Missing this too much and even after practicing different methods, no revelation. Say ball is touching the cushion and cue ball is on a 15-45 degree angle (or even more severe angle). Say intended pocket is to the right. Do you stroke right english and strike cushion just to left of object ball? Or hit same spot on cushion with no english? Or strike cushion and ball at same time? I am not consistently pocketing, ball isn't traveling down the rail on a missed shot, it's coming off rail and rattling out of the pocket, missing to the right. Sure I can make some good shots, but it should be more consistent and I figure you guys know how lol.
How to shoot ball on rail
- Thread starter livemusic
- Start date
I think Steve Mizerak's advice on this was best: ignore the rail and shoot the ball into the pocket.
In fact you have to hit the cushion first on nearly every shot where the OB is frozen. It's bad to actually think about that.
On a frozen OB shot it's hard to tell how you missed. That is, did you cut it too much or not enough? You can only decide this by which way the cue ball goes taking into consideration what spin you used. That makes frozen shots hard to practice.
Many people prefer inside on frozen shots but you have to be able to play all kinds of position. Practice all of them.
I’ve gotten better at these lately. I was originally told to hit the ball and the rail at the same time. For years it led me to aim more at the rail than at the ball. Often I’d miss because I was aiming to over cut the ball, almost as if was a 90 degree angle even though it’s really some other angle like 45 degrees.
I’ve seen a lot of guidance to always use top english or always use inside english. I kind of feel that’s a crutch to compensate for bad aim. Sometimes you need other english for position and don’t want to feel like your crutch was taken away.
Today I really focus on the contact point. WHILE STANDING. I line up behind the cue ball. I try to be a few steps back from the table (not hugging the rail). I try to align the contact point of the cueball to the contact point of the object ball. While still standing, I bend down some and eyeball the alignment better. I’ll often double check my alignment with double distance aiming. I’ll make sure the distance the cueball visually overlaps the object ball from the contact point is the same distance the object ball overlaps the cueball from the contact point in the other direction. If all looks good and equal, I have my shooting line. I step into the shot and drop my stick on that line. At that point I try to have zero movement. No backhand english. No aiming adjustments based on how it “looks” while down on the shot. Just focus on practice strokes that appear straight with no deviation. Then prepare to shoot. Pull back... pause... deliver... follow-through... stay down... see the ball hug the rail and go in the hole.
Respectfully, Matt
(I don’t take myself too seriously. I hope you can return the favor.)
I’ve seen a lot of guidance to always use top english or always use inside english. I kind of feel that’s a crutch to compensate for bad aim. Sometimes you need other english for position and don’t want to feel like your crutch was taken away.
Today I really focus on the contact point. WHILE STANDING. I line up behind the cue ball. I try to be a few steps back from the table (not hugging the rail). I try to align the contact point of the cueball to the contact point of the object ball. While still standing, I bend down some and eyeball the alignment better. I’ll often double check my alignment with double distance aiming. I’ll make sure the distance the cueball visually overlaps the object ball from the contact point is the same distance the object ball overlaps the cueball from the contact point in the other direction. If all looks good and equal, I have my shooting line. I step into the shot and drop my stick on that line. At that point I try to have zero movement. No backhand english. No aiming adjustments based on how it “looks” while down on the shot. Just focus on practice strokes that appear straight with no deviation. Then prepare to shoot. Pull back... pause... deliver... follow-through... stay down... see the ball hug the rail and go in the hole.
Respectfully, Matt
(I don’t take myself too seriously. I hope you can return the favor.)
If I remember correctly, the book ‘Science of Pocket Billiards’ covers this subject extensively. When I encountered it back in the 90s, though I considered myself a fairly accomplished amatuer then, I was amazed to discover how much I DIDN'T know! Physics especially.
you have to hit the cushion first but its almost impossible to aim that precisely. try lining yourself up to shoot it as you would any other shot and then shift ever-so-slightly to hit it thin by literally a hair. practice with center first and get consistent so that it's easier to troubleshoot when you introduce spin further down the road...
that one helped me back in the day
The easiest way to make the ball is to use a bit of inside English and hit the rail ever so slightly before the object ball.
