How to play a draw shot in pool and billiards

A draw shot (also called backspin or screw) makes the cue ball travel backwards after it hits the object ball. In pocket games it is the basic way to get position for the next shot; in three-cushion it changes where the cue ball finishes. Below you will find what it is, how to play it and the common mistakes, and you can try it for free in 3D billiards on Boombala.

What is a draw shot?

You strike the cue ball below its centre, which gives it backspin. The cue ball first travels forward, hits the object ball and passes its motion on, and then the spin pulls it back. The more head-on the hit, the more directly the cue ball returns; on cut shots it follows the tangent line and comes back less.

How to play it, step by step

• Keep the cue level. A draw is hit with the cue parallel to the table; a raised cue is a different shot.
• Aim below centre. Start in the lower half of the cue ball; the lower you hit, the more backspin you get.
• Accelerate through the ball. Cue speed makes the spin, not brute force, and a long follow-through keeps the stroke smooth.
• Watch the distance. Cloth friction wears the spin down, so draw is strongest when the balls are close and weaker over a long gap.

Common mistakes

• Hitting too low. Near the edge of the ball the tip slips (a miscue); stay a tip inside.
• Raising the butt. That is no longer a draw; keep the cue level.
• Stopping at contact. Without a follow-through the spin never forms.
• Hitting too hard. Start with small powers and add speed once the cue ball obeys.

Try the draw shot on Boombala

• Open Practice from the lobby and pick Pocket table (or the three-cushion table).
• Press the Draw button above the orbit ball: the cue levels out and the tip goes under the cue ball.
• Pull the power bar back and release; watch the cue ball come back from near and far object balls.
• Slide the red dot on the spin ball lower or higher to feel how much backspin you add.

Practice has no rules, clock or opponent, so you can drag the balls anywhere and repeat the shot as often as you like. When you are ready, read the 8-ball, 9-ball and three-cushion rules and play the computer or your friends.

FAQ

Is draw the same as a stop shot? No. On a stop shot the cue ball stops at contact; on a draw it comes back. Both hit below centre, but cue speed and spot decide which.

How does it relate to piqué and massé? All three are controlled with spin. Raise the cue and it becomes a piqué; near vertical, a massé.