Which Way To Play This Shot?

DrCue'sProtege

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Ok, not much action here in the Instructor Forum so I thought I would post one of my shots.

So, which way do instructors, and players too I guess, feel is the best way to play this shot? Across the table and pocket the 2B down in the corner? Or a little low left and pocket the 2B in the side pocket?

Thoughts?

r/DCP

https://pad-v1.chalkysticks.com/948ad.png
 

Island Drive

Otto/Dads College Roommate/Cleveland Browns
Silver Member
2 in the side after pocketing the one. HUGE position zone is the reason.
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
Here's the layout for easier reference.

I'd play it similar to your yellow line, but simpler: stun/draw the CB with enough left to bring it one rail toward the spot, taking advantage of that nice long position zone for the 2 in the side.

If the cut angle was a little fuller I'd soft stun the CB one rail for the 2 in the bottom right corner.

pj
chgo

table.JPG
 
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BC21

https://www.playpoolbetter.com
Gold Member
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Definitely 2 in the side. And I like coming across for the 2nd rail. Your speed could be off and you still come out good, hard to mess up.

If other balls were on the table, then of you'd have to consider position to the next shot, and the 2 in the side might or might not be the best option.
 
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skipbales

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Here's the layout for easier reference.

I'd play it similar to your yellow line, but simpler: stun/draw the CB with enough left to bring it one rail toward the spot, taking advantage of that nice long position zone for the 2 in the side.

If the cut angle was a little fuller I'd soft stun the CB one rail for the 2 in the bottom right corner.

pj
chgo

View attachment 534780

You don't mention if this is a rotation game or not. So shooting the 2 first might or might not be an option.

As for the 1. People always seem to combine outside English with low on this shot. It can actually done with either or any combination. You can get shape with just low or center ball and some left. At this angle they are both effective. The other option is to just stun it in and shoot the 2 in the corner. It really all depends on what would come next.
 

mfinkelstein3

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
How to play this shot

Why not just roll the one in the corner and fall on the two in the opposite corner. The cue ball moves very little, the pocket plays bigger for the two, there is no scratch in the shot, you can roll a little far or a bit short and still have a good shot on the 2, and you are not using spin or draw or stun which adds complexity to the shot.

In my experience playing balls in the side leads to trouble. Roll it in and take the easy shot on the 2 in the corner.

Now depending on the game and situation you might have to play the two in the side for positional reasons, but as the shot is, roll in the 1.
 

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
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Why not just roll the one in the corner and fall on the two in the opposite corner. ...
I think for most pool players -- think around APA 3 -- this is the most likely way for them to make both balls. I also think most pros would do the same except they might play with left stun to keep the cue ball closer to the 2 ball.

Minimize cue ball movement.
 

measureman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Why not just roll the one in the corner and fall on the two in the opposite corner. The cue ball moves very little, the pocket plays bigger for the two, there is no scratch in the shot, you can roll a little far or a bit short and still have a good shot on the 2, and you are not using spin or draw or stun which adds complexity to the shot.

In my experience playing balls in the side leads to trouble. Roll it in and take the easy shot on the 2 in the corner.

Now depending on the game and situation you might have to play the two in the side for positional reasons, but as the shot is, roll in the 1.

this.
again it depends on where you need the cue ball after pocketing the 2.
 

FranCrimi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
This is a good shot to practice. You have to know as many ways as possible so you can pull the shot out of your arsenal when you need it, depending on the table layout (where the balls are) and conditions(slow or fast cloth).
 

BC21

https://www.playpoolbetter.com
Gold Member
Silver Member
This is a good shot to practice. You have to know as many ways as possible so you can pull the shot out of your arsenal when you need it, depending on the table layout (where the balls are) and conditions(slow or fast cloth).

Excellent point. It's definitely a top 10 shot to know because there are so many options for playing off that 2 for position on another ball. If it were the last two balls, say the 8 and 9, I wouldn't think twice about shooting the 8 with low left, bringing the cb crosstable for the 9 in the side. No chance of getting an awkward backcut or long shot to the corner, and the side pocket is a big target with plenty of room for position error.
 

BC21

https://www.playpoolbetter.com
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2 in the corner has a smaller window for easy position, as marked in red, plus a smaller margin for error because it's 3 times further away from the corner when compared to the side. Anywhere within the purple provides an easy shot on the 2 in the side. Watch enough great players, which includes pros, and you'll see them playing for this side pocket shape unless position for the next shot would require the 2 to he shot in the corner.

picture.php
 

JC

Coos Cues
2 in the corner has a smaller window for easy position, as marked in red, plus a smaller margin for error because it's 3 times further away from the corner when compared to the side. Anywhere within the purple provides an easy shot on the 2 in the side. Watch enough great players, which includes pros, and you'll see them playing for this side pocket shape unless position for the next shot would require the 2 to he shot in the corner.

picture.php

If you can't get the cue ball in the red area there you probably can't bring it back to the larger zone either. If the cloth is dirty, the balls are dirty and the pockets tightish (my 9 foot diamond) you can rattle that one ball six ways to sunday trying to move across the table. Less cue ball movement = better runout percentage especially in 8 ball.

