Simple situation and you must not dog it. How do you usually play it?

If you absolutely must not dog it, how do you hit this?

  • A - Two rails with inside

    Votes: 77 40.5%
  • B - One rail, top/inside

    Votes: 15 7.9%
  • C - One rail, center/a lil top/a lil inside etc.

    Votes: 35 18.4%
  • D - Two rails with low right

    Votes: 52 27.4%
  • E - One rail, a little draw/stun center/a lil right etc.

    Votes: 7 3.7%
  • F - One rail, right/draw

    Votes: 4 2.1%

  • Total voters
    190

nahog99

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
If I've ever learned anything about pool you hit that ball(any ball) with a TOI and ignore all other options. ;)
 

nahog99

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Why so many votes for A or D? It sounds good on paper, but under heat I think most peol would use center ball, try to get the speed right and not over run the shape...,

the 3 ball is just right of the 8, so if my speed is bad, I stiil have the 8 in the corner, thats the shot for the cash.

I would still use a little top in this case just to eliminate that dreaded freeze it on the 8 shot. I think purely center ball would send you right at the 8 while a little top english should ensure you don't hit it/freeze on it.
 

predator

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
From the drawing at least, it looks like option C for me. If I underhit or overhit the ball, there are still corner pockets to choose from. Whatever the option, there's no need to get fixated on achieving absolutely perfect position for a final shot.
 

SmoothStroke

Swim for the win.
Silver Member
Assuming play for side pocket

I like C....Simple movement of the cue ball for insurance position.
If you fall short you have the corner pocket and a cut in the side.
If you roll long you have the bottom corner and a cut in the side.
You can land straight in the side...If you screw up it still looks like you landed perfect (insurance position is a beautiful thing) Odds are less landing on the 50 yd line I think.
Don't like running English or the sliding it back....one small booboo and you are on the 50 yard line or your cue ball keep going to china, or stuck to the rail.
To each their own......more than one way to skin a cat.
Sometimes I will move my cue ball 5,6,7, or more ft, instead of 2 ft and give myself 3 pockets to shoot at instead of 1 pocket ,and position on my next ball from any of the 3.
I like insurance position and use it whenever I can. Even on simple stuff like this
 

Icon of Sin

I can't fold, I need gold. I re-up and reload...
Silver Member
Im probably playing 1 rail with a bit of high... C

or using low right for D.

D would feel more comfortable as I would be coming into the path of pocketing the 8 and have slightly more room for error.
 

peteypooldude

I see Edges
Silver Member
I was thinking about different peoples preference and
it came to me that people are voting based on what they are used to playing on
A table with slower cloth will dictate which route people are going to take
just as new simonis will dictate a different route
I think that's why peoples views are so different, they are playing on different equipment IMO
 
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Tennesseejoe

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Are you more worried about making the ball or getting shape??? On a tight pocket table, I would cinch the shot with high English and then worry about making the last ball.

One an easy pocket table with fast cloth I would use high left and go two rails because there is more margin for error.

The reason I have chosen high English on both shots is that speed control is much easier with high English than with draw.
 

Matt

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I agree with the current vote results; A, C, and D are all reasonable options. Personally, I would probably play A if I was forced to choose just one, but can't say that it's necessarily the best of the three. I am comfortable making that cut and spinning the CB with inside, but can understand how some people would be more comfortable with the other options. With the 8 where it is, the worst thing I'm likely to do (besides scratching or missing the 3) is put the CB too close to the 8 at a bad angle. I feel like option D and C pose a greater risk of doing that than option A.
 

Cornerman

Cue Author...Sometimes
Gold Member
Silver Member
Say you're playing on a 10 footer, totally unfamiliar with the cloth, you're nervous, shaking hands,
it's for ALL THE MARBLES, etc. etc.?

I thought this qualifier made it extremely clear. I shot on the Diamond 10' with it's 4 7/16 pockets in front of the internet cameras. The last thing I wanted to do was step up and shoot a shot (very similar to this) and miss!!!!

I hit it (on that Big Foot Table) with as little anything as possible given that, yeah, I was nervous!!!!!

Now if it was 9' table with 4 1/2" pockets, I like either two rail out or two rail in.

