There are quite a number of different stroking motions that can be made with the shooting arm to pocket pool balls, but this article will guide you a step at a time through the classic, flowing stroke used for many shots.
I'm going to take you through an area of controversy to deepen your understanding. Yes, most pool books and teachers claim the shooting arm is set to a 90-degree angle near the address position, but old-timers and today's pros both have their forearms set forward, forming an acute angle less than 90 degrees, as they impact the ball (for the "classic" pool stroke under review).
The balls were set on the table per Figure 1 below for the subsequent photos.
