The 30-Shot MoFUDAT Test for Diagnosing a Crooked Pool Stroke
One striped ball and 30 recorded shots can turn a vague stroke problem into a visible, repeatable pattern.
The 30-shot MoFUDAT test checks whether you can send a striped ball straight up and down the table with controlled centerline contact. Ten shots above center, ten at center, and ten below center reveal wobble, left-right return patterns, and changes caused by tip height. It is a repeatable diagnosis of delivery consistency—not a one-drill proof of exactly which body movement is wrong.
What does the MoFUDAT test measure?
MoFUDAT stands for “MOst Famous and Useful Drill of All Time,” the name used by Dr. Dave Alciatore for this classic up-and-down-table stroke test. It challenges four connected skills: aim, body and cue alignment, tip-placement accuracy, and stroke consistency.
The striped ball acts as the cue ball. You aim it straight into the center of the far cushion so that it returns toward the cue tip. Two results matter:
- Stripe wobble reveals that the ball was struck away from its intended vertical axis.
- The return path shows how closely the shot followed the chosen line.
A good attempt has little or no visible wobble and returns close to the cue tip. Record both observations; a ball can show a stable stripe yet miss the return line, or wobble while still finding its way back near the cue by chance.
How do you set up the drill?
Place a striped ball near the center of the head string. Rotate it so the stripe runs vertically and points along the intended shot line. Aim through the exact center of the opposite short cushion.
Use a medium-speed stroke. The ball must travel to the far cushion and return far enough for you to judge its line, but excessive speed makes small setup errors and table conditions harder to interpret.
Keep these conditions constant throughout the 30-shot set:
- Use the same ball and starting spot.
- Recheck the stripe before every shot.
- Aim at the same cushion point.
- Use the same approximate speed.
- Stay down until the ball passes the starting area on its return.
For an optional visual target, place two object balls against the far rail with a gap around the cushion point. Start with a generous opening and narrow it only after your results become repeatable.
The striped ball makes unintended off-center contact visible during the up-and-down-table test. Image: Dr. Dave Billiards video thumbnail.
Why does the drill use a striped ball?
The stripe is a built-in spin indicator. When the tip contacts the intended vertical axis, the stripe should roll with little lateral wobble. If it oscillates from side to side, the contact was not centered on that axis.
The stripe must be aligned carefully before every shot. A crooked stripe at setup can imitate a poor hit, which ruins the diagnosis. This is why a casual pile of shots is less useful than a slow, recorded test.
Table roll, cushion response, cloth wear, and an imperfect starting line can affect the return path. Wobble and return direction should therefore be read together rather than treated as a laboratory measurement.
How do you complete all 30 shots?
Dr. Dave’s published version uses three groups of ten shots. Change only the vertical tip position between groups.
| Group | Tip position | Primary observation | Maximum good attempts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Above center | Stable roll and straight return | 10 |
| 2 | Center | Centerline contact and sliding delivery | 10 |
| 3 | Below center | Draw contact, elevation effects, and amplified sidespin | 10 |
For each shot, remain still and watch the entire trip. Note whether the stripe wobbles, then note whether the ball returns left of the tip, near the tip, or right of the tip.
Do not repair your stance after every individual miss. Complete enough shots to reveal a pattern. A single result may be noise; repeated misses in the same direction are useful evidence.
How should you score the test?
The source drill asks players to count good attempts in each ten-shot group. Use one point only when both conditions are met: the stripe has little or no wobble, and the ball returns inside a target corridor chosen before the session.
A practical starting corridor is one ball-width to either side of the cue tip. The maximum score is 30. This corridor and 30-point log are a training adaptation of Dr. Dave’s “good attempt” count, not an official player-rating scale.
| Mark | Meaning | Score |
|---|---|---|
| G | Stable stripe and return inside the corridor | 1 |
| W-L | Stripe wobbles and ball returns left | 0 |
| W-R | Stripe wobbles and ball returns right | 0 |
| S-L | Stripe looks stable but ball returns left | 0 |
| S-R | Stripe looks stable but ball returns right | 0 |
Write three subtotals—above, center, and below—instead of recording only the overall number. A 22/30 score made from 9 above, 8 center, and 5 below is more diagnostic than the total alone.
Compare scores mainly against your own sessions on the same table. Cushion response, cloth, ball cleanliness, table length, and target width can make another player’s number incomparable.
