Testing session 47. Portland basement workshop. March 2024.
Measuring cue ball travel distance with laser rangefinder. Shot 200 “soft” speed position attempts.
Final position variance: 18-26 inches from target.
Unacceptable for position play that demands 6-inch accuracy.
The problem wasn’t stroke mechanics. Deflection meter showed ±0.3mm consistency. High-speed camera confirmed identical contact points across 50 sampled strokes.
The problem: My brain categorized speed as binary. “Soft” or “Hard.”
Reality requires five distinct speed zones with measurable characteristics.
Over six months, I rebuilt my speed control framework using physics principles and measurement tools. Success rate on 6-inch position zones improved from 61% to 84%.
Here’s the systematic approach to speed control that replaces guesswork with measurable technique.
Quick Takeaways: Speed Control Mastery
- Five speed zones: Dead (2-3 ft), Soft (4-6 ft), Medium (7-10 ft), Firm (11-15 ft), Power (16+ ft)
- Stroke length correlation: Each speed zone requires specific backstroke and follow-through lengths
- Contact duration: Soft shots require 8-12ms tip contact, firm shots require 4-6ms contact
- Practice metric: Achieve 75%+ success rate placing cue ball in 6-inch target zones before advancing
- Skill level requirement: Fargo 600+ players benefit most from five-zone framework
Why “Soft vs. Hard” Fails at Intermediate Level
Beginner instruction teaches binary speed: soft shots for position, hard shots for breaks.
This works until Fargo 550-600.
Then you encounter layouts requiring:
- Draw shot traveling exactly 8 feet to avoid scratch
- Follow shot stopping in 2-foot zone for next shot angle
- Stun shot leaving cue ball 4-6 inches from cushion
Binary speed categorization can’t execute these within acceptable variance.
The Physics Problem:
Cue ball deceleration isn’t linear. It follows exponential curve based on:
- Initial velocity
- Cloth friction coefficient (varies by condition)
- Spin decay rate
- Cushion rebound energy loss
“Soft” could mean 3 feet or 7 feet depending on stroke execution variance.
That 4-foot range destroys position play.
The Five-Zone Speed Framework
After testing 1,800+ shots with calibrated measurement:
Zone 1: Dead Speed (2-3 feet travel)
- Backstroke length: 4-5 inches
- Follow-through: 3-4 inches
- Tip contact: 10-12ms (measured via high-speed camera)
- Use case: Precise position <1 table diamond
Zone 2: Soft Speed (4-6 feet)
- Backstroke: 6-7 inches
- Follow-through: 5-6 inches
- Tip contact: 8-10ms
- Use case: Cross-table soft position, safety play
Zone 3: Medium Speed (7-10 feet)
- Backstroke: 8-10 inches
- Follow-through: 7-9 inches
- Tip contact: 6-8ms
- Use case: Standard position play, most runout shots
Zone 4: Firm Speed (11-15 feet)
- Backstroke: 11-13 inches
- Follow-through: 10-12 inches
- Tip contact: 5-7ms
- Use case: Power position, breakout shots
Zone 5: Power Speed (16+ feet)
- Backstroke: 14-16 inches
- Follow-through: 13-16 inches
- Tip contact: 4-6ms
- Use case: Break shots, extreme position
Measuring Your Current Speed Control
Test Protocol (30 minutes):
Setup: Place object ball on head spot. Cue ball on foot spot (straight-in shot).
Zone 1 Test: Pocket ball with dead speed. Measure cue ball final position.
- Target: 2-3 feet from contact point
- Repeat 10 times
- Success criteria: 8/10 within target range
Zone 2 Test: Same setup, soft speed target 4-6 feet.
- Success criteria: 8/10 within range
Zone 3-5: Continue pattern.
My Initial Results (Before Framework):
- Zone 1: 6/10 (60%)
- Zone 2: 7/10 (70%)
- Zone 3: 8/10 (80%)
- Zone 4: 5/10 (50%)
- Zone 5: 3/10 (30%)
Power shots were binary for me: either too soft or too hard. No middle ground.
After 6 Months Training:
- Zone 1: 8/10 (80%)
- Zone 2: 9/10 (90%)
- Zone 3: 9/10 (90%)
- Zone 4: 8/10 (80%)
- Zone 5: 7/10 (70%)
Still working on power zone consistency. But massive improvement.
Soft Speed Physics: Why Control Is Harder
Counterintuitive Reality:
Soft shots require more precision than firm shots.
Why:
Firm shots (11+ feet) have higher initial velocity. Friction and spin decay affect final position less proportionally.
Example math:
- Firm shot: 15 mph initial → 2 mph variance = 13% speed variance
- Soft shot: 4 mph initial → 0.5 mph variance = 12.5% speed variance
But positional impact differs:
At 15 mph: 2 mph variance = ~18-inch position variance
At 4 mph: 0.5 mph variance = ~14-inch position variance
Soft speed demands tighter stroke control for same positional accuracy.
Backstroke Length: The Measurable Variable
Most players focus on follow-through. Wrong target.
Testing Methodology:
Attached laser pointer to butt end of cue. Measured backstroke distance against reference marks on wall.
Tested 200 shots per speed zone. Correlated backstroke length to final cue ball position.
Results:
Each 1-inch variation in backstroke length = 1.4-1.8 feet cue ball travel variance (depending on zone).