BUT as Bob Jewett points out, you need to be able to play position to all areas from this shot. I would practice aiming without any English, w/inside and w/slight running english(hardest).
Practice that shot until you hardly miss it
Either center ball or a little high inside. Definitely NOT outside english unless the ball is within 1 rail sight of the corner and then still only if you're playing on standard pockets - not tight pockets. Outside will spin the object ball off the rail - just the opposite of what inside will do.
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Doesn't matter what english you're using. Just overcut the ball slightly. If you're cutting a ball to the right, aim for the right side of the pocket. Most of the time people undercut these shots, or overcut them by a lot (but that last thing is easy to see and to fix).
Spinning the ball in, or cinching in any way will hold you back as a player. You need to be able to put it down with any english. Start with center and work from there.
Spinning the ball in, or cinching in any way will hold you back as a player. You need to be able to put it down with any english. Start with center and work from there.
in my experience, when missing this shot, regardless of where you hit it, with English, it is easy to forget to compensate for squirt. When cutting to the right with right hand English you need to aim to hit a little more of the OB... Left spin cutting to the right a little less of the OB. And vice versa for the opposite.
As for no English...just matters your accuracy in hitting the same spot you are aiming for, and taking into consideration that whether you use English or not, Cut induced throw is applied to the OB on all cut shots to some degree.
As for no English...just matters your accuracy in hitting the same spot you are aiming for, and taking into consideration that whether you use English or not, Cut induced throw is applied to the OB on all cut shots to some degree.
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its a hard shot because you need tro hit more precise than on most other shots.; so weaker players miss it all the time and think its the English or whatever. its not its that you arent good enough yet to hit it precisely.
or some tables roll out a little. check that as well.
or some tables roll out a little. check that as well.
Maybe I’m weird, but I don’t approach it any differently than any other shot. I picture the cue ball in the position I want it after the stroke. I see it touching the object ball before I stroke.
For position considerations, mostly center/top/bottom. If English, for most shots, a half a tip, MAYBE a tip at the most.
For position considerations, mostly center/top/bottom. If English, for most shots, a half a tip, MAYBE a tip at the most.
livemusic...Like I told you before, your problem is that you have no stroke. Quit screwing around and contact the LA instructor I told you about (greyghost), and all of your questions will be answered in a couple of hours. Things are so much easier to learn when you have someone at your side, helping you out.
Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
There’s three ways.
Ball first/ Rail first/ Same time.
Practice each until you’re proficient and these will aid you in getting to different locations for CB position.
Once You realize the shot becomes normal and doesn’t bother you anymore.
On diamonds however with tight pockets. You need to be a touch careful with speed.
Ball first/ Rail first/ Same time.
Practice each until you’re proficient and these will aid you in getting to different locations for CB position.
Once You realize the shot becomes normal and doesn’t bother you anymore.
On diamonds however with tight pockets. You need to be a touch careful with speed.
I agree with the principle that you need to visualize the shot with no rail, as if its just another cut shot. Once you get to that point, you also need to focus on learning to shoot the shot with all different types of english, be it draw or follow, inside or outside. Of all these variations, I tend to use draw with english the most when cutting a ball (left english shooting the ball to the right and right english shooting the ball to the left) . I do this to try to lessen the chance of a skid and I tend to do this on alot of game ending shots except for bank pool.
If you have gearing outside and hit the ball and the cushion at the same instant, the object ball will scoot perfectly along the cushion. If you have more outside than that, you can hit the ball first (very slightly) and throw the ball straight into the pocket.
For any other side spin (or no side spin) you have to contact the cushion first. This is very, very old news. See Byrne, Koehler or Jewett for details. Koehler has a whole chapter on frozen ball shots. He did lots and lots of experiments.
FYI, this topic is covered in great detail, with numerous video demonstrations, illustrations, and instructional articles here:
rail cut shot resource page
Enjoy,
Dave