Top 10 Safeties You Must Master

dr_dave

Instructional Author
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FYI, I just posted a new video demonstrating the Top 10 Safeties Every Pool Player Must Master. Here it is:


The topics covered (with YouTube time-stamps) include:

1. Stop and Hide (0:21)
---- two-way shot (1:08)
2. Roll Up and Snuggle (1:34)
3. Equal-Separation Hide Behind Blockers (2:16)
4. Finesse Equal-Separation Hides (2:38)
5. Finesse Fractional-Ball Hides (3:21)
6. Separate and Hide Against Long Rail (4:05)
7. Come into the Line of Blockers (4:30)
8. Thin-Hit Hide (5:17)
9. Send Ball Straight Down Table and Hide (5:37)
10. Kick-and-Stick Hide (6:22)
---- "big ball" effect (6:40)

Please check it out and let me know what you think. I'll be curious to hear if people think I left out any important safety categories or principles.

Enjoy,
Dave
 
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dr_dave

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Good vid.

I learned something on the kick and stick, thanks
If you don't mind me asking, what did you learn? To roll the ball into the cushion to get stun on rebound? This varies a little with conditions, but it is true with typical conditions.

Thanks,
Dave
 

Hits 'em Hard

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Top Rotation Game Safeties. None of those safeties are really valid for anything but rotation games. Your kick and sticks seem to have quite a bit of left over side spin.....
 

dr_dave

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Top Rotation Game Safeties. None of those safeties are really valid for anything but rotation games.
That's not true. Some of the shots were actually 8-ball examples, and some of the examples work in both 8-ball and 9-ball. Watch the video again with this in mind. I will too.

Your kick and sticks seem to have quite a bit of left over side spin.....
I think this is cushion-induced spin since the CB is coming into the cushion at an angle.

Regards,
Dave
 

dr_dave

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Somebody on Facebook pointed out that the the jump shot at 5:47 is not a foul under BCAPL rules. FYI, here is my reply:

I claimed that the bump of the 8 with the shaft of the cue might be a foul under some rules (e.g., see CSI/BCAPL Rule 1-34). However, the CB did not jump over the 8, so it is not considered an "impeding ball." Regardless, it is a bit risky disturbing a ball that is very close to impeding a jump. A referee who does not have video instant replay might call this shot a foul when he or she sees the 8-ball move. For more information about rule sets and differences among them, see:
https://billiards.colostate.edu/resources/rules/rule-differences/

Regards,
Dave
 

dr_dave

Instructional Author
Gold Member
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Somebody on Facebook pointed out that the the jump shot at 5:47 is not a foul under BCAPL rules. FYI, here is my reply:

I claimed that the bump of the 8 with the shaft of the cue might be a foul under some rules (e.g., see CSI/BCAPL Rule 1-34). However, the CB did not jump over the 8, so it is not considered an "impeding ball." Regardless, it is a bit risky disturbing a ball that is very close to impeding a jump. A referee who does not have video instant replay might call this shot a foul when he or she sees the 8-ball move. For more information about rule sets and differences among them, see:
https://billiards.colostate.edu/resources/rules/rule-differences/
Do you think a typical referee at a CSI/BCAPL event would call this shot a foul?

I look forward to your input,
Dave
 

Bic D

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
If you don't mind me asking, what did you learn? To roll the ball into the cushion to get stun on rebound? This varies a little with conditions, but it is true with typical conditions.

Thanks,
Dave

yes, I didn't know that using top off the rail would stun it.

My safety has room for improvement, thanks
 

TATE

AzB Gold Mensch
Silver Member
I'm bumping this thread. This is rich knowledge and worthy of practice. Hopefully Dave will add to this. I would like to see more of the common multi rail bank safeties, not just blocking shots.

My experience is intermediate level players don't play enough safeties, and the ones they do play are not necessarily effective.
 
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Black-Balled

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'm bumping this thread. This is rich knowledge and worthy of practice. Hopefully Dave will add to this. I would like to see more of the common multi rail bank safeties, not just blocking shots.

My experience is intermediate level players don't play enough safeties, and the ones they do play are not necessarily effective.

I'll say I was a tad surprised to not see the olde tyme fave:
2rails out of corner and onto another ob
 

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sixpack

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thank you!

I haven't watched it yet but just last night in a tournament I was thinking that I need to up my safety play. I've been working on pocketing lately and neglecting that part of my game.
 

Andrew Manning

Aspiring know-it-all
Silver Member
Your kick and sticks seem to have quite a bit of left over side spin.....

It's worth noting that a kick-and-stick, perhaps obviously, requires a very full hit on the object ball, but there's more than one path to that full hit. You can hit the natural (no spin) aim point for a full hit, or you can hit to either side of it and use side spin off the rail to hit the OB full. The full hit should stop the CB in each case, but the resulting OB angle will be different, which you sometimes need in order to avoid unwanted collisions which might stop you from achieving the separation you need.
 

TexasShooter

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Great video. I usually spend a few minutes practicing several of these after I get warmed up before a match. They also help to get the speed of the table.
 

dr_dave

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The thing I like about your videos is that you keep the talking to just what needs to be said.
Your videos move at a good pace.
I have watched others and they talk way too much.
Thanks again. And I agree that most instructional stuff on YouTube is far too verbose.

Regards,
Dave
 

dr_dave

Instructional Author
Gold Member
Silver Member
It's worth noting that a kick-and-stick, perhaps obviously, requires a very full hit on the object ball, but there's more than one path to that full hit. You can hit the natural (no spin) aim point for a full hit, or you can hit to either side of it and use side spin off the rail to hit the OB full. The full hit should stop the CB in each case, but the resulting OB angle will be different, which you sometimes need in order to avoid unwanted collisions which might stop you from achieving the separation you need.
Good points.

Regards,
Dave
 
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