Billiard Basic - Cue Tip Position

The diagram below shows the terminology for different cue tip positions on the side of the cue ball.

Combinations of these are expressed as high right (follow and right) English or low left (draw and left) English. Distances from center of cue are usually expressed in cue tips, as in: ‘’follow with half a cue tip of right.’’ You might want to start out using center-ball hits only. Then, when you feel confident enough with the game controls to add a little more flair to your shots, practice using follow and draw to change cue ball paths. Follow and draw have the most effect on shots with less cut angles. English has its greatest effect on the cue ball’s path when the ball ricochets off of a rail.