Which Way Do You Play This Shot?

straightline said:
Look at the proportions. Going forward you have a quadratic equation (kidding) to navigate the traffic and coming backwards you got nuthin but parking lot.
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With high inside, you have a huge 2+ foot window coming off the side cushion between the 5 and 6, so I’m not sure what traffic issues you are referring to? I am 95% sure I can stay below and avoid running in to the 5, 6 and 7 ball. I guess I just have more confidence in applying high inside spin than others.

I’m not saying the low outside option is wrong as it’s the obvious first choice for most players. I’m just stating that those of us who are comfortable with high inside might prefer this alternate path in this situation.
 
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without reading any of the responses and biasing my reply, I go top left english. For me, it is more natural, less forced, and less chance to go wrong. Using bottom right, i can see under hitting it and being on the rail with an awkward angle on the 3, or over hitting it and getting wedged up and snookered against the 6 or 5. With top left, the only ball that can really screw/snooker you is the 5. With bottom right, theres two balls that can screw you.
 
skiergd011013 said:
without reading any of the responses and biasing my reply, I go top left english. For me, it is more natural, less forced, and less chance to go wrong. Using bottom right, i can see under hitting it and being on the rail with an awkward angle on the 3, or over hitting it and getting wedged up and snookered against the 6 or 5. With top left, the only ball that can really screw/snooker you is the 5. With bottom right, theres two balls that can screw you.
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Exactly my point as well. I feel I can control my CB speed to get past and below the 5 ball near the center of the table with high inside as opposed to the bottom outside option.
 
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ChrisinNC said:
With high inside, you have a huge 2+ foot window coming off the side cushion between the 5 and 6, so I’m not sure what traffic issues you are referring to? I am 95% sure I can stay below and avoid running in to the 5, 6 and 7 ball. I guess I just have more confidence in applying high inside spin than others.

I’m not saying the low outside option is wrong as it’s the obvious first choice for most players. I’m just stating that those of us who are comfortable with and might prefer using high inside might prefer this path in this situation.
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Like you said you play on mostly your equipment and no doubt you're in stroke for those conditions. Just comparing the two shots, more can go wrong with a rolling shot moving through balls than a firm draw stroke with nothing in the way.
 
Roll the ball with left. Less can go wrong. My thoughts are always do what is easiest. In this case a soft follow shot spins the cue ball up table, the pocket plays a little bigger, and your form will stay intact.
 
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Exactly my point! Less can go wrong with rolling the ball than hitting it harder. Of course nothing is perfect but rolling the ball minimizes the chances for something to go wrong.
 
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Just to refresh:
1730558759681.png

The red line is a natural path. Wasn't it Buddy Hall that said "no need to play shape when you already have it." The red line falls into that range for me.
1730559239005.jpeg The picture is reversed by my camera but shows a typical result I get just playing center ball. It's a simple line and gives a huge zone that yields a natural ish path for shape from 3 to 5 ball.
 
From what I have read there are too many posters that don't realize there isn't much angle on the shot on the 2B. Those that are wanting to just come straight up for the 3B, that would be a difficult shot.

r/DCP
 
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DrCue'sProtege said:
From what I have read there are too many posters that don't realize there isn't much angle on the shot on the 2B. Those that are wanting to just come straight up for the 3B, that would be a difficult shot.

r/DCP
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i did it on the first try
the difficulty is the precision of the angle "straight up"
the cue ball is coming from 0.75-1.0 diamond on the the side rail
and the object ball is 1.25-1.50 diamond from the oppsite corner pocket on the short rail
its a little less than a 1/2 ball hit and not so thick as 3/4 where you would have to pound it
jmho
icbw
 
straightline said:
True but you have only about a foot past the 5 until you might nit like it.
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A Foot?!! My first 3 attempts put my cueballs within a a couple of inches of the others. Looking at the one pictured I see a 6 inch radius that would still be OK. With 3 in the bullseye I feel confident I can put 98 out of 100 within the outermost ring. 🤷‍♂️ no?
 
I just don't get why anyone would NOT draw this? With a low right shot you're in line the entire time, especially if you touch the second rail.
It's not like this shot is even missable with draw and outside. I'd get it if it was a longer shot, but missing this just isn't going to happen.

