehend this.”

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That’s correct, make sure you read the beginning of this post where I explain the
adjustments you need to make this work.

“(I am a blonde female, LOL.) What about if I am in-between positions? Say I am in-
between position 4 and 5, how do I figure out which diamond I need to hit on the first
rail? What about 3 rail kicks that start out on the short rail?”

Let’s say you’re at 4 ½, 4 ½ minus 2 equals 2 ½ hit on the first rail, assuming our table is
tracking like a billiard table. I’ll get to three rail kicks off the short rail. Like I said, if you
learn ALL the systems I show you will be able to hit any ball on the table unless you are
COMPLETELY snookered.

“I am sorry for all of the questions, but I am VERY egger to learn this system. I do have
some books that I have started to read, but I haven't gotten very far yet. (They are books
not solely concentrating on kicking.) If I have no clue please feel free to tell me that I
should forget pool and take up bowling.”

Grady Mathews’ has a video call “Only Kicks”, I suggest that anyone who wants to learn
some interesting kicking systems purchase this video; I’m not sure if I’m going to get
into this video, I really do not want to thread on Grady’s stuff, if in fact it is “his” stuff.
Most of these systems have been handed down from player to player and some have just
been invented by players, but Grady’s material is usually advanced and I know he really
does not take much time in explaining the systems he shows on his videos; so it is likely I
will take 10 or 12 of the best and explain them so that ALL players can understand them.

J.R.

Response 2 from DeadAim

Landshark,

Here's another way to hit this example:

"Let's say I want to hit an object ball at the middle diamond (number 3) on the short rail
and I am at the corner pocket (ball position 5 which now translates to number 8). 3 times
8 equals 24, hit the long rail approx. 2 1/2 diamonds above the corner pocket and you
should bury the object ball head on. Here's another neat trick I will show later; let's say
there is an obstructing ball at diamond 2 1/2, move "one" diamond up table to 3 1/2 and
use maximum (3 tips) running english. VOILA! Still hits the object ball dead center."

Now, let's say there's an obstruction ball at both diamonds 2 1/2 and 3 1/2; we can just
aim at diamond 2 and UNLOAD. Hitting the cue ball very hard will make it rebound at a
sharper angle and AGAIN we hit the object ball dead on.

J.R.

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Posted December 19, 2004 on AZBilliards by DeadAim (Thread # 9121)
Kicking Academy - Part 2

Since I am not deleting my posts I will post new info as I complete it.

The attachment is too large so I have to use three posts.

KICKING ACADEMY – PART 2

THE PLUS SYSTEM

DEAD BALL PLUS SYSTEM – BILLIARD

THE SID SYSTEM

PLUS / SID VARIATION - BILLIARD

Before I begin I forgot to mention something of GREAT importance. The “BILLIARD”

systems I show MUST be compensated for when playing 9 ball. When you play
“billiards” you are NOT hitting the cue ball hard, the object is to just strike the final ball;
in 9 ball you have to make sure you contact a cushion AFTER the hit. This means that a
“ball width” to one quarter diamond must be factored in because you are hitting the cue
ball more firmly than in “billiards”. I will show this in Diagram 3 of “the dead ball plus
system”.

Another thing I forgot to mention, I’m doing this “off the cuff with no script” so as I
remember things I will insert them; that is why it’s important to SAVE these posts.
REMEMBER, most of these systems I show are BILLIARD systems; billiard balls are
BIGGER and HEAVIER than pocket billiard balls; AND, when billiards players shoot
they “dig” into a lot of their shots; MEANING, they play many shots at the EXTREME
edge of the cue ball so they have to dig into the cue ball so as not to miscue and also get
the desired action on the cue ball. SO, when you see anything that uses EXTREME
english be sure to “dig” into the cue ball so you don’t miscue.

The “Plus System” is the easiest of the three and uses the “RUNNING ENGLISH” as in
“The Diamond System” Simply add the long rail diamond number to the short rail (first
rail) number and hit that TOTAL on the third (short) rail. Diagram 1 has the cue ball at
diamond 7 on the long rail and the object ball at third rail number 10. To hit this object
ball just use a bit of running english and shoot THROUGH the opposite short rail number
3.

Later, as I said in Part 1, I will show you more systems that let you know where the cue
ball hits rails in between the start and end points so you can determine if “obstructing”
balls will hinder the cue ball’s path. Putting these systems together will aid you in
navigating around obstructing balls.