Freddie
 

CreeDo

Fargo Rating 597
Silver Member
That's a good point too petey. Anyone who's had like 4 skids this week probably didn't vote for high inside. And on fast cloth and tight pockets, guys like me are envisioning WOBBLE BOBBLE or accidental rocket draw every time we start to cue up low outside.

I'm still definitely going into the position cone with A or D.
But it makes sense to me that I might switch to one or the other depending on how the table's playing.

Cornerman said:
I thought this qualifier made it extremely clear. I shot on the Diamond 10' with it's 4 7/16 pockets in front of the internet cameras. The last thing I wanted to do was step up and shoot a shot (very similar to this) and miss!!!!

I hit it (on that Big Foot Table) with as little anything as possible given that, yeah, I was nervous!!!!!

Now if it was 9' table with 4 1/2" pockets, I like either two rail out or two rail in.

It's entirely possible that when I get down to a pressure situation, all my happy talk about
"I'll play like the professional I yearn to be, not the dog I currently am!" goes away,
and I just cinch the ball with a smidgen of top.

Someday I'll find out and let y'all know how it went, unless you saw it on a stream.
I can just see the chat transcript.

BigPimp782: lol
Thommy: r u serious?? haha he just shot it to the rail
John Stanford III: Wow. Was that a safe?
Freak6969: DOGGED IT!!!!!!
 
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pool101

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Actually, C or E are not K.I.S.S., they are the two routes wrought with peril if your speed isn't right on. Goes back to the basics of position play, never cross the line if you don't have to, always come in on the line whenever possible. Just think about it...which way is going to "bite you" the most times?

I actually meant C or D. I understand your not crossing the line, and generally I would agree, however IMO on this shot adding more english increases the odds of a miss, I would make the ball the easiest way I could while staying closer to center cue ball..
 

Perk

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I voted option "A" as I am comfortable doing that. I think the larger the table the easier the shot (regardless how you hit it) as long as you are going for one of the side pockets. On a bar table it might get tricky for speed control which would affect your choices.


Wanted to add that for me it really depends on where the 8ball is. Since it appears to be on one side of the table I go to the other side which gives more space. If the 8ball was on the other side of the line, I might draw it back rather than go forward.
 
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LHP5

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
A or D for me. I like to come into the angle instead of cutting across it. Now which one between going forward or backward depends on how I've been shooting that day. I like to draw it a little if I'm in stroke because it feels better but going forward is probably the safer choice.
 

cleary

Honestly, I'm a liar.
Silver Member
I cannot see doing anything besides A or D, but A seems the most natural. The wei tables make it strange to tell exactly how close the cueball is to the rail. If I can have a fairly level cue and not bridge off the rail, I wouldn't mind D, but if I'm bridging off the rail, A all day.

Going two rails into the line of the shot is the best option and I would imagine nearly every professional would go two rails with A or D. Pressure or no pressure. You can't do things different when you're taking the heat.
 

original palmer

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I cannot see doing anything besides A or D, but A seems the most natural. The wei tables make it strange to tell exactly how close the cueball is to the rail. If I can have a fairly level cue and not bridge off the rail, I wouldn't mind D, but if I'm bridging off the rail, A all day.

Going two rails into the line of the shot is the best option and I would imagine nearly every professional would go two rails with A or D. Pressure or no pressure. You can't do things different when you're taking the heat.

explain to me why on this specific shot, C is not a good option?
 

TSW

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
This is one of those situations where anyone here should be out, so the discussion is just about minimizing the small chance of not getting out.

With A or D, I think there's a slim chance that I rattle the ball. Either way I have to stroke firmly and I'm trying to juice the cue ball (inside with A, draw/outside with D). With C, I can hit it pocket speed and make the shot every single time no matter how nervous I am.

Also, I think CreeDo's original post is a little misleading:

How do you cinch this ball to guarantee you get straight in on the 8,
and can't possibly miss or get bad shape?

If the goal is to run out just these two balls, I don't need to guarantee straight in shape. All I need is to be straight in or short of the position line. That will give me a "good enough" shot on the 8 to make it. With C, I know I can get there every single time. With A or D, I have that nagging little bit of uncertainty.

Let me put it this way. If someone gave me 100 tries at this runout using each of the six position routes, and I had to bet on which way I get out the most, I'm betting on C. So that's my answer.
 
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