What is a ‘cannon’ in snooker?

SNOOKER is an extremely technical sport and has plenty of its own folklore – and an equal amount of jargon.

But how do you get your head around all the slang used in the sport? SunSport is here to help.

PA

Players can sometimes ‘cannon’ the ball off other balls in order to set up their next shot[/caption]

• Follow all the action from the World Snooker Championships LIVE

What does ‘cannon’ mean in snooker?

A cannon is a smart use of the white ball.

Not only can you use the white to pot either a red or a colour.

But players can also hit the white so that it pots one ball and ‘cannons’ into another ball to set up the next shot.

This kind of skill is what the best players in the world spend hundreds of hours on the practice table trying to master.

Snooker is a sport full of angles and force behind the shot.

What does a ‘kiss’ mean in snooker?

Players do not always have to put their full force behind a shot in snooker.

Sometimes, especially if playing a strategic or defensive shot, they can merely ‘kiss’ the white into a ball so it makes the most minimal contact and is therefore considered a valid shot.

That means their opponent could face a tricky subsequent shot.