Dealing with the Close-to-Cushion Safety

[heater451]

I was talking to someone about dealing with the safety where the object ball (like a final 8 ball, or next ball in a 9-ball game) is close to the cushion but not frozen, and the opponent gently rolls the cue ball against it, pretty much perpendicular to the rail. I told him that there is a video on the web--I think by Darren Appleton--showing different ways to deal with it, but while I found it immediately a few months ago, I cannot find it now.

Anyone familiar with that video?

 

[GideonF]

I was talking to someone about dealing with the safety where the object ball (like a final 8 ball, or next ball in a 9-ball game) is close to the cushion but not frozen, and the opponent gently rolls the cue ball against it, pretty much perpendicular to the rail. I told him that there is a video on the web--I think by Darren Appleton--showing different ways to deal with it, but while I found it immediately a few months ago, I cannot find it now.

Anyone familiar with that video?

This one?

 

[heater451]

This one?

Ah, I think that was the video I *did* watch, so I mis-remembered. I thought there was one where the target ball was almost, but not touching the cushion, and the cue ball was next it it.

Like this, although not likely to be perfectly perpendicular to the rail--too lazy to make a real graphic. Cushion to the left, 'O' representing the two balls:

|
|oo
|

 

[Black-Balled]

I usually try to not play position and leave myself in a close to the cushion safety.

It usually works.

 

[VarmintKong]

too lazy to make a real graphic. Cushion to the left, 'O' representing the two balls:

|
|oo
|

Ya can’t be too lazy to put in the work if it bugged ya enough to ask the question in the first place.

Got me wondering now and elucidation and edification are in order.

 

[Rickhem]

These situations, with both balls close, and in a perpendicular line to the cushion, are the ones where some will lie the cue on the cloth, tip just under the cue, and quickly lift the tip, such that it hits the cue on the way up while moving past it. That shot has come up a few times here, and I know it's been a topic of discussion at other times while playing. I'm sure there are videos of it, probably Dr. Dave has one or two with that specific shot.
I always thought it was not a legal shot, but I've had a number of people tell me that it was a legal shot. If it is legal, that is a good way to deal with that situation, but if someone did that against me, we'd end up in a back and forth with me doing it too.

I tried to do the "reply" thing to include that little drawing with this post, but for some reason I keep getting errors whenever I try to reply with a quote from another post.

 

[heater451]

Ya can’t be too lazy to put in the work if it bugged ya enough to ask the question in the first place.

Got me wondering now and elucidation and edification are in order.

You don't know me. Never underestimate my ability to slack.

 

[heater451]

These situations, with both balls close, and in a perpendicular line to the cushion, are the ones where some will lie the cue on the cloth, tip just under the cue, and quickly lift the tip, such that it hits the cue on the way up while moving past it. That shot has come up a few times here, and I know it's been a topic of discussion at other times while playing. I'm sure there are videos of it, probably Dr. Dave has one or two with that specific shot.
I always thought it was not a legal shot, but I've had a number of people tell me that it was a legal shot. If it is legal, that is a good way to deal with that situation, but if someone did that against me, we'd end up in a back and forth with me doing it too.

I tried to do the "reply" thing to include that little drawing with this post, but for some reason I keep getting errors whenever I try to reply with a quote from another post.

Not a legal shot by the rules I'm normally playing, as it's not a *stroke*, and also somewhat interpreted as a 'scoop'--contacting the ball upwards.

But, you are certainly right about the "back and forth", which also happens when trying to keep hitting softer, with an actual stroke. I was assuming a skip to where that becomes untenable, or just avoiding that completely and shooting a safety that moves the cue ball away. For example, I have tried to double-kiss, straight in, to send the cue ball back to the other end, but it's never really worked all that well the times I did.