Wax Paper and Object Ball Curve

In article
<ron-shepard-8DE02A.12291819012008@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Ron Shepard <ron-shepard@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I said a couple of days ago that I was working on a different shot
setup that might help resolve this issue. Well, I was not
successful, but it might be interesting to explain what I tried.

In the past, I have reported the results of several experiments with
wax paper taped to the cloth. Here is a thread from March 12, 1996
about object balls jumping when hit (do a google search for more
posts about wax paper).

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.sport.billiard/msg/9d24eb251aab44d
e

We have been doing this stuff here for a long time. :-) I thought if
you could see the tracks of the sliding object ball on the paper on
a jump shot, you probably can see that path on a normal cut shot.
In fact, I expected to be able to see curves as small as a
millimeter over distances of up to 36 inches using a metal straight
edge.

But, for some reason, I cannot see the sliding tracks at all now. I
expect that I'm using a different kind of wax paper than I was
before. Maybe the wax now is harder or softer, or thinner, I don't
know. I will shop around at some different grocery stores to see if
different brands make a difference.

In the meantime, the rest of you might be able to do this too. Just
roll out some wax paper, carefully so the surface is not scratched
or folded, tape it to the cloth with masking tape (or plastic
painter's tape, like Bob Keller used in his setup might be better)
so that the paper does not slide, and shoot some straight-in shots,
cut shots, and some frozen-ball throw shots, all with varioius
combinations of sidespin, topspin, and draw. Look at the paper
after the shot to see if you can see the object ball trajectory. If
you can, then lay a straight edge along the trajectory and see if
there is any observable curve. If you are lucky, you will find the
kind of wax paper that allows you to see the sliding ball
trajectories. If you do find this kind of paper, report back the
brand and where you got it so the rest of us can see the results too.

I can report some success with this now. I went to a different
store and got some Reynolds Cut Rite wax paper. I think the wax on
this is a little thicker than the other paper I had. However, the
way it is made, there are parallel lines on the paper lengthwise.
This prevents seeing the ball tracks when you shoot in that
direction. However, if you shoot sideways, or at least at an angle,
then you can see the ball tracks.

So I taped some wax paper to my table, and shot a bunch of shots.
Some were frozen-ball combinations, others were just cut shots. On
the cut shots, I tried topspin and draw, which should in principle
result in the largest throw-masse effect. The stun and frozen
combination shots should, in principle, result in the largest axis
tilt masse effect (jal's mechanism for object ball curve). The
tracks that you see are about 2mm wide. Some of the tracks went all
the way across the paper, which was 12 inches wide. Other tracks
were broken and had gaps, probably because the object ball was
hopping a little, or maybe the wax was thin on that part of the
paper or something. I set up shots so that the resulting tracks
were about an inch apart on the paper.

When you lay a straight edge against the tracks, I think you should
be able to see even a small curve of a millimeter if it exists. You
can lay the edge against one side of the track and look for bends
one way, and you can lay the edge against the other side of the
track and look for bends in the other direction.

In my shots, I could not see any bend at all. Every track seemed to
be perfectly straight, at least as straight as I could determine by
looking.

This obviously requires a little more effort than just setting up a
shot a few times. However, it isn't too difficult for anyone who is
interested in the existence of object ball curve to see for
themselves that there is no observable curve. As someone said
several weeks ago, object balls go straight, for a reasonable
definition of straight. So don't just take my word for this, get
some wax paper and see for yourself.

$.02 -Ron Shepard
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Bobs Joke of a Video
    ... under a ball for a straight edge, but less for a shaft, and no room ... that was with shot #3. ... Bob is a fraud, and dave still created his paper on object ball turn, ... wax paper taped to the cloth. ...
    (rec.sport.billiard)
  • Re: Wax Paper and Object Ball Curve
    ... then you can see the ball tracks. ... So I taped some wax paper to my table, and shot a bunch of shots. ... tilt masse effect (jal's mechanism for object ball curve). ...
    (rec.sport.billiard)
  • Re: LONG, APPARENTLY STRAIGHT SHOTS
    ... Aren't long straight shots tough enough without adding english? ... > would seem to complicate things; it puts object ball throw back into ...
    (rec.sport.billiard)
  • Re: Frozen rail shot w/ draw
    ... All shots are easier when the object ball is closer to the pocket. ... You can sight down the cushion edge to see. ...
    (rec.sport.billiard)
  • Re: Short backswing revisited
    ... straighter shots and I'm having ... and your shots will be long and straight. ... The backswing starts with a full shoulder turn and continues to allow ... would happen with straight wrists. ...
    (rec.sport.golf)