Compare Boast Angles Along the Short Line

It is easier to see patterns when only one dimension is examined. This first trio of striking points are just behind the short line. Many shots are made from this part of the court, so worth looking at some examples. The focus is still on boasts to the near side wall. As mentioned before the side wall can be divided into a front section which will produce good boasts and a back section which will not produce fair boasts. The sweet spot marks the transition between good boasts and doomed boasts. The focus is to compare the sweet spot for the three examples. From that, a general statement can be made about how the sweet spot is related to the striking point.

Position #2 is pretty close to the striking point shown in previous Figures 600, 602, and 603. Moving further way from the side wall to position #1, the front section of the side wall shrinks. The sweet spot is about mid point of side wall. Moving closer to the side wall to position #3, almost the entire front 2/3 of the side wall will produce a fair boast. As the striker you must adjust your target on the side wall.

The further you move away from the side wall, the sweet spot is further up the court. You should also be aware as an opponent, you can move further up along the side wall and still be out of the line of fire.

Position #3 provides an opportunity for a good attacking boast to the left front corner. From position #1, the shot shown is not a great choice. Hitting a boast near either front corner would be a better choice. In the next example/post, striking point #2 will be kept and compared to positions directly forward.

Some Variations on Striking Point In Line Vertically

Striking point #2 is the same as in Figure 607 above.

Again, the chosen shots are to show the sweet spot. The sweet spot splits the side wall into a front portion which can yield a good shot. Boasts deeper than the sweet spot will not be good.

As the striking point moves forward the side wall available for a good boast shrinks. The angle changes. At position #2, the target is about 6 or 7 feet up the court while at position #6 the target is only a couple of feet up the court. There are of course other boasts which may be better choices from any of the four striking points shown.

For example, at #6 a shot directly to either corner is an easier target with less risk. A small change in the angle at #6 will make a significant change in where the ball contacts the front wall.

The striking points in the figure above are about 6 feet from the side wall. More often in a match the striking point is closer to the side wall, but these rather loose balls are better to illustrate the angles. The next figure/post will show how the illustrations can be adapted to determine the angles when closer to the wall.