Playing a shot like this as a 1 rail stun, with this long travel into open space is a recipe for disaster. Ask a carom player. They don't play caroms like this, because it's dumb and it's difficult. 9 ball pros usually don't play shots like this either for much the same reasons. ANY deviation at all will hook you, bump into balls or land you awkwardly. You play long position shots diagonally, and use the damned rails, because it's smart and wins games.

I'd shoot the inside shot if it was required to get an angle, but it isn't. And I usually favour inside english. In reality, almost any shot on the 5 will get you to the 6 some kind of way, and getting a good angle with low outside is almost guaranteed. And I can tell you this: If you screw up the draw shot in this situation, there is no way in hell you can pull off the other ones consistently.
 
gregcantrall said:
A Foot?!! My first 3 attempts put my cueballs within a a couple of inches of the others. Looking at the one pictured I see a 6 inch radius that would still be OK. With 3 in the bullseye I feel confident I can put 98 out of 100 within the outermost ring. 🤷‍♂️ no?
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No doubt if you're comfortable with the equipment. But stuff like time of day and the relative humidity can affect the speed considerably. I'd bet you can do all the shots depicted 50 times each and only on the draw shape, always be looking at the three.
 
This conversation regarding what a pro would do reminds me of watching Earl playing 8 ball. The match was commentator by Billy Incardona and another pro player. There assessment differed from Earls choices so often that predictions were shortly avoided. Earl still got out, just took another route. 🤷‍♂️
My observation of pro players showed different choices based on their strengths. Different games favor different strengths. A straight pool player playing 9 ball brought simple and precise. 9 ball favors power at times. Watching Earl overpower a precision game was interesting. Watching the precision Efren brought to the 9 ball playing Earl in the finals was priceless. Efren broke and ran 3 then after the 4th break put Earl in handcuffs with 3 rail precision that was pin point on the safety. Getting ball in hand Efren gave him 3 or 4 more and did it again. A safety that had whitey going around the table through traffic right after the break. It snuggled to the back of the object ball closest to the head rail with the one in the middle of the foot rail. Just like his last shot! Earl was kicking 2 rails for a hit and down 7-0 going to 9. Priceless memories. 🤷‍♂️
 
straightline said:
No doubt if you're comfortable with the equipment. But stuff like time of day and the relative humidity can affect the speed considerably. I'd bet you can do all the shots depicted 50 times each and only on the draw shape, always be looking at the three.
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My first attempt had whitey finding the hole in the side rail. 🤷‍♂️ I am often painfully reminded that I CAN miss anything at any time. 🤷‍♂️ 😉 So your bet was lost before it was made.
Looking at the picture had me chose the draw for the reason you have posted. I learned something when I then attempted the other 2.
I have since put in enough reps to confirm that for me, given my methods/skills set, the red line works best for me.
 
Straightpool_99 said:
I just don't get why anyone would NOT draw this? With a low right shot you're in line the entire time, especially if you touch the second rail.
It's not like this shot is even missable with draw and outside. I'd get it if it was a longer shot, but missing this just isn't going to happen.

Playing a shot like this as a 1 rail stun, with this long travel into open space is a recipe for disaster. Ask a carom player. They don't play caroms like this, because it's dumb and it's difficult. 9 ball pros usually don't play shots like this either for much the same reasons. ANY deviation at all will hook you, bump into balls or land you awkwardly. You play long position shots diagonally, and use the damned rails, because it's smart and wins games.

I'd shoot the inside shot if it was required to get an angle, but it isn't. And I usually favour inside english. In reality, almost any shot on the 5 will get you to the 6 some kind of way, and getting a good angle with low outside is almost guaranteed. And I can tell you this: If you screw up the draw shot in this situation, there is no way in hell you can pull off the other ones consistently.
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Best post in this thread!
The one rail path is absolutely asking for trouble. 3 balls to get behind. And very likely to get behind or collide with at that.

And like you said, the 2 rail draw outside path is dirt simple, and even makes pocketing the ball easy. Low outside is just the most common shot in 9 ball and everyone is super comfortable with it.

This shot isn't even a draw shot, the draw is just to get the CB to the rail, then the spin takes over.
 
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