Stun shot is one of the most useful shots on the table. It almost guarantees the placement of the cue ball after contact with the object ball. It won’t take much of an effort to play this shot correctly.
As a beginner, it should be the first shot that you can add to your skillset. The reason being you will be able to practice and perfect it easily.
For starters, short length stun shots are more effective. For stun shots going all the way to the end of the table might be difficult and require more practice.
What is a Stun Shot
A stun shot is when the cue ball gets frozen at the point of contact with the object ball. So when the players hits the cue ball with a good pool cue stick, the ball moves forwards with linear momentum and collides with the object ball.
At the time of the collision, all the momentum is forwarded to the object ball and the cue ball does not move forward. From scientific purpose, all the energy gets transferred on collision with the cue ball.
How To Play Stun Shot
Playing a stun shot is no brainer, all you need to do is to hit the cue ball below the center and make sure that you hit the ball straight. There should be no component of the ball that imparts spins on the cue ball.
Make sure that your cue stick is parallel with the cloth and you are not angling down or up while playing the stun shot. The unrequired angles can add momentum other than the dragging linear momentum and as a result, you will not get a perfect drag shot.
Practicing on your technique on how to hold the pool stick correctly can help improve overall game quickly.
Logic Behind Stun Shot
For a beginner. it seems like magic when a seemingly sailing cue ball stops all of a sudden. The logic behind this shot is that the cue ball is not rotating while moving rather it is dragging itself towards the object.
Because of the drag, there is no movement along the axis of the cue ball which is why the cue ball remains at it place at point of collision.
Benefits of Learning Stun Shot
It is the easiest shot that you can quickly learn and you will realize that it changes your game. There are certain situations when you will feel that you can scratch especially when the object ball is near the pot. In such a case, a stun shot can save you from scratching.
Another case is when you have the next object ball near the pot and if you can stop the cue ball at the current object ball location you can have an easy shot for the next object ball.
The beginners benefit the most and it is the most common shot they play after the simpler straight shots. It makes the game simpler than playing the straight shots. A straight shot is when the object ball moves linearly after colliding with the object ball. However, the stopping position of the cue ball is not certain.
A player that can effectively play the stun shot will know exactly where the cue ball will stop after the shot and can plan the next two shots which can create a difference.
