This is a follow-up to my previous thread about bar rules in my region of Europe. In one of the posts I mentioned I like to smash the balls full speed on certain occasions, so here I'd like to point out actual advantages to doing so. Note that while you don't need to play by those exact rules I described, this thread still applies almost entirely to no call shot 8ball where slop counts.
While I'm not one to boast, I still consider my skill in judging where on the table exactly I need to deliver a high power shot fairly proficient. It all depends on reading the situation, then practicing and observing as many results as you can. That way you begin to choose your warp speed shots instinctively.
First of all, let's point out in which exact circumstances you can benefit from shooting hard (aside from the break shot
).
1. When you don't have a high-percentage shot available, so you shoot a low-percentage one hard in order for the ball to fall somewhere else
2. When there's a cluster of your balls readily available for smashing, in order to get at least one ball to drop
3. If you're not trying to actively pocket anything, but want to move around as many balls as possible to rearrange their positions in a way that benefits you more than the opponent
So, let's start off properly:
Case #1
You're probably wondering why not play safe. If you can, do it by all means. But if there's no good safety available, or by playing safe you allow the opponent to lock you up even worse in the next shot, you might want to consider playing offensively and shooting hard instead. If your chances of making a ball at pocket speed are already low, they won't get much lower if you use high speed. However, by doing that, you'll make your object ball hit several rails and potentially other balls of yours. Going by law of probability, at least one of them might drop and you continue shooting from a better position.
There are two major risks when playing this way:
1. pocketing your opponent's balls
2. pocketing the 8 ball
If either of those are already close to some pockets, angle your shot so neither the object ball nor the cue ball go anywhere near them, at least in their first pass around the table when they have lots of kinetic energy. If the 8 is hanging on a pocket, best not to use a high speed shot in the first place.
Instead, aim your shot so your object ball either goes directly towards a pocket, or towards another ball of your group. If you miss the pocket, the ball will still retain high speed. And if you opt to hit another ball of yours instead, you have at least two of them making passes around the table looking for a pocket.
Case #2
When there's a cluster of your balls right in front of you and rules allow slop, it's highly tempting to blast away at them. And with a good reason. I made several crucial balls that way only 24 hours ago. When you decide to hit a cluster, it's hard for the opponent to predict that and prepare meaningful defense. They may block your obvious shots, but blasted clusters tend to go anywhere. Still, if you have one or more safe, high-percentage shots at your disposal, take care of them first before moving on to the cluster. That way you won't mess up positions of balls that already go straight into pockets at normal speed by the chaos that ensues.
Once it's time to hit the cluster, you'll want to do it in a way that you give as much kinetic energy as possible to as many balls of your group as you can. Also, do your best to disperse them in the general direction of the nearest pocket, as often one will drop there. The others usually find separate positions around the table if they don't drop, so you can go at them one by one in the following shots. Beware of the same dangers of pocketing the 8 ball or your opponent's balls. Controlling a smashed cluster is harder that only one object ball, so it's best not to perform this shot at all if the 8 or several opponent's balls are already hanging.
Case #3
This last case is somewhat different. What you basically want to do is hit as many balls as possible (starting with a legal shot of course), and not just balls of your own group but your opponent's ones as well, and sometimes even the 8. The logic behind this shot is that when the general positions of the opponent's balls are far superior to yours, and they're likely to clean up the table while you remain tied up, you need to try to mess everything up and create at least a few problem balls for the opponent, while getting better positions for some of your balls at the same time. Dropping one or more of the opponent's balls accidentally is not a major issue here, and sometimes is even desirable, just do your best not to pocket your opponent's last ball or the 8. Accidents can always happen, but if you angle your shot right you greatly minimize the risk. And if your ball is the one that drops in the process, well, thank lady luck and keep shooting.
I could write much more on this topic, this is just a short overview with some advice for players unfamiliar with using this type of shots. Hope you find it an entertaining read, and useful as well.
While I'm not one to boast, I still consider my skill in judging where on the table exactly I need to deliver a high power shot fairly proficient. It all depends on reading the situation, then practicing and observing as many results as you can. That way you begin to choose your warp speed shots instinctively.
First of all, let's point out in which exact circumstances you can benefit from shooting hard (aside from the break shot
).1. When you don't have a high-percentage shot available, so you shoot a low-percentage one hard in order for the ball to fall somewhere else
2. When there's a cluster of your balls readily available for smashing, in order to get at least one ball to drop
3. If you're not trying to actively pocket anything, but want to move around as many balls as possible to rearrange their positions in a way that benefits you more than the opponent
So, let's start off properly:
Case #1
You're probably wondering why not play safe. If you can, do it by all means. But if there's no good safety available, or by playing safe you allow the opponent to lock you up even worse in the next shot, you might want to consider playing offensively and shooting hard instead. If your chances of making a ball at pocket speed are already low, they won't get much lower if you use high speed. However, by doing that, you'll make your object ball hit several rails and potentially other balls of yours. Going by law of probability, at least one of them might drop and you continue shooting from a better position.
There are two major risks when playing this way:
1. pocketing your opponent's balls
2. pocketing the 8 ball
If either of those are already close to some pockets, angle your shot so neither the object ball nor the cue ball go anywhere near them, at least in their first pass around the table when they have lots of kinetic energy. If the 8 is hanging on a pocket, best not to use a high speed shot in the first place.
Instead, aim your shot so your object ball either goes directly towards a pocket, or towards another ball of your group. If you miss the pocket, the ball will still retain high speed. And if you opt to hit another ball of yours instead, you have at least two of them making passes around the table looking for a pocket.
Case #2
When there's a cluster of your balls right in front of you and rules allow slop, it's highly tempting to blast away at them. And with a good reason. I made several crucial balls that way only 24 hours ago. When you decide to hit a cluster, it's hard for the opponent to predict that and prepare meaningful defense. They may block your obvious shots, but blasted clusters tend to go anywhere. Still, if you have one or more safe, high-percentage shots at your disposal, take care of them first before moving on to the cluster. That way you won't mess up positions of balls that already go straight into pockets at normal speed by the chaos that ensues.
Once it's time to hit the cluster, you'll want to do it in a way that you give as much kinetic energy as possible to as many balls of your group as you can. Also, do your best to disperse them in the general direction of the nearest pocket, as often one will drop there. The others usually find separate positions around the table if they don't drop, so you can go at them one by one in the following shots. Beware of the same dangers of pocketing the 8 ball or your opponent's balls. Controlling a smashed cluster is harder that only one object ball, so it's best not to perform this shot at all if the 8 or several opponent's balls are already hanging.
Case #3
This last case is somewhat different. What you basically want to do is hit as many balls as possible (starting with a legal shot of course), and not just balls of your own group but your opponent's ones as well, and sometimes even the 8. The logic behind this shot is that when the general positions of the opponent's balls are far superior to yours, and they're likely to clean up the table while you remain tied up, you need to try to mess everything up and create at least a few problem balls for the opponent, while getting better positions for some of your balls at the same time. Dropping one or more of the opponent's balls accidentally is not a major issue here, and sometimes is even desirable, just do your best not to pocket your opponent's last ball or the 8. Accidents can always happen, but if you angle your shot right you greatly minimize the risk. And if your ball is the one that drops in the process, well, thank lady luck and keep shooting.
I could write much more on this topic, this is just a short overview with some advice for players unfamiliar with using this type of shots. Hope you find it an entertaining read, and useful as well.
