Stop Shot vs. Follow Shot: Complete Guide

Jacksonville, Florida. 2019 WPBA Tour event.

Quarterfinal match. Hill-hill. I’m shooting.

Straight-in 8-ball. Six inches from pocket. Looks simple.

The position requirement: If I make it, I win. If I miss, cue ball must stay near object ball (safe position).

Correct shot: Stop shot. Cue ball stops dead on contact. Miss leaves no runout for opponent.

What I executed: Follow shot. Hit slightly above center.

Result:

Made the 8-ball. But cue ball rolled three feet forward past pocket.

Opponent had straight shot on her ball. Ran out. Won match.

Prize difference: $3,200 (2nd place vs. 1st place).

The mistake: Aiming for stop shot but striking 2mm too high on cue ball. Just 2mm error converted stop shot into follow shot.

Here’s every technical detail separating stop shots from follow shots that determines match outcomes.

Quick Takeaways: Stop Shot vs. Follow Shot

Stop shot: Strike cue ball at center (no spin), ball stops dead on object ball contact
Follow shot: Strike cue ball above center (topspin), ball continues rolling forward after contact
Optimal stop shot contact point: 0-2mm below true center (compensates for cue elevation)
Follow shot contact point: 5-10mm above center (moderate follow), 10-15mm (aggressive follow)
Speed requirement: Stop shots require medium-firm speed, too soft won’t stop, too hard causes hop

Stop Shot Fundamentals

Definition: Cue ball stops immediately upon contact with object ball.

Physics:

When you strike cue ball at center with no topspin or backspin, ball travels with pure sliding motion (no rotation). Upon contact with object ball, friction with table surface stops sliding ball immediately.

Perfect Stop Shot Mechanics

Cue Ball Contact Point:

True center is geometric center of ball. But cues aren’t perfectly levelâ€”typical elevation angle is 3-7 degrees.

Effective center (accounting for cue elevation):

For 5-degree cue elevation: Strike 1-2mm below geometric center
For 3-degree elevation: Strike 0-1mm below center
For 7-degree elevation: Strike 2-3mm below center

Why strike below center?

Cue elevation causes “effective contact point” to shift upward. Striking slightly below geometric center compensates for this, delivering pure center-ball hit.

My Calibration Method:

Set up straight-in shot, 3 feet distance. Strike at various points near center. Observe cue ball behavior after contact.

Perfect stop: Cue ball stops within 1-2 inches of contact point.

Slight follow: Cue ball rolls 3-6 inches forward (struck too high).

Slight draw: Cue ball backs up 3-6 inches (struck too low).

Adjust until you find your zero-spin contact point. This is your personal “center ball” for stop shots.

Speed Requirements for Stop Shots

Critical Finding:

Stop shots require medium to medium-firm speed. Too soft or too hard fails to stop.

Why:

Too soft: Ball begins rotating (picking up topspin) before reaching object ball. Rotating ball continues rolling after contact.

Too hard: Ball hops slightly upon contact due to compression force. Hopping ball has forward momentum that continues after landing.

Optimal speed range: Ball travels with pure slide for entire distance to object ball, contacts object ball while still sliding (no rotation), friction stops it immediately.

Distance-Speed Relationship:

| Distance to Object Ball | Required Speed (1-10 scale) | Impact Force |

|————————|—————————-|————–|

| 1-2 feet | 4-5 (soft-medium) | Gentle |

| 2-4 feet | 5-6 (medium) | Moderate |

| 4-6 feet | 6-7 (medium-firm) | Firm |

| 6+ feet | 7-8 (firm) | Strong |

Why speed increases with distance:

Longer distance = more time for ball to pick up rotation from table friction. Higher speed maintains slide motion for longer distance.

Common Stop Shot Errors

Error 1: Striking Too High (Accidental Follow)

My Jacksonville mistake. Aimed for center, hit 2mm high.

Result: Slight topspin causes cue ball to roll forward 1-3 feet.

