one pocket shoot

larryt said:

two balls spotted, cue ball 18" off foot rail six inches off the side rail I want to cut the second ball directly in the corner pocket, how is this done?

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Have you actually seen this done? When I set this shot up on my table, it doesn't appear to allow me a contact point that sends the ball anywhere near the pocket, even if I was to get the maximum amount of throw.

Roger

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I have made it, but it's not easy. Be prepared for a lot of practice on it to get good at it.

My tests indicate that Neil is right; it is possible to make the ball from that angle of approach with a jump shot, but as Neil also pointed out, it is going to require a LOT of practice to execute it to any degree of consistency. Wouldn't you prefer to use that practice time on things that are a little more conventional and reliable?

Roger

I'm not an instructor, but do play one pocket at an intermediate level....

You are right, that situation comes up all the time in one pocket. But cutting the back ball straight into your pocket with a slight jump shot is never an option. Maybe as a proposition shot you can make some cash off of it. But it will surely cost you the game in a real game of one hole.

There are lots of standard replies to the 2 spotted ball end game situation.

One that I do like from where you described the cue ball to be is to barely skim both balls and send them both to your side of the table. The cue ball comes back to the brunswick on the end rail.

With ball in hand, there are lots of standard options that are either defensive or offensive, depending on how aggressive you want to be.

I thought the correct play from this position was to hit the front ball full and draw the cue ball back to the end rail.

The ball on the spot "throws" forward towards your pocket. The 2nd ball banks 2 rails towards your pocket. The cue ball is back up on the end rail leaving no shot.

Is this not right?

CueTable Help

I think I've been labeling my table wrong all the time, I always thought of the rail near the racking area as the foot rail. Anyway, I guess we're talking about the diagram Hal posted.

Are the balls frozen? If they're truly perfectly frozen, a known shot to send the upper ball into either corner is to cut it a bit towards that pocket with a ton of draw (but you can't hit it hard - the best way I can describe it is soft extreme draw). The draw puts topspin on the first ball, and nearly simultaneously the second ball pops out of the way, and the topspin can carry the first ball to the foot rail. Then it's just a matter of how much cut to make it carry to the pocket. It only works if they're really nicely frozen. If there's even a hair of air between them, the draw effect is greatly reduced to the point where reaching the foot rail is impossible.

I've only ever tried this with the cue ball more or less dead center on the head spot. I don't know if this exact shot is possible from so far to the side, and with so much distance.

Bottom line is about the same: it's a trick shot, not really a practical thing to use in games, tho I love to try it in funsies games.

As Bert Kinister says, the most important thing is to get the cue ball back to the end rail.

Hal (Not a one pocket player, but always liked this 2 ball scenario and love to watch it when it happens)

Hal, that also is a viable option, but not the cb position the OP was describing.

Oh I see. I'm an idiot. Sorry.