Top 10 End-Game Last-Ball Shot Options

dr_dave · Jun 22, 2019

FYI, I just posted a new YouTube video demonstrating the following end-game options when there is only 1 ball left close to the end rail, with the CB in a bad position:

1. Cut the OB in with Cushion-First Running Spin
2. Thin the OB and Leave the CB Up Table
3. Bank the OB Up Table with CB Follow Stall
4. Roll Up on the OB
5. Kiss-Back Shot
6. Equal Separation Safety
7. Fast-Speed Bank
8. Back Cut Bank
9. Two-Way Bank into the Side
10. Two-Way 3-Rail Bank to the Opposite Side

Here's the video:

NV J.24 – Top 10 End-Game Last-Ball Shot Options

Check it out and please let me know if you think I left out any important options. Also, I am curious to know which shots people like the best and dislike the most.

Enjoy,
Dave

ChrisinNC · Jun 22, 2019

dr_dave said:
FYI, I just posted a new YouTube video demonstrating the following end-game options when there is only 1 ball left close to the end rail, with the CB in a bad position:

1. Cut the OB in with Cushion-First Running Spin
2. Thin the OB and Leave the CB Up Table
3. Bank the OB Up Table with CB Follow Stall
4. Roll Up on the OB
5. Kiss-Back Shot
6. Equal Separation Safety
7. Fast-Speed Bank
8. Back Cut Bank
9. Two-Way Bank into the Side
10. Two-Way 3-Rail Bank to the Opposite Side

Here's the video:

NV J.24 – Top 10 End-Game Last-Ball Shot Options

Check it out and please let me know if you think I left out any important options. Also, I am curious to know which shots people like the best and dislike the most.

Enjoy,
Dave

Without checking out your video yet, for your 10 options, as a conservative player, I prefer options 2,3, and option 6 - but only if my opponent is not a strong banker. The key to option 3 is applying maximum inside spin to kill the cue ball as close as possible to the end rail, and controlling the speed to attempt to get the object ball as close as possible to the opposite end rail - but preferably not near a corner pocket.

The one defensive option (differing from your option 2 in which the object ball moves as little as possible) which I think you may have missed which comes in handy particularly if you're playing on a tight pocket table and the positioning of the balls leaves you uncertain about option 2 or 3, is cutting the object ball thin (but not razor thin) with outside spin, controlling the speed, sending the cue ball around off the end rail, side rail, and back up near the corner pocket (hopefully without scratching). If executed correctly, the object ball comes off the end rail, missing the corner pocket, then off the side rail, hopefully ending up far enough away from the corner pocket and somewhere below the area of the foot spot, to leave your opponent a tough table length shot.

I certainly don't like the risk of options 4 and 5 - if you're off just a hair due to table roll or various other factors, you may risk leaving your opponent an easy out. Particularly option 4 will not likely work against a good player - who will likely then have an angle to feather off the edge of the object ball, leaving the object ball near the center of the end rail and the cue ball way up table - likely with a harder shot than you just previously had attempted the safety from.

Sunchaser · Jun 22, 2019

I like options 7 and 8. I'm a strong bank player, and prefer to win and not let the other player get lucky and make the money ball, or even get lucky with a good leave. That's just my opinion. If I had to pick one safety, it would be thin the object ball and send whitey up table.

dr_dave · Jun 22, 2019

ChrisinNC said:
Without checking out your video yet, for your 10 options, as a conservative player, I prefer options 2,3, and option 6 - but only if my opponent is not a strong banker. The key to option 3 is applying maximum inside spin to kill the cue ball as close as possible to the end rail, and controlling the speed to attempt to get the object ball as close as possible to the opposite end rail - but preferably not near a corner pocket.

The one defensive option (differing from your option 2 in which the object moves as little as possible) which I think you may have missed which comes in handy particularly if you're playing on a tight pocket table and the positioning of the balls leaves you uncertain about option 2 or 3, is cutting the object ball thin (but not razor thin) with outside spin, controlling the speed, sending the cue ball around off the end rail, side rail, and back up near the corner pocket (hopefully without scratching). If executed correctly, the object ball comes off the end rail, missing the corner pocket, then off the side rail, hopefully ending up far enough away from the corner pocket and somewhere below the area of the foot spot, to leave your opponent a tough table length shot.