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By “dead ball” plus system I mean you do NOT use running english on the cue ball; dead
ball hits usually mean a dead center cue ball hit but can also be extended to three tips
above center hits. In this system we have our standard diamond numbers (converted to
10’s) along the LONG rail and 10’s on the short rail. Diagram 2 shows that the cue ball at
diamond 70 on the long rail can get to the object ball at diamond 20 on the short rail by
subtracting 20 from 70 and hitting that number on the “first” short rail, which is 50; 70
minus 20 equals 50. We hit the cue ball above center about two tips with NORMAL
speed. REMEMBER, this is NOT a billiard table and you will run out of room on the first
rail when you get close to the corner pocket, 55 is about the best you should be able to
hit.

Now we get to Diagram 3 and how it applies to 9 ball. If we shoot the same shot in
Diagram 2 with speed to make the object ball or cue ball do something we desire we have
to compensate for this extra firm hit; again, I compensate a ball’s width to one quarter
diamond. Let’s say we now have two object balls on the short rail and want to pocket the
ball closest to the corner pocket; if we use the billiard stroke we will just “tap” the first
object ball and the other object ball will not have enough speed to get to the pocket. So,
we have to hit the cue ball more firmly to get enough speed on this object ball to fall into
the corner pocket; we do this ball moving forward as the diagram shows and hitting the
cue ball hard. Over time you will develop a “feel” for these type of shots and become
very accurate at hitting and pocketing these types of shots.

Next, we come to the Sid System; this is probably the second most recognized kick
system in pool, at least most players have at least heard the name mentioned. This system
is a SHORT rail first system, Diagram 4 shows the numbering for the diamonds; this
system just multiplies the ball position on the short rail with the hit spot on the opposite
short rail to get the final hit point. In diagram 4 the cue ball is at diamond 3 and the object
ball is at ball position 3 on the long rail, 3 times 3 equals 9; that is the hit point on the
opposite short rail. REMEMBER, you are hitting THROUGH the diamond. This system
can also work in reverse. Let’s put the cue ball in the object ball’s place and the object
ball in the cue ball’s place. Well, 3 times 3 equals 9; the hit point should be 9 on the first
(short) rail but it’s NOT. Going in reverse we must adjust this hit approximately by a half
ball’s width as seen by the red line in the diagram.

END PART ONE

(Images attached to the post begin on the next page)

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13 of 36
BEGIN PART TWO

Diagram 5 shows the long rail first version of the Sid System.

In Diagram 6 I have called this the Sid / Plus Variation. The basic starting point is a
“dead ball” hit on the cue ball OR maybe slightly above center ball hit. Here we just
multiply the cue ball position number 5 by the short rail final hit point number of 5.5 and
see that the first rail (short rail) hit point is 27.5 . If you use one tip of running english it
will hit ONE diamond closer, two tips will move TWO diamonds closer as the diagram
shows. SO, what happens if we’re in a situation as shown in Diagram 7; the cue ball is at
position 5 and the object ball is at short rail number 8.5; we have extended ourselves

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because the hit point is 5 times 8.5 which equals 42.5, the short rail numbers only go up
to 40. All we do is imagine the object ball is at diamond number 7, multiply that by the
cue ball position of 5 and we get 35; now just use “one” tip of running english to move
over ONE diamond.

END PART TWO

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BEGIN LAST PART

One thing to remember is that many of these systems can be expanded from two to three
rail kicks and three to four rail kicks. Diagram 8 shows the three rail Diamond System
expanded to hit a ball on the “fifth” rail. Just visualize the angle needed off the fourth rail
to hit the object ball at the fifth rail. In the diagram the cue ball is at ball position 4 and
the object ball is one the opposite long rail one diamond above the corner pocket. It looks
like we need to hit the fourth rail about ½ diamond from the corner pocket to make a hit
on this object ball. From now on I will assume ALL ours hits involving the fourth rail
track assumes the table is tracking “true”. SO, I know from the tracking diagram that
diamond 3 tracks to one diamond long of the corner pocket; that means 4 minus 3 equals
diamond 1 to be the hit point on the first rail. But we have to go ½ diamond longer; OR,
closer to the corner pocket. So, just add ½ diamond to the first rail hit point which now
equals diamond 1.5 and you will hit the object ball with a four rail kick. You can see that
this will even expand to a five rail kick if the object ball was let’s say two ball widths off
the rail, just imagine where you would want to hit the fifth rail with the cue ball and work
your way back. REMEMBER, that we moved up table “two” diamonds and you might
have to adjust your hit point by about a quarter diamond because of the adjustments I
mentioned that concern the Diamond System.

