Spinning the bank
Banks don’t always have to be hit center-ball. In fact, you’ll want to add some kind of english to almost all your banks. Whether for position or to make it a two way shot. Practice using english on your banks!
There are three basic ways to sink a single-bank. All 3 relate to the english you apply to the cue-ball. Being comfortable taking all three will prepare you for learning more advanced single-bank english shots which will be discussed later.
The first single-bank shot you want to start making consistently is without applying any english, draw or follow. It is important to emphasize that you shouldn’t use FOLLOW when practicing this shot. If you don’t hit the cue-ball hard enough, follow will be applied. The cue-ball will pick up a natural foward roll and you won’t get the correct understanding of what is actually happening once the cue-ball makes contact with the object ball.
Hitting the cue-ball center will give you the angle into the rail, angle out of the rail effect.
Set yourself up for the same bank on each practice shot; placing the cue-ball and object ball in the same locations. You can do this with chalk pieces, chalk marks or scratch paper. Some people like to use the circular punch outs from a 3-whole puncher.
Using left hand english on the cue-ball will apply right hand english on the object ball. When the object ball touches the rail with right hand english, the object ball will spike off the rail to the right. Please try this on a table to get the full understanding of the last few sentences. This concept is best demonstated on a table.
Adjustment needs to be taken now in order to sink this single bank shot. If you attempt to aim for the pocket the same way as when you just used center ball you will miss the bank by allowing the object ball to over angle off the wall. You must allow the english now applied to the object ball to make the angle for you.
Hitting the cue-ball with left hand english will put right hand english on the object ball.
The same basic concepts are true for applying right hand english on the cue-ball. The difference is that you will get an opposite effect off the wall. More of an angle into the rail is needed, since the left hand english on the object ball will try and take the object ball back left after making contact with the rail.
Hiting the cue-ball with right hand english will put left hand english on the object ball.