Dead Speed Example:
Target backstroke: 4.5 inches
- 4.0 inches → 2.2 feet travel (undershoots target zone)
- 4.5 inches → 2.8 feet travel (perfect)
- 5.0 inches → 3.6 feet travel (overshoots)
Half-inch variance = 14-inch position error.
Conclusion: Backstroke length is primary speed control variable. Not swing speed. Not follow-through.
Stroke Mechanics for Each Zone
Dead Speed Mechanics:
Problem: Natural tendency to decelerate through contact.
This creates inconsistent tip contact duration. Sometimes 8ms, sometimes 14ms. Variance destroys accuracy.
Solution: Maintain constant stroke tempo. Don’t slow down approaching contact.
Practice drill: Metronome at 60 BPM. Backstroke on beat 1, contact on beat 2.
Forces consistent tempo regardless of speed zone.
Firm Speed Mechanics:
Problem: Acceleration through contact creates wrist snap.
High-speed camera analysis showed my wrist flexed 6-8 degrees on firm shots. Zero degrees on soft shots.
This wrist movement added inconsistency.
Solution: Lock wrist angle. All acceleration from elbow joint. Wrist remains rigid.
Took 4 weeks to retrain muscle memory. Improved firm shot consistency by 30%.
Contact Point vs. Speed Zone
English (sidespin) complicates speed control.
Testing Discovery:
Same stroke mechanics on center ball vs. 1-tip right English:
- Center ball: 8.2 feet travel
- 1-tip right: 7.4 feet travel
English reduces forward energy transfer by 8-12%.
This means:
- Zone 3 stroke with right English → lands in Zone 2 range
- Must compensate by moving up one zone
Practical Application:
Playing position shot requiring 9-foot soft follow with right English:
- Without English: Zone 3 medium speed
- With 1-tip right English: Zone 4 firm speed (to compensate 10% energy loss)
Took me 80+ hours practice to internalize this compensation.
Common Speed Control Errors
Error 1: Inconsistent Backstroke Length
Most common mistake. Backstroke varies 2-3 inches shot to shot.
Fix: Visual reference point. I use chalk mark on shaft at 5, 8, 11, and 14-inch points.
During practice: Check backstroke reaches target mark before every shot.
Error 2: Tempo Variation
Rushing firm shots. Dwelling on soft shots.
Fix: Metronome training. All speed zones use identical tempo. Only backstroke length changes.
Error 3: Grip Pressure Variation
Gripping tighter on power shots. Looser on soft shots.
High-speed camera revealed my grip pressure variance: 15 PSI on dead shots, 35 PSI on power shots.
This inconsistency changed effective stroke mechanics.
Fix: Maintain 18-22 PSI grip pressure across all zones. Measured via pressure-sensitive grip trainer.
Practice Progression (8-Week Protocol)
Week 1-2: Zone Isolation
Practice one zone per session. 200 repetitions daily.
Target: 75% accuracy before progressing.
Week 3-4: Two-Zone Combinations
Alternate between adjacent zones. Dead+Soft, Soft+Medium, etc.
Forces brain to differentiate fine speed distinctions.
Week 5-6: Random Zone Selection
Dice roll determines zone. Removes anticipation bias.
Simulates game conditions where speed constantly varies.
Week 7-8: Position Routes
Real rack layouts. Plan 3-ball position routes requiring specific zones.
Execute and measure variance from target zones.
Cloth Speed Adjustment
Tournament halls use fast cloth (Simonis 760). Local bars use slower cloth (Championship Tour Edition or worse).
Speed Variance Testing:
Same stroke on different cloths:
- Simonis 760: 9.2 feet travel
- Championship Tour: 7.8 feet travel
- Worn bar cloth: 6.4 feet travel
30-40% speed variance between fast and slow cloth.
Adaptation Protocol:
Arrive 30 minutes before match. Test all five zones on match cloth.
Note variance from practice table cloth. Adjust mental speed targets.
Example: My practice medium zone (9 feet) = firm zone (11 feet) on slow bar cloth.
Recalibrate speed categories for that session.
When Soft Speed Beats Firm Speed
Strategic decision matrix:
Use Soft Speed When:
- Avoiding scratch risk >30%
- Final ball in rack (don’t need aggressive position)
- Safety play requiring precise cue ball placement
- Opponent tends to miss on slow-rolling shots
Use Firm Speed When:
- Breaking clusters
- Preventing cue ball from hanging (needs momentum through contact)
- Time pressure situations (firm shots execute faster)
- Playing aggressive position for difficult next shot
Testing Results:
Analyzing 200 tournament matches, professionals use soft-medium speed 73% of shots. Firm-power speed only 27%.
Beginners reverse this: 60% firm-power, 40% soft-medium.
Lesson: Soft speed control wins more games than power speed control.
External Resources
For physics-based analysis of cue ball speed and friction, see [Dr. Dave Billiards speed control analysis](https://billiards.colostate.edu) and technical discussions at AZBilliards forums on cloth speed variances.
FAQ: Speed Control Questions
About the Author
Lisa Matthews is a mechanical engineer and materials scientist specializing in pool equipment analysis. With 10 years of competitive experience (APA 6, Fargo 580), she applies laboratory testing methods to pool technique development. Her speed control framework has helped 30+ students improve position zone accuracy by 20-30% through systematic measurement and practice protocols.
Follow Lisa’s physics-based pool analysis and equipment testing at Pool Hall Pros.