PLEASE, try not to be discouraged if this stuff seems complicated; it’s NOT. It’s just
basic addition, subtraction, and multiplication; many players give up on systems because
they are NOT mathematically inclined. REMEMBER, you will begin to play by feel and
each shot will be registered in your mind’s computer; you will recognize the shot and
say; “geez, I know this shot” and just shot it.

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J.R.
Attached Images

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Posted December 20, 2004 on AZBilliards by DeadAim (Thread # 9146)
Kicking Academy - Part 3

KICKING ACADEMY – PART 3

First, let me start my updating.

I mentioned to a friend what I was doing and he supplied me with Dr. Cue’s three
volumes of videos, on volume two Tom has a very interesting version of the Plus System
which I think bears looking at; although it has limitations it seems VERY workable. He
also has a good example of the Diamond System which bears looking at. Videos give a
much better representation than I can in print.

Today I will deal with two of Grady’s Systems on his “Only Kicks” video. The first
system is remarkably close to Dr. Cue’s Plus Variation, but a little looser and not so
involved. Both these systems are based on a shot to the corner pocket but as I will point
out can be expanded into three and four rail kicks.

In the second post of this two part series I will show a GREAT one rail kick system
which I call the “Multiplier” System. I found the basics of it in an billiard book and
reworked it a bit to fit 9 ball.

Diagram 1 shows the version that is similar to Dr. Cue’s and uses running english just as
his does; oh yeah, according to Dr. Cue running english is 1 tip side and ½ tip above
center; that seems right, I just do it by “feel”.

Once you get inside the second set of diamonds (red line) the adjustment is in half’s.
When the cue ball is close to the first hit cushion as shown by the blue line you have to
make an adjustment because the cue ball elongates off the rail due to it’s closeness; take a
few shots by adjusting towards the trajectory of the cue ball to see how much of an
adjustment you need with “your” stroke.

Diagram 2 shows adjustments by diamonds to hit balls at different points on the table.

Diagram 3 shows an example of a three and four rail kick.

Diagram 4 shows the second system to the corner pocket; again, be aware of the
adjustment in half’s shown by the red line and the closeness to the cushion shown by the
blue line. Adjustments to hit balls at different points on the table and multi rail kicks are
the same as noted above.

END PART ONE

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19 of 36
KICKING ACADEMY – PART 3 CONT’D

BEGIN PART TWO

Diagram 5 shows the table layout for this system. Hit numbers are in 10’s and rail
numbers are in single digits, different colors denote different rail numbers. Just multiply
the “rail” numbers to find the “Hit” number; 6 x 4 = 24; this also works in reverse if the
cue ball is at the short rail. You can also find out where a ball will hit by dividing a rail
number into the 10's.Try these shots with both “running” english and a “dead ball” or
slightly above center hit and note your results; by doing this you can determine if you
want to hit the object ball dead in the face or on the low or high side to get a desired
result. REMEMBER, adjustments may have to be made for the cue ball “sliding” off the
rail. Diagram 6 shows these adjustments. Also, be aware of kicking to the same long rail;
7 x 7 = 49, just by looking at it (feel) you can tell it won't work; try more english, maybe
2 tips of side.

In Diagram 6 the red cue ball is at rail number 10 and we have to hit the object ball at

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rails number 3, so the formula is 10 x 3 = 30. But you can tell just by looking at this shot
(feel) that it will NOT work, so we adjust “ONE” diamond back to hit number 40. The
blue cue ball needs a two diamond adjustment back to 50 to hit rail number 3. So, it’s
pretty simple; everything is normal until rail number 10 (adjust “1” diamond) and rail
number 11 (adjust “2” diamonds).

Naturally, on all the kicking systems the balls are NOT going to be near the cushions to
make this easy; when the balls are in the middle of the table as in Diagram 7 you’ll have
to play by “feel”, look at the angles, and determine your rail numbers and hit point
accordingly as in the example on Diagram 7. The object ball seems to be in a good line to
the corner pocket (number 5) and the cue ball is situated pretty much on line with rail
number 7; so, 7 x 5 = 35. Unfortunately we have a problem with this because the line is
going right into the side pocket, here’s a trick I believe I mentioned to Landshark in reply
to a post; pretend this side pocket is an obstructing ball and move back “ONE” diamond
to hit number 45 and use maximum english ( 3 tips of side).