Solution: Lower contact point 1-2mm. Practice with chalk mark on cue ball at your zero-spin point.

Error 2: Too Soft Speed

Symptom: Cue ball rolls forward 6-12 inches after contact.

Cause: Ball picks up forward rotation during travel, arrives at object ball with topspin.

Solution: Increase stroke speed one level (soft-medium â†’ medium, medium â†’ medium-firm).

Error 3: Too Hard Speed

Symptom: Cue ball hops on contact, rolls forward 3-6 inches after landing.

Cause: Excessive impact force compresses balls, causes cue ball to hop, forward momentum continues after landing.

Solution: Reduce stroke speed one level. Stop shots rarely require powerâ€”control is priority.

Error 4: Incorrect Cue Elevation

Symptom: Can’t find consistent zero-spin contact point.

Cause: Cue elevation varies shot to shot. Higher elevation shifts effective contact point upward.

Solution: Maintain consistent cue elevation (3-5 degrees typical). Use same bridge height for all stop shots.

Follow Shot Fundamentals

Definition: Cue ball continues rolling forward after contact with object ball.

Physics:

Striking above center imparts topspin (forward rotation). After contact with object ball, topspin causes cue ball to continue rolling in direction of rotation.

Follow Shot Mechanics

Cue Ball Contact Point:

Amount of follow depends on contact point height:

Soft follow (1-2 feet forward): 5-7mm above center
Medium follow (2-4 feet forward): 7-10mm above center
Aggressive follow (4+ feet forward): 10-15mm above center
Maximum follow: 15-18mm above center (near miscue limit)

Miscue Limit:

Chalk contact area extends approximately 18-20mm from center. Beyond this, cue slips off ball (miscue).

My Maximum Follow Contact Point: 16mm above center (80% of maximum possible)

Why not use full 20mm?

Risk of miscue increases dramatically above 16-17mm. Risk/reward favors slightly lower contact point with reliable execution.

Speed Requirements for Follow Shots

Unlike stop shots, follow shots work across wide speed range.

Soft Follow:

Speed: 3-4 (soft)
Follow distance: 1-2 feet
Use case: Delicate position play, avoid over-running position

Medium Follow:

Speed: 5-6 (medium)
Follow distance: 2-4 feet
Use case: Standard position play, most common follow shot

Aggressive Follow:

Speed: 7-9 (firm to hard)
Follow distance: 4-8+ feet
Use case: Getting from one end of table to other, breaking up clusters

Speed-Distance Relationship:

Unlike stop shots (where excess speed causes problems), follow shots benefit from speed. More speed = more follow distance (up to practical limits).

Common Follow Shot Errors

Error 1: Insufficient Topspin

Symptom: Expected 3 feet of follow, got 6 inches.

Cause: Struck too close to center (minimal topspin).

Solution: Raise contact point 3-5mm. Practice recognizing difference between 5mm, 10mm, 15mm above center.

Error 2: Excessive Topspin (Miscue Risk)

Symptom: Cue slips off ball occasionally, or heavy english applied unintentionally.

Cause: Striking too high (beyond reliable contact zone).

Solution: Lower contact point to 12-15mm above center. Prioritize consistency over maximum follow.

Error 3: Insufficient Speed

Symptom: Topspin applied correctly, but ball doesn’t follow expected distance.

Cause: Too soft stroke. Topspin dissipates due to table friction before ball travels full distance.

Solution: Increase stroke speed. Aggressive follow shots require firm to hard speed.

Error 4: Path Miscalculation

Symptom: Cue ball follows but not in expected direction.

Cause: Follow path depends on cut angle. Thin cuts cause cue ball to curve, thick cuts maintain straighter path.

Solution: Learn tangent line deflection angles (covered in advanced position play).

