Cueing Information Balls

Two types of balls are provided to inform the user of the intended speed and cueing (follow/draw, left/right) to successfully execute the shot. Aiming Balls will be described first, followed by a description of Pattern Balls, which share many features of Aiming Balls.

Aiming Balls (ABalls)

The primary purpose of an Aiming Ball is to provide speed and cueing guidance to the user. This is provided by two indicators. The indicators are:

Speed -- The "slider" on the right side of the aiming ball indicates speed, with a "1" representing 1 length of the table, and a 2 representing a typical "lag shot". Speed can range from .25 (very soft) to 6 (very hard). A Left-Click-and-Drag on the slider adjusts the indicator. As an example, the ABall to the right recommends a speed of 2.5.

Cueing -- The "small black circle" near the center of the Aiming Ball is a visual representation of where the cue stick should strike the CBall. Usually this is an X/Y indication with the X being tips of left/right spin and the Y being tips of follow/draw. An alternate "Clock" representation is available through the Setup menu. A Left-Click-and-Drag on the black "cue tip circle" will adjust the position. As an example, the ABall to the right indicates .5 tips of right and 1.0 tips of follow.

Aiming Balls have a Right-Click Menu with the following functions:

• Rotate -- Selecting "Rotate" adds a frame with circular "control points". A Left-Click-and-Drag can be done on the control points to Rotate the ABall.

• Flip Slider -- Selecting "Flip Slider" will move the slider to the opposite side of the Aiming Ball. This is sometimes useful for best ABall positioning in a given Drill.

• Remove -- Selecting "Remove" will delete the ABall from the layout.

Pattern Balls (PBalls)

PBalls are a hybrid of ABalls and CBalls. They have the same Speed and Cueing information as an ABall, but also have the Aiming Line and Track Line features of a CBall. PBalls are typically used in Pattern Breakdown Drills and serve a dual purpose of an Aiming Ball for the current shot, and a Target for the next shot. See Pattern Breakdown Drills for more information on Pattern Breakdown Drills.

The Right-Click Menu for a PBall has the same "Rotate", "Flip Slider" and "Remove" functions of an ABall, described above. Additionally, PBalls have the "Track" and "Add/Edit Label" functions of a CBall (refer to the CBall descriptions of these functions). On a final note, PBalls are numbered sequentially, indicating a "shot order". Each press of the Ctrl-n shortcut key places the next sequentially numbered PBall on the table.