You have to REMEMBER that all these kicks will eventually be made by “feel”’; these
systems will at least get you in the ball park area, then you will need to decide how much
english, how firm to strike the cue ball, should I adjust a bit on the hit point for table
problems. I see club players using a cue stick to figure out the angle in angle out and
STILL miss the object ball by a diamond or more, this system is fine for top pros who
can figure out a table rather quickly; but for most players, you’re simply NOT going to
hit the object ball unless you have a good STARTING point.

J.R.

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22 of 36
Posted December 20, 2004 on AZBilliards by DeadAim (Thread # 9148)
Kicking Academy - Part 4

KICKING ACADEMY – PART 4

Today I will deal with another well known system, the “ 2/3’s System”; along with the
Triangulation System, and expand on Part 3’s “Multiplier System”.

Diagram 1 shows the layout for the 2/3’s System, this is a fairly simple system; just
multiply the cue ball position number by .66. For all you mathematically challenged
people just multiply by 6 then multiply by 6 again; for example: 6 x 8 = 48 AND 6 x 8 =
4.8 (or 5), now just add them together for a total of 53. Or you can just multiply by 7, 7 x
8 = 56; you can see you need to make about a quarter diamond adjustment on the final hit
point. As you move up table this adjustment becomes less; for example: 6 x 5 = 30, AND
6 x 5 = 3.0 for a total of 33; but, 7 x 5 = 35. For quickness sake an adjustment of a quarter
diamond should be just fine.

The other point to remember is the first rail hit point. REMEMBER, our pocket billiard
table has pockets, NOT corners; so, the closest we can come is about ¼ diamond away
from the corner pocket. All the hits for the rail numbers are to this point until you get to
diamond 9 and 10, these changes are illustrated in the diagram.

The cue ball hit point can be anywhere from 2 tips above center ball to dead center, start
at 2 tips above center and work your way down until you get the “feel” for “your” stroke
on how to hit this kick.

Triangulation is another very simple concept, this is a good system when balls are in the
middle of the table. Just imagine straight lines from the cue ball and object ball to the
kicking rail, make an imaginary “X” between the balls and rail points; where this “X”
crosses draw a line to the rail, that is the hit point. This is a dead center ball hit;
REMEMBER, if there is an obstructing ball you can either move up from the hit point
and use english OR move down and hit the cue ball firmer.
Diagram 2 shows this concept. Black lines show lines to rail from balls, red lines show
the “X”, blue line shows line to rail, blue dot shows hit point.

Making this “X” isn’t as difficult as it looks, even over long distances; after a few
practice sessions you should be able to do it by eye, but it’s okay to use your cue stick,
this is legal. As a matter of fact your opponent will probably wonder what you’re trying
to do, then when you hit the object ball dead center he/she will look at you like you have
frogs crawling out of your ears; and will certainly want to know HOW you did that.

Diagram 3 is a variation of the “Multiplier System” from Part 3. Let’s say the cue ball is
at rail number 7 and the object ball is at rail number 4, 7 x 4 = 28; 28 is out hit number.
But we have a problem, there is an obstructing ball there. There are two things we can do
to get around this problem. First, move back 10 units to number 38 and use maximum
english (3 tips side); second, move down about 1 diamond (or enough to clear the

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obstructing ball) and hit the cue ball firm, this will shorten the cue ball angle and direct it
towards the object ball.

J.R.

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25 of 36
Posted December 20, 2004 on AZBilliards by DeadAim (Thread # 9150)
Kicking Academy Part 5

KICKING ACADEMY – PART 5

Today I will deal with Reverse English to the corner pocket, another 2 rail kick system,
and another variation of the Diamond System.

Diagram 1 is self explanatory; 1, 2, and 3 tips of reverse english takes you to the corner
pocket from the corresponding diamond on the short rail.

Diagram 2 shows a two rail kick system similar to the 2/3’s System but going from the
short rail. This is a dead center cue ball hit, the cue ball will hit “2” diamonds below it’s
starting point. On all shots the hit point on the first rail is near ¼ diamond from the corner
pocket, there are three adjustments you have to be aware of.

Adjustment One, at rail number 1.5 you must hit through the first diamond next to the
corner pocket

Adjustment Two, at rail number 4.5 the cue ball only returns 1 ½ diamonds.

Adjustment Three, at the short rail number 6 the cue ball only returns 1 diamond.

