The Two Inch Syndrome

DrCue'sProtege

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Not sure what the slang is for this condition but I just called it the "Two Inch Syndrome" since I didn't know of anything else to call it. Its when you are seemingly always out of position by an inch or two and that puts you in a spot where its tough to get out. I hosed up 3-4 racks tonight due to the TIS issue.

An example is below. I made the 5B in the upper right corner pocket and came around for position on the 6B but was just a couple of inches short. I ended up where the red measles CB is. I wanted to be where the plain white CB is. That inch or two really made things difficult to get out.

Anybody have any thoughts on this Two Inch Syndrome? It frustrates the living he, uh, heck out of me because it seems to cause me so many problems.

r/DCP

https://pad-v1.chalkysticks.com/f7757
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
1. Try to play more forgiving position, especially rolling the CB along the shot line rather than across it.

2. Adapt - in this case simply follow the CB off the far long rail.

pj
chgo
 

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
... I made the 5B in the upper right corner pocket and came around for position on the 6B but was just a couple of inches short. ...
So you sent the cue ball about six feet and off two cushions and you are disappointed that you weren't within half a rotation of the position you needed.

Try playing the position ten times and see how many times you get it right.
 

DrCue'sProtege

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The point being here is that being out of position by a couple of inches seems to cost me a lot. Here is another example from the other day. I pocket the 2B in the upper right corner and had to follow up for the 3B. The 4B is down at the other end of the table.

Anyway, I ended up where the red measles CB is, exactly straight in. If I would have stopped short of there a couple of inches or rolled further by a couple of inches I would have had a much easier shot to get on the 4B. The plain white CBs are where I would have liked to have been. But being straight in just killed the runout. Again, two inches one way or another would have helped tremendously.

https://pad-v1.chalkysticks.com/848c7
 

sparkle84

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Dr Cue, it could be that you need to change your thought process. I think in most cases you end up in bad positions due to decisions made earlier in the rack. In your latest example you noted where you played the 2 but where were the 2 and the CB when you shot it. Judging by where you show the 3 CB's I'd say you should have played position for the 3 by coming off the short rail, not just rolling ahead. Speed control is much more reliable when using a rail.
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
I'd say you should have played position for the 3 by coming off the short rail, not just rolling ahead. Speed control is much more reliable when using a rail.
Also recognize that (1) you want to be on the short rail side of the next shot and (2) it's better to have too much angle than too little, so play to stay closer to the short rail.

tl;dr - choose which side of the OB and which speed for the largest margin for error.

pj
chgo
 

mfinkelstein3

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Down the line

Start having your cue ball coming down the line you want rather than across that line. Then the two inches doesn’t matter.
 

BilliardsAbout

BondFanEvents.com
Silver Member
I like PJ's "play more forgiving" statement above.

For nearly every shot, it works well to see whether short or long is worse--then play for the opposite.
 

DrCue'sProtege

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
This is an FYI here.

I was watching an old Accu-Stats dvd from the 1990s at the Sands Regency Tournament in Reno. Billy Incardona and Mark Wilson were the commentators. At one point Mark Wilson made a comment that sometimes when you are just out of line by about an inch it can really make things difficult.

Just wanted to pass that along.

r/DCP
 

BilliardsAbout

BondFanEvents.com
Silver Member
This is an FYI here.

I was watching an old Accu-Stats dvd from the 1990s at the Sands Regency Tournament in Reno. Billy Incardona and Mark Wilson were the commentators. At one point Mark Wilson made a comment that sometimes when you are just out of line by about an inch it can really make things difficult.

Just wanted to pass that along.

r/DCP

A relative statement, though, since pros go for ultra-specific cue ball position, with precision.

If you are planning to roll the cue ball into the middle of a position zone that is four feet long, how would rolling two inches short or long end the run?
 

DrCue'sProtege

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
This being out of position by an inch or two continues to plague me. I had a buddy stop by earlier today and he's a decent player but nothing great. I bet I hosed up 4-5 racks because of being out of position an inch or two. I mentioned that to him pretty emphatically two or three times today.

Before he left he made the comment that if it wasn't for an inch or two here and there you would have done alot better.

r/DCP
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
This being out of position by an inch or two continues to plague me. I had a buddy stop by earlier today and he's a decent player but nothing great. I bet I hosed up 4-5 racks because of being out of position an inch or two. I mentioned that to him pretty emphatically two or three times today.

Before he left he made the comment that if it wasn't for an inch or two here and there you would have done alot better.

r/DCP
Are you playing for positions with too little wiggle room? Rolling across shot lines rather than along them? Trying to get too close to object balls?

Look for position plays with room for error, even if they don't give you that perfect shot.

pj
chgo
 

straightline

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Some spurious input.
Are you trying for perfect placement? You need to start with perfect direction and speed. You don't need a drill prescription for that condition. If you're just consistently outta line, you still need to work on perfect direction and speed. Also work on perfect direction and speed.

Towards that end, make observations on how the ball motion decays to a stop besides just the beginning part of the shot.

Don't pull the trigger unless you have the destination clear in your mind and mentally run the shot AT THE SPEED of the shot.
 

FranCrimi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
.....Anyway, I ended up where the red measles CB is, exactly straight in. The p If I would have stopped short of there a couple of inches or rolled further by a couple of inches I would have had a much easier shot to get on the 4B. Plain white CBs are where I would have liked to have been. But being straight in just killed the runout. Again, two inches one way or another would have helped tremendously.

https://pad-v1.chalkysticks.com/848c7

The above statement by the OP explains why he has continual position problems. It's because he doesn't commit to a decision before shooting. Read his statement carefully and you will see. It's only when a player commits to a decision ---- right or wrong --- that they can then analyze the results and make adjustments for the next time.
 
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