At 600 fargo I'm shooting the 2 ball in the opposite corner 100 percent of the time unless there is some shape consideration that prevents it moving on from the 2. A rolling cue ball 3 speed will do the trick. Side pockets are for fools.
 
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BC21

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If you can't get the cue ball in the red area there you probably can't bring it back to the larger zone either. If the cloth is dirty, the balls are dirty and the pockets tightish (my 9 foot diamond) you can rattle that one ball six ways to sunday trying to move across the table. Less cue ball movement = better runout percentage especially in 8 ball.

At 600 fargo I'm shooting the 2 ball in the opposite corner 100 percent of the time unless there is some shape consideration that prevents it moving on from the 2. A rolling cue ball 3 speed will do the trick. Side pockets are for fools.

Understandable. But it really depends on the game situation and individual shot preferences. Sometimes I'd play that 2 into the corner, other times in the side, depending on where the next shot is. If these were the last two balls, I'm playing the side pocket shape every time.

There's just so much more room for error shooting that 2 in the side. On a Diamond (5" side pocket with very little shelf) you have around a +/- 4° margin of error, an 8° window to make the shot. For the corner (4.5" pocket with a 2" shelf) you have less than +/- 1.5°, or about a 3° window to make the shot. Hit it just a little bit off and you'll leave it hanging in the pocket.
 
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skipbales

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Understandable. But it really depends on the game situation and individual shot preferences. Sometimes I'd play that 2 into the corner, other times in the side, depending on where the next shot is. If these were the last two balls, I'm playing the side pocket shape every time.

There's just so much more room for error shooting that 2 in the side. On a Diamond (5" side pocket with very little shelf) you have around a +/- 4° margin of error, an 8° window to make the shot. For the corner (4.5" pocket with a 2" shelf) you have less than +/- 1.5°, or about a 3° window to make the shot. Hit it just a little bit off and you'll leave it hanging in the pocket.

2 in the side has the largest position window but you have to hit the cue ball a lot harder so, to me that equals things out. A simple stun or even partially rolling cue ball hit softly pretty much has to end up in the red zone. To me the easiest position is the red zone. The other advantage is with the softer hit the pocket plays bigger if you are going for the red zone. You might make a ball you would miss if you hit harder to bring the cue ball back to the blue zone.

That said I think the side zone is pretty easy too and I am a sucker for the nice easy shot in the side pocket, so would probably opt for that shot. I love a "gimmie" for the money ball.

What is it about this shot that makes it challenging? It is pretty much a bread and butter shot you get in almost every game at one time or another?
 

Luxury

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Pros would play it in the side all day long. Pros hate shooting soft due to skid or cling and roll off. Both shots would be close to the most likely angle to get skid if they were rolled in slowly.

Pros love close shots. If they make the first shot they will make the second shot 100% of the time


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skipbales

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Pros would play it in the side all day long. Pros hate shooting soft due to skid or cling and roll off. Both shots would be close to the most likely angle to get skid if they were rolled in slowly.

Pros love close shots. If they make the first shot they will make the second shot 100% of the time


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Everyone loves a close shot on the money ball. :) Even me, and I am not a pro.

As to what a pro would do it seems the American Pros seriously favor the corner pockets but the Filipinos and Europeans are not so prejudiced.
 

BC21

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Pros would play it in the side all day long. Pros hate shooting soft due to skid or cling and roll off. Both shots would be close to the most likely angle to get skid if they were rolled in slowly.

Pros love close shots. If they make the first shot they will make the second shot 100% of the time


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yep. It was during a lot of play with an ex pro that I noticed how offen he played for the easier side pocket shot instead of the longer corner pocket shot when the opportunity was available.
 

BC21

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2 in the side has the largest position window but you have to hit the cue ball a lot harder so, to me that equals things out. A simple stun or even partially rolling cue ball hit softly pretty much has to end up in the red zone. To me the easiest position is the red zone. The other advantage is with the softer hit the pocket plays bigger if you are going for the red zone. You might make a ball you would miss if you hit harder to bring the cue ball back to the blue zone.

That said I think the side zone is pretty easy too and I am a sucker for the nice easy shot in the side pocket, so would probably opt for that shot. I love a "gimmie" for the money ball.

What is it about this shot that makes it challenging? It is pretty much a bread and butter shot you get in almost every game at one time or another?

You'd have to float that 1 in to have an easy shot for the 2 in the corner. Or stun it. The stun could cause it to rattle. Using the same speed as the stun shot, but with a touch of outside/"helping" english, the cb comes right across easily for the 2 in the side.

By the way, the 1ball is a halfball shot. That makes it pretty simple, hard to miss, unless you don't account for the stun throwing it off or you float it and the ball rolls wonky. But shooting a good medium speed with a little low outside spin is a solid shot that keeps the the ball on line to the pocket. It's a standard shot every player should be comfortable with.
 
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