I certainly don't like the risk of options 4 and 5 - if you're off just a hair due to table roll or various other factors, you may risk leaving your opponent an easy out. Particularly option 4 will not likely work against a good player - who will likely then have an angle to feather off the edge of the object ball, leaving the object ball near the center of the end rail and the cue ball way up table - likely with a harder shot than you just previously had attempted the safety from.

Thanks for the post. Good summary and suggestions.

Regards,
Dave

dr_dave · Jun 22, 2019

Sunchaser said:
I like options 7 and 8. I'm a strong bank player, and prefer to win and not let the other player get lucky and make the money ball, or even get lucky with a good leave. That's just my opinion. If I had to pick one safety, it would be thin the object ball and send whitey up table.

Good point. It is never a good feeling to give an opponent a shot at the money ball, even if the shot is tough.

Regards,
Dave

Poolmanis · Jun 22, 2019

Really good video. You made it simple and short enough. There is so much more in this that you could make 1 hour long video.
Better this way. :thumbup:
Generally I agree almost everything you have on video.

pt109 · Jun 22, 2019

I particularly like the three bank shot, Doc
...in snooker, we call it the ‘S’ shot.....played to bank past the side pocket....
...if hit perfectly, the two balls end up center-center on opposite short rails.
...on 5x10 snooker tables wit pool-type rubber, it works best.

HoustonInt · Jun 22, 2019

Thought provoking video. I hadn’t even considered #5 but will give it some practice now.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

ChrisinNC · Jun 22, 2019

dr_dave said:
Thanks for the post. Good summary and suggestions.

Regards,
Dave

As I'm sure you're aware, although I love the concept of this 2-way bank in the side (option 9), you can really get burned and leave your opponent an easy out if the object ball hits the far point or off both points of the side pocket.

Bob Jewett · Jun 22, 2019

One strategy for the long bank is to play it at a speed that leaves the object ball near the side pocket if you miss on the end rail. If the object ball is on the cushion near the side pockets it's a tough leave unless it is in front of the pocket.

dr_dave · Jun 23, 2019

Poolmanis said:
Really good video.

Thank you.

Poolmanis said:
You made it simple and short enough. There is so much more in this that you could make 1 hour long video.
Better this way. :thumbup:

Agreed. I could have easily made this video an hour long. I've learned that YouTube viewers want stuff shorter and more concise. I provide links to supporting resources in the video descriptions for those who want more.

Poolmanis said:
Generally I agree almost everything you have on video.

I'm glad to hear it; although, I am also happy to hear about anything you don't agree with.

Regards,
Dave

dr_dave · Jun 23, 2019

pt109 said:
I particularly like the three bank shot, Doc
...in snooker, we call it the ‘S’ shot.....played to bank past the side pocket....
...if hit perfectly, the two balls end up center-center on opposite short rails.
...on 5x10 snooker tables wit pool-type rubber, it works best.

I like that one a lot also, but it isn't of much use unless you practice it enough to where you can play it confidently if you ever need it in a real game situation; and even then, it can often lead to a sell out. But it is still fun and impressive when it works (in either of the two ways).

Regards,
Dave

dr_dave · Jun 23, 2019

HoustonInt said:
Thought provoking video. I hadn’t even considered #5 but will give it some practice now.

I'm glad you liked it. Have fun with the practice. I did. Every time I work on a video like this, it forces me to actually practice these types of shots, and I'm sure it benefits my game.

Regards,
Dave

dr_dave · Jun 23, 2019

ChrisinNC said:
As I'm sure you're aware, although I love the concept of this 2-way bank in the side (option 9), you can really get burned and leave your opponent an easy out if the object ball hits the far point or off both points of the side pocket.

