Clarification Needed on Back Scratch Safety

[Dan White]

I took the safety strategy lesson from Stu some time back, and have been practicing those concepts in league play as much as possible. It has really helped my confidence in knowing good and bad maneuvers, and in spotting opponents who play the wrong moves.

Something occurred to me last night about the two rail back scratch safety. As background, let me review what I believe Stu taught me (correct me if I'm wrong). Use the following diagram (sorry for those without Cuetable):

CueTable Help

Page 1 shows a typical ending pattern in which your opponent pockets the 1 ball and calls safe, leaving you on near the head rail. This is an ineffective strategy because of the back scratch response, which is on page 2. In this case, you hit the cue ball just hard enough to settle into the back of the rack, which prevents your opponent from playing a safe that can send the cue ball back uptable. The first player hasn't achieved any real advantage other than causing you 1 point (while giving up one himself). Also, you're now in a better position to respond than you were at the head of the table. So the conventional wisdom is that the first player should have pocketed the 1 and come around the table to make a safety by shooting into the pack and opening up some balls.

Now here's the clarification I need: In using the back scratch, you aren't trying to pry any balls loose from the pack, you are just getting the cue ball to the back side. My problem is that your opponent CAN send you back to the head of the table, taking a scratch himself, as in page 3. So if you aren't going to hit the back scratch hard enough to dislodge a few balls, then how is it useful? Your opponent can just "front scratch" and send you back to where you started.

The only answer I can figure is that you have to hit the back scratch hard enough to dislodge some balls, which makes it a somewhat trickier, and different proposition.

What do you think?

 

[TSW]

I agree with you. I don't see the benefit as described.

From where you are on page 2, it looks like you can go one rail with left English and hit the 6, playing the conventional safety behind the rack. Why not do that?

 

[dmgwalsh]

I think a few balls need to be loosened from the rack when you play the initial safety for just the reason you point out.

 

[claymont]

I just see a blank table. I see it now, for some reason it didn't show up until I wrote this:embarrassed2:

 

[sjm]

I took the safety strategy lesson from Stu some time back, and have been practicing those concepts in league play as much as possible. It has really helped my confidence in knowing good and bad maneuvers, and in spotting opponents who play the wrong moves.

Something occurred to me last night about the two rail back scratch safety. As background, let me review what I believe Stu taught me (correct me if I'm wrong). Use the following diagram (sorry for those without Cuetable):

CueTable Help

Page 1 shows a typical ending pattern in which your opponent pockets the 1 ball and calls safe, leaving you on near the head rail. This is an ineffective strategy because of the back scratch response, which is on page 2. In this case, you hit the cue ball just hard enough to settle into the back of the rack, which prevents your opponent from playing a safe that can send the cue ball back uptable. The first player hasn't achieved any real advantage other than causing you 1 point (while giving up one himself). Also, you're now in a better position to respond than you were at the head of the table. So the conventional wisdom is that the first player should have pocketed the 1 and come around the table to make a safety by shooting into the pack and opening up some balls.

Now here's the clarification I need: In using the back scratch, you aren't trying to pry any balls loose from the pack, you are just getting the cue ball to the back side. My problem is that your opponent CAN send you back to the head of the table, taking a scratch himself, as in page 3. So if you aren't going to hit the back scratch hard enough to dislodge a few balls, then how is it useful? Your opponent can just "front scratch" and send you back to where you started.

The only answer I can figure is that you have to hit the back scratch hard enough to dislodge some balls, which makes it a somewhat trickier, and different proposition.

What do you think?

Exacty right. When you backscratch, whether one rail or two, you must always loosen something in the front to disallow opponent from sending you right back to the top rail near the center diamond with their own intentional foul. A loose ball in the front is the only disincentive you can offer to your opponent.

The two rail backscratch is harder to execute than the one rail backscratch for this very reason. once you hit it hard enough to create a threat in the front of the rack, there is a greater danger of losing the cue ball than on a one rail scratch.

Although you seem to have forgotten this (or, possibly, I taught it poorly), which we discussed, I'm impressed that you worked this out. You're showing a solid defenisve IQ with your observations.

The two rail backscratch requires a lot of practice, and the fact that it's quite a bit tougher to execute than the one-railer explains why you'd rather force an opponent to play it over the one rail backscratch.

Hence, your choices in starting a rack in which there is no break shot, in order of preference should be:

1) if it's easy to get shape on a safety that will give your opponent a big problem, such as the second ball safety front the fornt of the rack, do so and play that safe.

2) pocket the last ball and leave the oppnent toward the back of the table and near the middle of the table, likely forcing a two rail backscratch response.

3) pocket the last ball and leave your opponent toward the back of the table but with an angle that will allow a one rail backscratch response.

Finally, I'm pleased to learn that you have started incorporating these parts of 14.1 stategic play into your game. Keep up the good work!

All the best, Dan.

Stu

 

[Dan White]

I agree with you. I don't see the benefit as described.

From where you are on page 2, it looks like you can go one rail with left English and hit the 6, playing the conventional safety behind the rack. Why not do that?

I think Stu believes that trying to play a legal safe as you describe is too risky, unless, I guess, if you can play it with perfection. I was playing a guy the other night who didn't know about all this stuff. I knew that, so left him at the head of the table. Sure enough, he takes a 1 rail legal safety and hit it just hard enough to leave a ball out. I ran out that rack. In looking at another match that same night, I saw another guy do the same thing!

 

[Dan White]

Although you seem to have forgotten this (or, possibly, I taught it poorly), which we discussed, I'm impressed that you worked this out. You're showing a solid defenisve IQ with your observations.

The two rail backscratch requires a lot of practice, and the fact that it's quite a bit tougher to execute than the one-railer explains why you'd rather force an opponent to play it over the one rail backscratch.

Hence, your choices in starting a rack in which there is no break shot, in order of preference should be:

1) if it's easy to get shape on a safety that will give your opponent, such as the second ball safety front the fornt of the rack, do so and play that safe.

2) pocket the last ball and leave the oppnent toward the back of the table and near the middle of the table, likely forcing a two rail backscratch response.

3) pocket the last ball and leave your opponent toward the back of the table but with an angle that will allow a one rail backscratch response.

Finally, I'm pleased to learn that you have started incorporating these parts of 14.1 stategic play into your game. Keep up the good work!

All the best, Dan.

Stu

Thanks, Stu! I'm quite sure I forgot about loosening some balls on the back scratch. Your 3 choices in order of preference is also helpful. I practiced the 2 rail back scratch a lot lately, and have found it to be very repeatable if you find a reference point that allows you to contact the middle ball in the back row. Using that reference point, I can come amazingly close to hitting that same ball from anywhere in the kitchen. I'm sure the reference point varies from table to table, but it would be easy to check during a warm-up.

Previously, I had ruled out the idea of leaving the cue ball up table with a safety. I did find, in practice, that if the cue ball is frozen to the center of the head rail, you have to come perilously close to the side pocket in order to make a good 2 rail back scratch. If you haven't practiced it (and who does? ) then it would be a daunting shot to execute correctly. So, your item #2 rings true, especially if you can get the cue ball right in the center of the head rail.

Regards.