Pro Players Aversion to Using Inside Spin

[straightline]

Here's the inside on inside - ahem...
Using BHE, your stick should be inline with the english point and the contact point on the OB. I suppose you could just drop into that, but sweeping feels more calibrated. This works best on spot shotty, half ballish cuts. On straighter or close shots, just BHE works fine.

For those Strickland 3 railers, where more speed is required, the stick should now be pointed trough the english point and some semblance of the same "english" point on the ob.

All that depends on the dimensions of the shot and the required CB destination. I find as long as you avoid do or die "parallel parking" in heavy traffic, the misses go away and the licks normalize into your arsenal of chops.

 

[ChrisinNC]

Esp at the lower speeds you'd use to hold a ball. Def a tougher shot than just hitting a bit firmer and pulling it around using 2 rails as 'brakes' to get to the same/similar spot.

Actually I find that controlling over-hitting it is a little tougher with the outside as the cue ball will pick up speed coming off both rails, as opposed to inside where you have to hit it harder than you think because the cue ball will grab/die when it hits the first cushion.

In a pressure key shot in a match I’d rather stroke the ball with some pace, which is why I sometimes prefer the inside spin option, but I’m well aware that’s not what most people prefer.

 

[FunChamp]

I've found that all shots go in just fine when I hit them right.

 

[straightline]

I find 100% of my shots go exactly as they were hit.

 

[WobblyStroke]

Actually I find that controlling over-hitting it is a little tougher with the outside as the cue ball will pick up speed coming off both rails, as opposed to inside where you have to hit it harder than you think because the cue ball will grab/die when it hits the first cushion.

In a pressure key shot in a match I’d rather stroke the ball with some pace, which is why I sometimes prefer the inside spin option, but I’m well aware that’s not what most people prefer.

Wanting to hit it with more pace is exactly is one of the main reasons to hit it 2 rails. It's not a ton of outside, certainly not enough to be picking up speed on both rails. Generally tho, 1 rail u have fewer shots to come in along the shot line so ur position window is narrower. I pretty much only go with inside if it makes the position window bigger. In an either or spot I favor 2rails too, maybe bc I just hit it so much more often.

 

[jay helfert]

The very best players (Efren, Parica, Dennis O., Earl, Buddy, Miz, Archer, CJ and Shane) used whatever english (spin) was necessary to make a successful shot. I'm not sure from watching them play if they had a preference. I put Earl and Parica at the very top of this list as masters of inside english. They never had a problem with these shots. It's all about how pure you hit the ball.

 

[jay helfert]

Wanting to hit it with more pace is exactly is one of the main reasons to hit it 2 rails. It's not a ton of outside, certainly not enough to be picking up speed on both rails. Generally tho, 1 rail u have fewer shots to come in along the shot line so ur position window is narrower. I pretty much only go with inside if it makes the position window bigger. In an either or spot I favor 2rails too, maybe bc I just hit it so much more often.

Good post here.

 

[dendweller]

My experience is, that a ball on the rail( I mean contacting the rail) at the second diamond and I have a 30 degree angle I have no chance with outside. With inside, it's not a difficult shot. Maybe I just suck at outside though.

It occurred to me after making this post that given I've been trying a 314 for the last week, I should see if that made a difference with my ability to make a ball on the rail with low outside. I have to say I make more than I miss by a good deal. There are some things that are plain easier with LD apparently.

 

[JolietJames]

The very best players (Efren, Parica, Dennis O., Earl, Buddy, Miz, Archer, CJ and Shane) used whatever english (spin) was necessary to make a successful shot. I'm not sure from watching them play if they had a preference. I put Earl and Parica at the very top of this list as masters of inside english. They never had a problem with these shots. It's all about how pure you hit the ball.

Agreed. Years ago, Ike Runnels would frequent one of the rooms in town. I remember being amazed at how far he could move the CB with a slow, easy stroke, using inside. Easy strokes help you stay down and keep your head still, and the slow speed makes the pocket play bigger.
In the recent PLP event, Sky exhibited why inside english isn't always the most practical choice when everything is on the line. He's great at those shots as well, but the pot % is definitely lower for them than bottom outside across the table, when it's available.

 

[hang-the-9]

Around 20 years ago there was a pool room in my town where some of the pros would show up to gamble, had to do with a tournament going on at one the casinos.

I remember Parica on a table by himself shooting a shot where he probably had a 20 degree angle at a ball real close to the rail sending it down into the corner. He was hitting it with low inside and drawing enough that it would go 3 rails back out to the center of the table. When I hit that shot, it goes laterally to the other cushion. This was a well used pool room, not much for new tables, rails or cloth. He had a stroke.

Jose did not seem afraid of inside.

One of the things we need to keep in mind, the general good practice rules are for the humans, guys like Parica, Efren, Earl, etc... can do whatever they want since they are on a different level of talent and skill. I feel the same way when people say "well this top 10 player in the world can use a house cue and play amazing so we should also not worry about equipment" LOL

For some reason I do much better with inside shooting to my right than to my left, say if I want to widen the angle off a close in shot when two balls are near on the rail and I don't want to travel far from the rail, shooting inside to the right I am pretty comfy, shooting inside to my left creates more missing. I tend to use a drag draw with outside when I want to slow down a longish shoot off the rail rather than using inside and a firmer hit. Softer hit, and use the spin to bounce off the rail a bit at the angle I want.

 

[BilliardsAbout]

Honestly, I've not read the thread at all, just the title, but:

Most players, including pros, have preferences like draw above follow or outside above inside english strokes.

Also, inside english affects the cue ball little or not at all for cut angles of (from memory) 35 degrees or less.

 

[jay helfert]

Agreed. Years ago, Ike Runnels would frequent one of the rooms in town. I remember being amazed at how far he could move the CB with a slow, easy stroke, using inside. Easy strokes help you stay down and keep you head still, and the slow speed makes the pocket play bigger.
In the recent PLP event, Sky exhibited why inside english isn't always the most practical choice when everything is on the line. He's great at those shots as well, but the pot % is definitely lower for them than bottom outside across the table, when it's available.

Efren was the all time master of using english to move the cue ball rather than speed. He could smooth stroke the ball ever so gently and it would run around the table and just creep into perfect position on it's final turn. Never ceased to amaze me how he did that. So many times it looked like he was going to fall short, but the cue ball somehow managed to barely get perfect when it stopped rolling.