Using Drills
Once you have loaded a drill, there are a number of features you should be aware of to help you use your ICATS and get the most out of each Drill. See the items below.
Up/Down Arrow Keys
Having loaded a drill, perhaps through the File Manager, pressing the Up (Down) Arrow key will move to the next (previous) Drill. Scrolling with the trackpad (put two fingertips on the trackpad and slide up or down) also moves to next/previous Drill.
Aiming Balls
An Aiming Ball (ABall) provides useful direction on cueing (tip position and speed) needed to achieve the result diagrammed in the Drill. There are two elements to an ABall:
- Speed Indicator -- The speed indicator has a scale from .25 (really soft) to 6 (really hard), with a speed of "1" representing one length of the table. Hence a speed of "2" is the speed of a typical "lag" shot, going down table, and back to the starting rail. The Drills in the folder "ICA/Speed Control" will help you practice speed control on your own table. The diagrammed ABall recommends a speed of 2.5 (lengths of the table).
- Tip Indicator -- The default tip indicator is the X/Y coordinate of the tip position, with the X value representing the number of tips of right/left spin and the Y value representing the number of tips of follow/draw. An alternate "Clock" ABall representation is available through the Setup menu, showing the "O'Clock" position, along with number of tips. The diagrammed ABall is in X/Y format and recommends 1 tip of "follow", and .5 tips of "right".
Different equipment (and different strokes) may produce slightly different results, but using the guidance of the ABall will help you correctly execute the shots as the instructor/designer intended.
Text Boxes
Some Drills will have a Text Box (TBox) containing useful information, like instructions, about the Drill. This will appear either as text inside a box, or as a small square with a "T" inside it. A Left-Click on the expanded TBox will cause it to shrink to its icon form, moving it out of the way during practice. Alternately, a Left-Click on the "T" icon will expand the TBox to its full size, allowing the information to be read.
QR Codes
Some Drills will have a TBox containing a QR Code. Similar to a minimized Text Box, a minimized QR Code is easily identified as a small box with "QR" inside. Left-clicking once on the small QR box will expand it, allowing you to scan the QR Code with your phone camera to get the link. Clicking on the link will bring up useful information, such as instructional videos, providing additional useful information to perform the drill. When done, simply left-click on the enlarged QR Code to minimize it and continue with your practice!
Pattern Balls
Pattern Balls (PBall), used in "Pattern Breakdown" drills are a hybrid of a Cue ball (CBall) and an Aiming ball (ABall). The PBall shows how to strike the cue ball (tip position and stroke speed) and is 4 balls in size, providing a convenient and challenging target for each shots' next leave. See the Pattern Breakdown documentation for a full description of Pattern Breakdown Drills and how PBalls are used.
Ghost Ball, Tangent Line and Cut Angle
Many Drills (not all) will have a Ghost Ball, Tangent Line and Cut Angle indication.
A "Ghost Ball" is an indication of where the CBall must strike the OBall to make the shot and is the "yellow" ball attached to the 1 ball. If you are unfamiliar with the concept of a Ghost Ball, find and read one of the many articles on the internet that describes it.
Many (not all) Drills will have a "number" along the line going from the CBall to the OBall, which indicates the Cut Angle of the shot. A "0" is a straight-in shot and an "89" is a ridiculously thin cut. The diagram below indicates a Cut Angle of 30 degrees.
Drills may also show a "yellow" Tangent Line coming from the center of the Ghost Ball. This line represents the path the Cue Ball will take if it strikes the 1-ball with no top or bottom spin (a "stun shot"). If the Cue Ball has top spin (follow) when it strikes the 1-ball, the Cue Ball will travel above/right of the Tangent line. If the Cue Ball has bottom spin (draw) when it strikes the 1-ball, the Cue Ball will travel below/left of the Tangent line.
