3rail kick for safety and game.

[supergreenman]

4rail kick for safety and game.

Last night in league I was playing this guy and I had missed a couple of trys at a breakout on my last stripe there in the corner. The last shot had missed and ended up leaving me hooked . I played the 4 rail kick below and ended up making a clean hit on my ball and leaving him a difficult shot to the side which he missed and I sank the last 2 balls.

Afterwards, he came up to me and asked me what made me decided to go 4 rails. I told him it was an easier shot than a 1 rail kick and I had a better chance of leaving him in a difficult spot. He seemed to think 1 rail was easier. What would you do?

CueTable Help

 

[Deadon]

If you play ball in hand on fouls, and the one rail(side rail) can can be made without reverse english (hard to tell in diagram), then I think the one rail is the best. If your talking about the lag to the far end rail, thats a bad shot, the 3 is much better. Also you are subject to scratch with the 3 rail on the 3 rail or long lag. However, if you are familiar with the table and confident in your 3 rail precision, its not a bad shot, your way the underdog to win from that spot anyway. Where did the balls end up after your shot, and where did you play to hit the 15?

 

[Tennesseejoe]

I agree that the multiple rail system can be much better in many situations---if you know to use it.

 

[supergreenman]

If you play ball in hand on fouls, and the one rail(side rail) can can be made without reverse english (hard to tell in diagram), then I think the one rail is the best. If your talking about the lag to the far end rail, thats a bad shot, the 3 is much better. Also you are subject to scratch with the 3 rail on the 3 rail or long lag. However, if you are familiar with the table and confident in your 3 rail precision, its not a bad shot, your way the underdog to win from that spot anyway. Where did the balls end up after your shot, and where did you play to hit the 15?

the cb ended up on the bottom rail, 15 about a foot off the first diamond on the side rail and the 3 ball went up to mid table. I do use a diamond system so I was fairly confident that I'd make a legal shot, and when I measured it off I was playing for the side of the 15 closest to the rail.