Cmon Franky, 3 out of 4 is a horrible % for such a hanger. I expect I would make the 3 or force my opponent to make the 3 ball 85-90% of the time. Moving the 8 as you described is basically a concession of the 3 ball. If you're happy to see your opponent kicking at the 3, then all I can imagine is maybe the caliber of your average opponent does not relate to mine, which is not a knock. One pocket allows for all skill levels better than other games.
I prefer Franky's idea best and would welcome for him to attempt the kick on the three, something I would not do especially with the 3 so close to the rail.
Really? Weird...Well, if I were ever in the mood to sell out a shot, I would rather sell out the eighteen foot 10 ball bank than the nine foot one or two rail kick, which means I chose the option of clearing out both the 8 and the 3 and stunning the cue ball to the rail. This option has already been discussed, and while it has its merits, it also will probably leave a bank on the 12 or 10.
Really? Weird...Well, if I were ever in the mood to sell out a shot, I would rather sell out the eighteen foot 10 ball bank than the nine foot one or two rail kick, which means I chose the option of clearing out both the 8 and the 3 and stunning the cue ball to the rail. This option has already been discussed, and while it has its merits, it also will probably leave a bank on the 12 or 10.
I'm with Franky on this one. Way with Franky. Please, please, please lag at the 3 ball. Because if you miss, you will probably leave me a shot at the 3 and I am on the way to winning the game. Hell, the ball looks frozen, you may even scratch.
Cmon Franky, 3 out of 4 is a horrible % for such a hanger. I expect I would make the 3 or force my opponent to make the 3 ball 85-90% of the time. Moving the 8 as you described is basically a concession of the 3 ball. If you're happy to see your opponent kicking at the 3, then all I can imagine is maybe the caliber of your average opponent does not relate to mine, which is not a knock. One pocket allows for all skill levels better than other games.
If you feel you can pocket that kick 85 times out of 100 when stepping up to a strange table, you just might have action if we ever cross paths. If you can do it, it would be worth the lesson...'cause I'd be asking you how you did it if you done gone ahead and done dood it.
Really? Weird...Well, if I were ever in the mood to sell out a shot, I would rather sell out the eighteen foot 10 ball bank than the nine foot one or two rail kick, which means I chose the option of clearing out both the 8 and the 3 and stunning the cue ball to the rail. This option has already been discussed, and while it has its merits, it also will probably leave a bank on the 12 or 10.
I would not kick at the three unless the cue ball was inside the first diamond. This would leave me a little room for error on the kick. A kick from the position that Franky's diagram shows can be mishit very easy, leaving either the opportunity for a bank or at least a takeout.
I would prefer to keep the heat on my opponent by putting the eight back to my side of the table and protect it if I could with the other two balls near the center of the table.
If he gets out of trouble he will have to do it himself instead of me helping him.
I'm with Franky on this one. Way with Franky. Please, please, please lag at the 3 ball. Because if you miss, you will probably leave me a shot at the 3 and I am on the way to winning the game. Hell, the ball looks frozen, you may even scratch.
Okay, 1st assumption is that the 3 ball is not frozen. I don't think anyone would kick at a frozen ball if they didn't have to. 2nd assumption is that good players will hit the "good" side of the 3, meaning that a return bank will only be sold out when the 3 is hit fat from one rail. If someone is trying to play one pocket at a high level this simple little kick can't be sold out and can't be passed up in this situation. It really is like a free throw or layup.
And Franky, I tend to keep it simple when looking at kicks. Not sure if this will help cause you've probably heard it before but first, I use the triangle or pyramid technique to find the best angle, and second, I try to kick into a spot on the 2nd rail more than kick into the object ball. Thinking in those terms helps with the margin for error.
Off the subject, but how often do you play on tables you are completely unfamiliar with? I'll edit this post if I remember otherwise, but 100% of the pool action I've gotten in has been in my hometown in pool halls where I know the action is. If I know that a certain place is getting heavy with action, I make it a point to become familiar with the tables.
What senor says here, is the key, and it hasn't been pointed out strongly enough as the deciding factor..........The optimum place for the object ball to be, to kick in a shot like this, is approx. 1/8" off of the rail - this gives you a huge target, hitting either ball first or rail first......So if that's how it's laying, then like senor said, I'm shooting the kickshot in a heartbeat, every time, whether I'm playing for $30 a game, or playing Efren in the one pocket tournament at the DCC......
But if the object ball is frozen, or laying 1/4" off of the rail, that's a whole different story - then, I'm only kicking at it for no more than $10 a game.....
Off the subject, but how often do you play on tables you are completely unfamiliar with? I'll edit this post if I remember otherwise, but 100% of the pool action I've gotten in has been in my hometown in pool halls where I know the action is. If I know that a certain place is getting heavy with action, I make it a point to become familiar with the tables.
I certainly agree with both you and ghost about 1/8" being the sweet spot. As for the different tables thing, I just meant that if we ever bet on this, that I would be parading you around the room to different tables every 3 shots to keep you from dialing your aiming point!
I'm trying to pick my new "home" room, so I'm actually seeing some different tables at the moment. My one rail kicks aren't quite as strong as they should be I guess.
I wouldn't even attempted this shot, but I guess that if God were playing one-pocket against Efren, this is what Efren would have done to him, just to let everyone in the audience know who's the real boss...
This is my choice too. The 8 and 3 are too much trouble where they are, and I'll leave the long banks if I can get them both out of there and leave the CB on the end rail. It might be better to leave the 3 a little shorter to block a banking lane.
The "good" side means hitting two rails before hitting the 3, right? That will send the CB off the 3 in the direction of the 11/13 if I'm not mistaken. How far do you want the CB to go?
The "good" side means hitting two rails before hitting the 3, right? That will send the CB off the 3 in the direction of the 11/13 if I'm not mistaken. How far do you want the CB to go?
It's definitely easier to show it than to describe it, so feel free to ask again if I butcher the explanation and/or write too much. I think I've seen the topic described in other posts and I think there's some who described it exactly as I do it, and described it much better in writing than I could...but anyways...
In order to pocket the 3 the spot I want to hit is the rail right before the 3 ball. Since the cue ball is closer to the 2nd diamond, I will use the 2nd to 1st to pocket as my initial aiming method like this:
But obviously, the cue ball is just inside the 2nd diamond in our scenario, and our intended target in just inside the 1st diamond on the bottom rail. So, I would adjust my aiming by creating mental images:
In the diagram I imagined the cue ball was in the perfect spot in order to just aim at the opposite 1st diamond and easily pocket the three. Using this reference, I aim past the opposite 1st diamond and pick a spot in the background to aim for, so that when I address the cue ball in its actual location just below the 2nd diamond, I am aiming at an actual spot past the table. I also cross-reference my initial plan with looking at it another way. Since the cue ball is a good 4 inches below the 2nd diamond, it makes sense that my aiming point for the kick would be 2 inches below the 1st diamond on the opposite long rail.
Sometimes you can go through this process and you just know you looked at it incorrectly, so I start over when I have that feeling.
And to answer the other question, I definitely shoot at the kick at lag speed, so the cue ball is not moving very far after contact with the 3. Hope I explained everything well.
