(This is today’s bit of advice from the book Safety Toolbox.)
A shadow zone is the table area behind one or more blocking balls. It is the key element of a hidden ball safety type. Any target ball within the shadow zone can be reached either by jumping the blocking ball (if rules allow) or shooting the cue ball off one or more cushions.
There are ways to make the kicking requirement more difficult. When you place the cue ball closer to a blocking object ball, the size of the shadow zone is increased. If the easier angles to kick at the target object ball are blocked, the hidden ball safety is even more difficult.
Single blocking ball shadow
With one blocking ball, the shadow zone size is dependent on how close to the blocker the cue ball is located.
When the cue ball is further away from the blocking ball, the shadow zone is much smaller.
S&D Shadow Zones, Single Ball (far away)
With the cue ball close to the blocking ball, the shadow zone is dramatically increased.
S&D Shadow Zones, Single Ball (close)
Wall of balls shadow zone
Several blocking balls can combine shadows to hide larger areas of the table. Getting the cue ball behind several balls requires less precision.
S&D Shadow Zones, Multiple Balls
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