What can each miss pattern suggest?
Patterns guide the next investigation, but they do not prove a single cause.
| Repeated result | Possible cause to inspect | First check |
|---|---|---|
| Stripe wobbles mostly one way | Consistent off-center tip contact or alignment bias | Film the tip and ball from directly behind the shot line |
| Stable stripe, return mostly left or right | Starting-line error, aim bias, cushion point, or table roll | Verify ball placement and the exact cushion target |
| Returns alternate left and right | Delivery variability, unstable stance, grip tension, or changing head position | Hold setup and speed constant for five shots |
| Above-center group is strongest | More level cue and stable rolling conditions may suit the current delivery | Compare cue elevation across all three groups |
| Below-center group is much weaker | Low contact can magnify unintended sidespin and cue-elevation effects | Check tip height, clearance, and whether the cue stays on line |
Dr. Dave notes that above-center performance is often best because the cue can remain more level and unintended swerve is reduced. Below-center shots can make a small off-center hit more obvious after cushion contact. Treat those tendencies as clues, not guaranteed diagnoses.
How do you find the actual stroke error?
Record five shots from directly behind the shot line, with the camera centered and high enough to see the cue, tip, ball, and far-cushion target. Then record a second view from the side.
Review one variable at a time:
- Does the tip arrive where it was addressed?
- Is the cue aligned under the player’s vision center?
- Does the bridge remain still through contact?
- Does grip pressure increase just before impact?
- Does the forearm swing on the shot line?
- Does the head or torso move before contact?
- Does the cue finish consistently after the ball has left?
Change only one item for the next short set. If you alter stance, bridge length, grip, head position, and tempo together, even an improved score will not show which change helped.
A qualified instructor can accelerate this process because the drill identifies symptoms more reliably than causes. Bring the score sheet and rear-view video to the lesson.
What does a 20-minute practice session look like?
| Time | Work |
|---|---|
| 0–3 minutes | Clean the ball, establish the line, set the target corridor, and make three unscored warm-up shots |
| 3–15 minutes | Shoot and record the full 30-shot test: ten above center, ten center, and ten below center |
| 15–18 minutes | Review the most common miss code and make one technical adjustment |
| 18–20 minutes | Shoot six retest balls at the weakest tip height and write a short note for the next session |
The retest is not added to the 30-point score. It shows whether the chosen adjustment deserves a full trial next time.
Run the test once or twice a week rather than chasing a perfect number through fatigue. The value comes from comparable sessions and a clear record of what changed.
When should you make the drill harder?
Increase difficulty only after the ball repeatedly returns inside the current corridor with a stable stripe. Narrow the two-ball target at the far cushion, reduce the return corridor, or require two strong sessions in a row before progressing.
Do not add speed and a smaller target simultaneously. The test works best when one condition changes at a time. If the score suddenly collapses, restore the previous condition and confirm that the stroke remains stable.
The goal is not to master one photogenic trick shot. It is to build a delivery that sends the cue through the intended contact point predictably, then transfer that delivery to stop shots, follow, draw, and real patterns.
What can the test not tell you?
MoFUDAT cannot by itself separate an aiming error from a vision-center error, a crooked cue delivery, table roll, or inconsistent setup. It also does not measure speed control, cut-shot judgment, position routes, or pressure performance.
Use it as a baseline instrument. When stripe wobble decreases and the return pattern tightens under the same conditions, your centerline delivery is becoming more repeatable. That is meaningful progress even before every cause is perfectly labeled.
Why are there exactly 30 shots?
The original test uses ten above-center, ten center-ball, and ten below-center attempts. The three groups expose whether vertical tip position changes the player’s consistency.
Does a ball that returns to the cue tip prove a perfect stroke?
No. Cushion response, table roll, setup, and compensating errors can influence the return. The stripe’s wobble and repeated left-right pattern must also be considered.
What counts as a good attempt?
Dr. Dave describes little or no stripe wobble plus a return close to the cue tip. For repeatable logging, choose a return corridor before the session and keep it unchanged.
Why might below-center shots score worse?
Low contact can require more cue elevation and can make unintended sidespin more apparent after the rebound. The result is a diagnostic clue, not proof of one specific flaw.
Should a player change mechanics after every miss?
No. Complete enough shots to identify a repeated pattern, review video, and change one variable for the next test.