I agree that the two-way straight-back bank to the side is a terrible option compared to some of the others. Honestly, it was the last option I added because I wanted 10 shots instead of 9.

It is still helpful for people to see, and hopefully try out, the various options to learn for themselves.

Regards,
Dave

dr_dave · Jun 23, 2019

Bob Jewett said:
One strategy for the long bank is to play it at a speed that leaves the object ball near the side pocket if you miss on the end rail. If the object ball is on the cushion near the side pockets it's a tough leave unless it is in front of the pocket.

Good point Bob. Thank you. I think we actually demonstrate and talk about this on VENT.

Catch you later,
Dave

Sealegs50 · Jun 23, 2019

I am comfortable making the ball with shot #1. It is easier when the cue ball has some angle to the rail, but works fine when it is perpendicular as in your example. I find rail-first-inside-spin to be the best method for pocketing a ball that is frozen to a rail. But I find that shot scratches the cue ball in the opposite corner an unexpectedly high percentage of the time. The high percentage of scratches does not make sense to me because of the number of variables involved in the shot. But there have been sessions when I have scratched nearly every time I took that shot. I have asked for advice in this forum in the past but have not received any insights for minimizing the scratch risk.

Good video. I am sending the link to my 8-ball teammates.

dr_dave · Jun 23, 2019

Sealegs50 said:
I am comfortable making the ball with shot #1. It is easier when the cue ball has some angle to the rail, but works fine when it is perpendicular as in your example. I find rail-first-inside-spin to be the best method for pocketing a ball that is frozen to a rail. But I find that shot scratches the cue ball in the opposite corner an unexpectedly high percentage of the time. The high percentage of scratches does not make sense to me because of the number of variables involved in the shot. But there have been sessions when I have scratched nearly every time I took that shot. I have asked for advice in this forum in the past but have not received any insights for minimizing the scratch risk.

Good video. I am sending the link to my 8-ball teammates.

I hope your teammates enjoy it.

Concerning CB control with rail cut shots, I have many videos and articles that cover this topic in detail. Check them out here:

rail cut shot CB control

It makes a big difference whether you hit the cushion first, the ball first, or the ball while compressing the cushion.

Regards,
Dave

ChrisinNC · Jun 23, 2019

Sealegs50 said:
I am comfortable making the ball with shot #1. It is easier when the cue ball has some angle to the rail, but works fine when it is perpendicular as in your example. I find rail-first-inside-spin to be the best method for pocketing a ball that is frozen to a rail. But I find that shot scratches the cue ball in the opposite corner an unexpectedly high percentage of the time. The high percentage of scratches does not make sense to me because of the number of variables involved in the shot. But there have been sessions when I have scratched nearly every time I took that shot. I have asked for advice in this forum in the past but have not received any insights for minimizing the scratch risk.

Good video. I am sending the link to my 8-ball teammates.

When hit at the right speed, this option 1, particularly if the OB is not absolutely frozen, can sometimes work as a 2-way shot if the object ball does not go in, but is hit at a pace that causes it to come back near the middle of the end rail while the cue ball ends up table. Of course the risk is that sometimes the OB jaws and hangs up in the pocket for your opponent.

dr_dave · Jun 23, 2019

ChrisinNC said:
When hit at the right speed, this option 1, particularly if the OB is not absolutely frozen, can sometimes work as a 2-way shot if the object ball does not go in, but is hit at a pace that causes it to come back near the middle of the end rail while the cue ball ends up table. Of course the risk is that sometimes the OB jaws and hangs up in the pocket for your opponent.

This logic also applies to the straight-back bank options (where it is best to miss on the short side), as Bob pointed out.

Regards,
Dave

Sealegs50 · Jun 23, 2019

dr_dave said:
I hope your teammates enjoy it.

Concerning CB control with rail cut shots, I have many videos and articles that cover this topic in detail. Check them out here:

rail cut shot CB control

It makes a big difference whether you hit the cushion first, the ball first, or the ball while compressing the cushion.

Regards,
Dave

Thanks for the link.

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