Aiming in carrom is about geometry, not luck. To pot a coin, the striker has to hit it at exactly the right point so that the coin moves along the line to the pocket. This guide explains that geometry in simple terms, and then shows how the controls work in Carrom by 22Softwares.
The geometry: the ghost spot
Picture the line from the coin to the pocket. Extend it backwards, behind the coin. Where the striker has to touch the coin is on that line, on the side away from the pocket. Now imagine a second striker, a “ghost”, sitting exactly there. If your real striker travels to the place where the ghost sits, the coin goes to the pocket.
That is the ghost spot. The game does not draw it for you: you picture it. Aim the striker so it arrives at the ghost position, with the centre of the striker on the line from the pocket through the coin’s centre. A thin cut shot has the ghost far off to the side. A straight shot has the ghost directly behind the coin.
Step 1: place the striker
You can place the striker anywhere along your baseline where it does not overlap a coin, and you place it again for every stroke. In the game you drag it, or use the slider. Choose the spot that gives the clearest line to the ghost position. Check that no other coin is in the way of the striker’s path.
Step 2: aim and set the power
Press the striker and pull back, like a slingshot, in any direction. The further back you pull, the harder the shot. A power arrow comes out of the striker and points the way it will go: it grows longer, and changes from green to yellow to red, as you pull harder.
What the game shows while you aim
- The power arrow: short and green for a soft stroke, yellow for medium, long and red for full power. It turns grey when the aim is not allowed, for example a backward stroke with Tournament aiming on.
- In matches against a bot, a white arrow also starts at the coin your striker will hit and shows which way that coin will travel. In Settings, setting Aim assist to Off hides it, so you aim on your own judgement.
The game does not draw the striker’s path or the ghost spot, so the geometry above is worth learning. Many beginners find the white arrow helps most in bot matches, and then turn the assist off when they can predict the coin’s path before they see it.
Power: softer than you think
Hard shots feel good but the pockets are tight (a coin barely fits through), so a fast coin can bounce out. A hard stroke also scatters coins you may want to leave where they are. Use the smallest pull that gets the coin there. The colour and length of the power arrow help you repeat a pull that worked.
Cancelling a shot you do not want
You can cancel an aim without shooting. Any of these works:
- Tap with a second finger.
- Right-click.
- Press Esc.
- Let go with almost no pull (under 5 percent).
If a call or notification interrupts your touch, the shot is cancelled and never fired.
Keyboard controls
- Left and right arrows move the striker.
- A and D rotate the aim.
- Hold Space to build power and release to shoot.
- Esc cancels.
Forward only
There is an optional tournament setting called “forward only”, which requires strokes to go forward. It is off by default.
A five-minute practice
- Play a bot match with Aim assist on, so you see the white arrow.
- Pick a coin near a pocket and picture the ghost spot behind it.
- Shoot gently. Do it ten times with different coins.
- Turn Aim assist off in Settings and repeat.
- Count how many pots you keep without the white arrow.
Facts checked with the Carrom by 22Softwares team against the game’s rules engine.