technical proof technical proof

TP 3.5
Effective target sizes for slow shots into
a side pocket at different angles
supporting:
“The Illustrated Principles of Pool and Billiards”
http://billiards.colostate.edu
by David G. Alciatore, PhD, PE ("Dr. Dave")

originally posted: 7/4/2003 last revision: 1/28/2008

p: width of pocket mouth

center of
pocket hole

Rhole
Rhole ball contacting
inside wall
of pocket

ball contacting
point of pocket
A R C
b

R
B

normal to
point of contact
θ: angle to the pocket

direction of βl
approach

Ball radius: Pocket-specific parameters:

R := 1.125 p: mouth width α: wall angle Rhole: hole radius b:shelf depth to hole
p := 5.0625 α := 14⋅ deg Rhole := 3 b := 0.1875
 The equations below are derived from the figure above by writing vector loop equations
around the path shown bold. The pocket target size is defined by the figure below.

center of the
extreme left mouth of the
position resulting pocket
in pocketing the ball

θ
line through
the center of target
θ the pocket center

extreme left
target position resulting
center in pocketing the ball
sleft offset

sright

s: effective size of pocket

General equations for the size of left portion of target area assuming point deflection

⋅  ⋅ cos( α) − R − Rhole⋅ cos 2 ⋅ βl − θ − α − Rhole + b ⋅ sin( α)

1 p
( )
A α , p , b , Rhole , βl , θ := ( ) ( )
(
sin 2 ⋅ βl − θ − α  2 ) 

( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
polyβ α , p , b , Rhole , βl , θ := R⋅ sin βl + A α , p , b , Rhole , βl , θ ⋅ sin 4 ⋅ βl − 2 ⋅ θ − 2 ⋅ α + Rhole⋅ cos 4 ⋅ βl − 2 ⋅ θ − 2 ⋅ α ...
p
( ) ( ) (
+ ⋅ cos 2 ⋅ βl − θ + Rhole + b ⋅ sin 2 ⋅ βl − θ
2
)
p
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (
polyβ_in p , b , Rhole , βl , θ := −R⋅ sin βl + Rhole − ⋅ cos 2 ⋅ βl − θ − Rhole + b ⋅ sin 2 ⋅ βl − θ
2
)
 βguess( θ) := 20⋅ deg + ⋅ ( θ + 60⋅ deg)
70
β := βguess( 0 ⋅ deg) β = 52.308 deg
 130 
( (
  root polyβ α , p , b , Rhole , β , θ , β ) ) 
βl α , p , b , Rhole , θ := min 
( )
( (
  root polyβ_in p , b , Rhole , β , θ , β ) ) 
p
( )
sleft_point α , p , b , Rhole , θ := ⋅ cos( θ) − R⋅ sin βl α , p , b , Rhole , θ
2
( ( ))

Size of the left portion of the target area assuming one wall deflection

( ) ( )
rwall_1 α , p , b , Rhole , θ := A α , p , b , Rhole , 90⋅ deg , θ ⋅ sin( 2 ⋅ θ + 2 ⋅ α) − Rhole⋅ cos( 2 ⋅ θ + 2 ⋅ α)

p
( )
rwall_2 p , b , Rhole , θ := ⋅ cos( θ) − Rhole + b ⋅ sin( θ)
2
( )

( ) ( )
rwall α , p , b , Rhole , θ := rwall_1 α , p , b , Rhole , θ + rwall_2 p , b , Rhole , θ ( )

sleft_wall α , p , b , Rhole , θ := − ⋅ cos( −θ) − rwall α , p , b , Rhole , −θ )

p
( )
2
(

Maximum angle for slight near point deflection and rattle-in

θ := 70⋅ deg
Given
(
polyβ α , p , b , Rhole , 90⋅ deg , θ = 0 ⋅ deg )
θmax := Find( θ) θmax = 68.292 deg ( (
θmax := root polyβ α , p , b , Rhole , 90⋅ deg , θ , θ ) ) θmax = 68.292 deg

equation check: (
rwall α , p , b , Rhole , θmax = 1.125 ) R = 1.125

Critical angle between far point rattle-in and far wall deflection

θ := −51.4689 ⋅ deg β := 25⋅ deg

Given

(
polyβ_in p , b , Rhole , β , θ = 0 )
β := Find( β) β = 26.036 deg (
β := βl α , p , b , Rhole , θ ) β = 26.036 deg

θ − α + 90⋅ deg − β = −1.505 deg

θcritical := β + α − 90⋅ deg θcritical = −49.964 deg

Minimum angle for far wall deflection

θmin := −θmax θmin = −68.292 deg
Size of the left portion of the target area

sleft( θ) := 0 if θ ≥ θmax

0 if θ ≤ θmin

(
sleft_wall α , p , b , Rhole , θ ) if θmin < θ < θcritical

(
sleft_point α , p , b , Rhole , θ ) otherwise

sright ( θ) := sleft( −θ)

s( θ) := sleft( θ) + sright ( θ)

(sright( θ) − sleft(θ))
offset( θ) :=
2

Plot results:
(
2 ⋅ θmax − 1 ⋅ deg )
N := 50 i := 0 .. N (
θ := −θmax + 1 ⋅ deg +
i ) N
⋅i

β := βguess θ
i i ( ) βin := β

Given

(
polyβ α , p , b , Rhole , β , θ = 0 )
β := Find( β)

Given

(
polyβ_in p , b , Rhole , βin , θ = 0 )
βin := Find βin ( )
  βi  
β := min 
i   βin
 i 
p
i 2 i ( )
sleft_point := ⋅ cos θ − R⋅ sin β
i ( )
(
r := rwall α , p , b , Rhole , −θ
i i )
sleft_wall := − ⋅ cos −θ − r 
p
i 2 i ( )
i

sleft := if  θ > θmax , 0 , if  θ < θmin , 0 , if  θ < θcritical , sleft_wall , sleft_point   

i i i
i    i i 

sright := sleft s := sleft + sright (sright − sleft)

i N−i offset :=
2

1
m( ∆θ) := ⋅s
2 ⋅ tan( ∆θ)
 3

2
s

0
− 70 − 35 0 35 70
θ
deg

0.6

0.3

offset 0

− 0.3

− 0.6
− 70 − 35 0 35 70
θ
deg
 90
60
120 60

40
150 30

20

m( 1.5⋅ deg)

m( 2⋅ deg) 180 0
m( 3⋅ deg)

210 330

240 300

270