The Train: Three Balls in a Row

Trick shot #2 of 15Difficulty: ★☆☆Teaches: Lining up frozen balls and reading the line of centers

Line up three frozen balls toward a corner and pocket the front one with a single hit. A crowd-pleaser that only takes a minute to set up.

White dashes: cue ball path. Yellow dashes: object ball path.

Setup

1. Freeze three balls in a straight line pointing at a corner pocket. Use the rack or a straight edge if you have one.
2. Put the cue ball 2 to 3 diamonds away from the back ball, at any angle.

How to shoot it

1. Hit the back ball solidly near full.
2. The energy passes through the middle ball and the front ball shoots into the pocket. The back two barely move.

Why it works

Like a row of hanging balls on a desk toy, the push travels through the line. The front ball takes most of it, and its direction is set by the line of centers.

Common mistakes

• A crooked line. Sight it from behind the back ball like a rifle before you shoot.
• Hitting too hard. Medium speed is plenty and keeps the line from jumping.

In a real game

The same idea shows up when two or three balls are clustered near a pocket after the break. Read the line of centers before you decide a cluster is a problem.