END SECTION ONE

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SECTION TWO

Diagram 3 is a “dead ball” (cue ball center hit) version of the Diamond System. Just
figure out the hit point by using the Diamond System and move down ½ diamond, this is
used if obstructing balls are in the way of the hit point.

The cue ball is at cue ball position number 40 and the object ball is at 20, from our
Diamond System we know that 4 – 2 = 2; 2 is our hit point on the first rail. But there is an
obstructing ball there so we just move down ½ diamond and instead of the running
english that is used with the Diamond System we just use a dead center cue ball hit to

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accomplish the same results.

REMEMBER, these systems can be expanded to three rail kicks as in Diagram 4.

J.R.
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Posted December 21, 2004 on AZBilliards by DeadAim (Thread # 9166)
Kicking Academy - Part 6

KICKING ACADEMY – PART 6

The following are three systems that I use often, I’d say I will use one of these three
kicking systems in every match. The first one is a billiard system which I first used
against a well known pro, he told me I couldn’t hit the ball at that angle; after I did it he
wanted to see the shot again.
The next two are Grady’s gems.

Diagram 1 shows the billiard system to make impossible hits. It has a limitation of 2 ½
diamonds. Just draw a line from the hit point through the corner pocket, find a spot on the
wall about 6 –9 feet away, go back to the cue ball and aim at that spot on the wall. You
have to hit the cue ball with maximum high english and EXTEMELY hard. DO NOT
play this shot by “feel” because it simply “looks” like you will NEVER hit your target,
just aim at your spot on the wall.

Diagram 2 shows a kick where the object ball is past the limitation point but a three rail
kick is used to hit the ball. Aim for the BLUE dot on the rail and kick off the third rail
into the object ball.

The next two systems can be used in almost every game of 9 ball since 9 ball is about 80
percent luck if you’re not playing at the pro level, you will consistently find yourself
snookered after a weaker player misses; this is because they usually have no clue as to
what they are doing and when they miss they miss BIG TIME, and the final resting place
of the balls is in the hands of the Pool Gods. These next to kicks are going to come up all
the time in 9 ball.

Diagram 3 is a nifty shot to go at the side or corner pocket. Place the cue ball on the head
spot and aim at the middle diamond on the foot rail with 2 tips of side english to go to the
side pocket, and 1 tip of side english to go to the corner pocket. Now, this is where the
nifty comes in; let’s say the cue ball is one diamond left of the head spot, it doesn’t
matter where the cue ball is on the table; take half that distance and look straight down
table and get your hit point (red line), go back to the cue ball and with 2 tips of english
aim at that spot (blue line) to send the cue ball towards the side pocket. Trust me, if
you’re a 9 ball player you’re going to love these two kicks. If you’re not sure what 2 tips
of english is, get out a stripped ball and use it as the cue ball; the edge of the stripe is
approximately 2 tips of english.

Diagram 4 shows another solution to get to the side pocket. For my stroke the hit point is
½ diamond from the corner pocket, I believe Grady used 1 diamond; find the hit point
that goes to the side pocket with your stroke, this is a “running english” cue ball hit.
REMEMBER, running english is 1 tip side, ½ above center. The starting point for this
shot is the first diamond on the short rail, you make adjustments when the cue ball is
elsewhere by using the “spot on the wall” technique; just look from this first diamond

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through to your hit point and find a spot on the wall about 9 feet away, go back to the cue
ball location and aim at that spot with running english and you should hit a ball at the side
pocket. With “my” stroke I can use a parallel line (the blue line is parallel with the black
line), both methods are shown in the diagram.

J.R.

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31 of 36
Posted December 21, 2004 on AZBilliards by DeadAim (Thread # 9167)
Kicking Academy - Part 7

KICKING ACADEMY – PART 7

Now things are going to heat up and get complicated, if you got the patience to learn this
system it can really dig you out of a seemingly impossible situation.

Diagram 1 is going to look OUT OF CONTROL, but once you get the hang of this and
memorize the numberings you WILL be rewarded when that impossible situation arrives.
This is an EXTREME MAXIMUM side english, you have to “dig into” the cue ball and
hit as close as you can in the corner while still allowing the cue ball to exit without hitting
the opposite corner point; this gets really difficult from long range because of the
deflection involved when you “dig” into the cue ball, you have to play for the deflection
on all these shots but especially the long range ones. I just used this shot two days ago
and demoralized my opponent, I didn’t win THAT game but I made the good hit which
brought my opponents safety game crumbling down because he simply COULD NOT
safe me; I ended up winning the match.