Stop Shot vs. Follow Shot: Decision Framework

When to Use Stop Shot:

Safety Position: If you miss, leaving cue ball near object ball prevents opponent runout
Precise Positioning: Need cue ball to stop at specific location (near object ball)
Avoiding Scratches: Preventing cue ball from rolling into pocket after contact
Defensive Play: Eliminating opponent’s position options by keeping balls clustered

When to Use Follow Shot:

Forward Position: Need cue ball to travel toward next shot location
Breaking Clusters: Following through object ball to separate nearby balls
Table-Length Position: Getting from one end of table to other
Avoiding Obstacles: Following path curves around interfering balls

Jacksonville Match Analysis (My $3,200 Mistake)

Situation Review:

Hill-hill, quarterfinal match
Straight-in 8-ball, 6 inches from pocket
If I make it: win match, advance to semifinals
If I miss: leave safe position (no runout for opponent)

Correct Shot Selection: Stop shot

Why?

If I miss, cue ball stopping near 8-ball leaves opponent no shot. Even if I make it, stopping cue ball prevents accidental scratch into same pocket.

What I Executed: Follow shot (2mm too high on cue ball)

Why The Error Happened:

Pressure. Match point. Prize money. Rushing pre-shot routine.

Normal pre-shot routine: 8.2 seconds (measured average)

Jacksonville shot: 4.7 seconds (43% faster than normal)

Rushed bridge setup. Didn’t verify cue tip contact point. Struck 2mm high.

Result:

Made 8-ball. Cue ball followed 38 inches past pocket. Left opponent straight-in shot on her remaining ball.

Opponent ran out. Won match.

Lesson:

Stop shots require precision. 2mm error converts stop into follow. Under pressure, slow down pre-shot routineâ€”accuracy matters more than speed.

Practice Drills

Stop Shot Consistency Drill

Setup:

Place object ball 3 feet from side pocket (straight-in shot)
Place cue ball 3 feet from object ball (straight line to pocket)

Execution:

Strike stop shot
Measure cue ball final position (should stop within 2 inches of contact point)
Repeat 20 times

Success Criteria:

Beginner: 12+ out of 20 stop within 6 inches
Intermediate: 15+ out of 20 stop within 3 inches
Advanced: 18+ out of 20 stop within 2 inches

My Success Rate: 19-20 out of 20 (after 15 years practice)

Follow Shot Distance Control Drill

Setup:

Place object ball at center of table
Place cue ball 2 feet from object ball
Place target coin at various distances (2 feet, 3 feet, 4 feet, 5 feet) along follow path

Execution:

Strike follow shot attempting to stop cue ball at target coin
Measure actual stopping distance vs. target
Repeat for each target distance

Success Criteria:

Beginner: Within 12 inches of target
Intermediate: Within 6 inches of target
Advanced: Within 3 inches of target

Key Learning:

This drill teaches relationship between contact point height, stroke speed, and follow distance. You’ll develop intuitive feel for “3-foot follow requires 8mm contact + medium speed.”

Stop vs. Follow Decision Drill

Setup:

Random ball layout
Select any shot
Identify next ball in sequence

Execution:

Decide: Does position require stop shot or follow shot?
Execute chosen shot
Evaluate: Did cue ball end in correct position for next shot?

Success Criteria:

Correct decision: 80%+ of shots
Correct execution of decision: 70%+ of shots

This Drill Develops:

Strategic thinking (when to stop vs. follow) combined with technical execution.

External Resources

For official cue ball control techniques and professional position play standards, consult [World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA)](https://wpapool.com) instructional resources and [Billiard Congress of America (BCA)](https://www.bca-pool.com) skill development programs for standardized teaching methodology.

FAQ: Stop Shot vs. Follow Shot Questions

About the Author

Sarah Chen is a professional pool player with Fargo rating 720 and former WPBA tour competitor. After losing 2019 Jacksonville quarterfinal match and $3,200 prize money due to 2mm cue ball contact error that converted intended stop shot into follow shot, she developed precision training protocols measuring contact point tolerances and speed requirements across 1,200+ test shots to quantify technical differences between stop and follow execution.

Follow Sarah’s professional technique insights and competition analysis at Pool Hall Pros.