Short 8 ball shot video

u12armresl said:

This is a quick video to show lower end players alternate versions of a shot which comes up a lot playing bar table 8 ball.

https://youtu.be/xvrd5OlA7_8

You have what appears to be a pretty straightforward cut shot on your stripe, but the 8 ball is hanging in a corner pocket.

What do you do?

All comments are welcome and appreciated, even if it is to say I play awful, or to add what you think of the shot.

Also, love to see you if you have a bar table or 8 footer, shoot this and film it.

Thanks everyone.

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Unless the table requires some other approach, I always just hit that with low right. Since your center right was going into the 8 ball, low right should beat it short. Also, the low will kill the speed so it might not even make it to the 8 ball.

I would prefer to shoot it soft enough to not go in the side.

I might use right english if close enough to the ball to keep the line without masse and without needing to hit it hard enough to go the corner.


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First of all....get rid of the long bridge...you’re jacked over the 8-ball which produces a
massé effect...makes the shot too difficult under heat.
Buddy Hall would bridge the other side of the 8-ball and look comfortable.

Now with the short bridge, you can load it with low right and hit the long rail before the 8..

...sometimes when it’s damp, that first rail is going to play short....
...a little harder on the nerves, but put left english and come straight down the table.

Would appreciate a video trying those two options...I might be asking too much.

But give that short bridge a try

u12armresl said:

Thanks for the reply Matt.



Give it a try sometime and report back how ya did.

The angle is a bit more devious, and the fact that you have an odd bridge around the 8 exacerbates things.

Click to expand...

I gave it a few tries tonight. It’s definitely missable if you take it for granted but it also can be made. It’s definitely harder closer to the 8. It travels more with a thin hit. But slow speed feels the most predictable for me.

https://youtu.be/kVqR9IKFHws


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u12armresl said:

Thanks for your reply Cory.

Do you think or agree that for league players or tournament players, it comes up quite frequently?

Click to expand...

Funny thing. It comes up enough that *I* know when a player in my league is at risk of the side pocket scratch. But it comes up rarely enough that *they* don't know about the side pocket scratch risk (with a few exceptions).

Looking more closely at how you cue, (1) I don't think your bridge is too long and (2) really, just a half tip lower on the cue ball with a nice smooth follow through (so you don't inadvertently lift the tip of your cue) should keep you from ever scratching on that shot. Of course, if you tweak the shot a bit, then you might need to add some right.

MattPoland said:

I gave it a few tries tonight. It’s definitely missable if you take it for granted but it also can be made. It’s definitely harder closer to the 8. It travels more with a thin hit. But slow speed feels the most predictable for me.

https://youtu.be/kVqR9IKFHws


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Click to expand...

That might be ok on a Valley, but I personally don't like hitting it soft at all. Too easy to have a less smooth stroke or have the table get you.

If I did want the cue to be rolling slow at impact, then I'd use a drag stroke--hit medium and very low so the backspin converts to forward roll about half way to the OB.

u12armresl said:

This is a quick video to show lower end players alternate versions of a shot which comes up a lot playing bar table 8 ball.

https://youtu.be/xvrd5OlA7_8

You have what appears to be a pretty straightforward cut shot on your stripe, but the 8 ball is hanging in a corner pocket.

What do you do?

All comments are welcome and appreciated, even if it is to say I play awful, or to add what you think of the shot.

Also, love to see you if you have a bar table or 8 footer, shoot this and film it.

Thanks everyone.

Click to expand...

I played around with that shot for about 30 minutes. Low right like has already been mentioned I like the best. Any other way your hitting the 8 ball in or flirting with the side pocket. I shot a video using low right if you'd like to see it. It's not fascinating, so not sure I should post it. lol

u12armresl said:

Ken,

What I'm doing isn't fascinating, post it and let us all enjoy watching you shoot.

Click to expand...

Will do. I don't like hitting this shot soft either, especially on my table.
https://youtu.be/k5NTSXvZz2k

u12armresl said:

Ken, what a nice shot. You FIRED that ball in and came up way short of a scratch.
Nice table and room also.

Matt has you beat on the light though.

Click to expand...

Thanks. I'm definitely due for a new wardrobe in my pool room, especially a new table and floor. Floor first, but low on my priority list and just to busy with work. Don't feel like doing much when I get home. Some day, I'll keep dreaming. lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atiIlloR1J4

There, I now feel like I accomplished something today!

Gonna head to the C-Store and buy some beer. :thumbup:

You forgot to mention if you are doing this on some random league table, you need to add in the 50% randomness you get with table rolls and funny rails. Shooting this cut slow so at not to reach the pocket on a random table would give me fits, I'd be liable to miss the whole ball or hit it to fat with table roll. And a heavier and/or lager ball will change things a lot.

I would probably hit this shot with a bit of inside and top to go between the side and corner pockets.

Learn the neutral cue ball

There are three ultra basic shots to learn for positional play. The first is the stop/stun shot. With that 90° reference the cueist can determine if forward or draw are needed to alter the path from that path. The second is the ~30° path of the rolling cue ball off contact on balls from ¾ to ¼ ball. The third is the neutral cue ball. A neutral cue ball has no side spin off contact with the object ball.

Take a striped ball to use as a cue ball. Watch the cue ball natural reaction off a half ball cut. The cue ball meets resistance on one half on a cut shot. The momentum of the ball on the opposite side causes it to rotate around the center of mass on contact. In simple terms all center cued cut shots get outside side on contact.

Using a striped ball again set up a ¾ ball cut shot. This time line up the shot and add a small amount of inside english. Use the same type of stroke you use on center ball shots. Try to simply push through in a way avoiding putting any sideways spin action on the ball. You will have the shot properly calibrated when the amount of inside side applied cancels the natural outside turn generated on the cut. The result is a cue ball that travels without side spin off contact. Using a striped ball offers immediate feedback in the learning of the action and the amount of inside side to use.

Combine the use of a neutral cue ball with vertical height adjustments to create different angles into the rail. The beauty of the neutral cue ball is when you use a rail for position. A neutral cue ball will not slow down or speed up off a rail. Basically speed in = speed out. The next positive is about angle prediction. A neutral ball also travels in a vee off the rail, angle in = angle out. Make sure to use the overhead view of the cue ball center path when tracking the path of the vee.

Combining the stun shot reference line and the neutral cue ball allows for highly predictable ball paths off rails. Speed control is enhanced when balls off rails travel speedwise like balls on the open table.

Pick a spot on the back rail off cut contact that you are confident you can hit. See the line the ghost ball center would travel on to get to where the ball at rail contact would be. Now using angle in = angle out see the ball path off the rail. If it is on a path to a pocket hit the cue ball either higher or lower to alter the path into the rail creating a different vee on contact.

A good test of cueing before a match is to use a striped ball and calibrate the neutral cue ball stroke. It requires straight precise cueing and a neutral hand dynamic on contact. It’s a good warmup exercise.