Be aware that the numberings MAY not be the same for “you” and “your” table, the first
thing you need to do is place the cue ball at rail number 25 and shoot tight into the corner
pocket with EXTREME side english, the cue ball on MOST pocket billiard tables will
return to itself (number 25) if you are hitting the cue ball correctly.

The numbers at the top of the diagram are the cue ball positions and where they return to;
for example: the cue balls at position 5, 10, and 15 return to 20; the cue ball at position 20
returns to 22.5; the cue balls at position 25, 30, and 35 return to 25, etc.

The numbers at the bottom of the table are the fourth rail returns points for each ball
position. The black numbers are BILLIARD strokes and the red numbers are 9 BALL
strokes. I’ll explain; this system is a BILLIARD system, in billiards we are NOT hitting
the balls hard, we just need to make contact. In 9 ball we have to hit the cue ball more
firmly to make sure we contact a cushion AFTER the object ball hit. So you will notice
that the red numbers return about one diamond higher because of the stronger hit.

J.R.
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33 of 36
Posted December 21, 2004 on AZBilliards by DeadAim (Thread # 9168)
Kicking Academy - Part 8 - Finale

KICKING ACADEMY – PART 8 – FINALE

Well, I’ve come to the last three systems.

Diagram 1 is a center cue ball hit anywhere from dead center to 2 tips above, start at 2
tips above and work your way down until adjusted to “your” stroke; one example should
explain this system since it’s fairly basic. In Diagram 2 the middle diamond on the short
rail (number 20) through the second diamond on the side rail (number 20) goes to the
corner pocket. So, let’s say the object ball is at diamond 2 on the side rail; you see the
adjustment numbers for each short rail diamond, for the middle diamond the adjustment
number is “3”. Multiply the object ball position (diamond 2) by the adjustment number
“3” we get “6”; subtract 6 from 20 we get “14”; from the middle diamond shoot through
14 on the side rail, the cue ball will return and kick off the short rail and hit the object
ball at diamond number 2.

The system does have limitations because you can only come so close to the corner
pocket hit point until it jaws in that pocket; for example: from the same middle diamond
on the short rail (number 20) we can’t hit an object ball at diamond 6 because 6 x 3 = 18
and 20 – 18 = 2 which is too close to the corner pocket. The best we can do is hitting an
object ball around diamond 5; 5 x 3 = 15 and 20 – 15 = 5 which is ½ diamond below the
corner pocket.

The last system in Diagram 3 is a bit iffy, it seems to only work up to the side pocket on a
pocket billiard table and has erratic results off the rails depending how the cue ball is
struck. The system is easy to figure, in the example the object ball is at diamond 3 on the
side rail, take ½ that and look through that point on the short rail; this is 1 ½ diamond,
find your “spot on the wall”, about 15 feet away. Now, go to the cue ball and shoot
through this “spot on the wall” with a “JAB STROKE”; something like the stroke you
would use for a jump shot, but you are hitting the cue ball “dead center”; just jab at it.
OR, you can adjust about ¼ diamond towards the direction you are kicking, about at 1 ¼
diamond. Red line is “JAB” stroke, blue line is ¼ diamond adjustment. This system really
takes a perfect stroke to hit the object ball, but this type of kick comes up often and it’s
good to at least have a chance at hitting the ball.

J.R.

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35 of 36
Posted December 21, 2004 on AZBilliards by DeadAim (Thread # 9170)
Kicking Academy - The End

Well, that’s that; it should take about 6 months to a year to learn and apply these systems
to your game, by then you should be playing many of these kicks within a minimal
amount of time or by “feel”. I hope that the people who are REALLY interested in
learning how to play this game apply these systems to your game and enjoy frustrating
your opponent by consistently hitting his/her safes; by the number of hits (80-120) for
each of my posts I see that there are not many who are interested in kicking or learning
how to kick. Actually, there are many more than I expected; most people here just want
to “CHAT” with someone; OR, are fine with taking the easy way out and JUMPING over
the obstructing ball; I wonder what these people do when they’re within a couple inches
of the obstructing ball??????????????????????

I can tell you, THEY’RE LOSERS. Because they DON'T know how to kick.

I enjoyed my stay here and I hope I left you with something you can apply to your 9 ball
game. Hope to see you on tour.

J.R.

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