9 Ball Gurus, Need Advice on a Shot

[sjm]

Playing nine ball, my opponent missed the eight and left me the very awkward position shown below. The wei text is START(%Hb4D7%ID3O7%Pe5S9)END for this position. I could make the cross-side bank on the eight, which was dead-straight in, but how do I get the shape on the nine?

And so, for the consideration of the forum, what's the correct approach when facing this position?

 

[OldHasBeen]

2 ways to go

Playing nine ball, my opponent missed the eight and left me the very awkward position shown below. The wei text is START(%Hb4D7%ID3O7%Pe5S9)END for this position. I could make the cross-side bank on the eight, which was dead-straight in, but how do I get the shape on the nine?

And so, for the consideration of the forum, what's the correct approach when facing this position?

Either play safe by skimmimg the right side of the 8 ball and sending it by the 9 and bring your cue ball back & forth) up to the end rail OR Use Very high left and force the eight either one or two rails (reverse) into the side and with the extream high left, the cue will loop and go down table for the 9.

OR - buy him a beer and hope he goes to the bathroom while you shoot.

 

[kyle]

Nice to see some more table talk sjm, I think depending on the score and how I felt I would bank the 8 and leave a long bank on the nine. Safe options I may of tried to freeze the QB to the eight but I would probably opt to leave 2 worse banks for my oponent.

 

[Rude Dog]

Nice to see some more table talk sjm, I think depending on the score and how I felt I would bank the 8 and leave a long bank on the nine. Safe options I may of tried to freeze the QB to the eight but I would probably opt to leave 2 worse banks for my oponent.

Kyle, I don't see the angle for your shot to work. How do you get the 8 to bank down table and the cb to go 2 rails down by the 9? Not a chance. I think OHB has the right answer, either thin the 8 to play safe or high left and bank the 8 and the cb will hug the rail down toward the 9. Peace.

 

[LastTwo]

Kyle your shot seems impossible to me also.

There is an old saying in pool that alot of players swear by, and that is, only bank for position. If you have to put some Efren style english to get position from a bank shot, either cut it or play safe.

 

[Blackjack]

This shot is similar to the one you show, and comes from my book, Lessons in 9 Ball. It's not a shot meant for the weak at heart, and I do not recommend this shot during competition, but it is given as an example of a PRACTICE SHOT (remember that). There are also several safety options. It is my recommendation that when executing any safety, you should control either the cue ball or the object ball. There are exceptions to that rule, but for this shot, opening the table up could be fatal. SLightly hitting the 8 ball and leaving your opponent a tough shot, is no solution if he is a great shotmaker. There are no options to hide the cue ball, if it were Blackjack, he'd go for the shot. That's just me, and I always played with the law of nothing ventured - nothing gained - nothing learned. Always remember that when you give the table back to your opponent after playing a safety, he could come back at you with a great shot that can switch the momentum into his favor, and that could be the boost in adrenaline he was waiting for. Making great shots does that for everybody. Make him open his own doors of opportunity. However, if you make this shot, that same momentum will be yours. Something to think about...

www.geocities.com/blkjackds12/
Good Luck & God Bless
Blackjack David Sapolis

 

[sjm]

This shot is similar to the one you show, and comes from my book, Lessons in 9 Ball. It's not a shot meant for the weak at heart, and I do not recommend this shot during competition, but it is given as an example of a PRACTICE SHOT (remember that). There are also several safety options. It is my recommendation that when executing any safety, you should control either the cue ball or the object ball. There are exceptions to that rule, but for this shot, opening the table up could be fatal. SLightly hitting the 8 ball and leaving your opponent a tough shot, is no solution if he is a great shotmaker. There are no options to hide the cue ball, if it were Blackjack, he'd go for the shot. That's just me, and I always played with the law of nothing ventured - nothing gained - nothing learned. Always remember that when you give the table back to your opponent after playing a safety, he could come back at you with a great shot that can switch the momentum into his favor, and that could be the boost in adrenaline he was waiting for. Making great shots does that for everybody. Make him open his own doors of opportunity. However, if you make this shot, that same momentum will be yours. Something to think about...

www.geocities.com/blkjackds12/
Good Luck & God Bless
Blackjack David Sapolis

Dave, with any angle at all, I agree. But in this case, the bank I faced was straight as an arrow.

 

[sjm]

Well, if I had it to do over, I'd surely shoot the shot recommended by Oldhasbeen, in which Rude Dog concurred. In the two tables below, I show what I actually did, playing safe off the very left edge of the eight. The resulting position in shown in the second table below.

Anyone care to guess what my opponent (an A+ player just like myself) did, or should have done, from that position?

 

[Rod]

If there is enough angle he banked the 8 two rails leaving it close to center on the head rail. That would leave the c/b on the foot end rail. It doesn't look like that shot exists here because of a kiss.

There is a three rail safe leaving the 8 ball near the 9 but it may not be a smart move depending on where the 8 stops.

Sometimes when you back people in the corner, you force them to be agressive. Did he shoot it in with low left and come back two rails?

BTW I'd like that bank OHB mentioned if the 8 ball was a 1/2" farther to the left. It looks a tad off angle from there to work.

Rod

 

[Drake]

I believe the best safety to the first shot was is to bank the Eight Two rails at the nine ball and if you have a great touch and feel you can put the cue ball on or very close to the other end rail.

But, Your safety shot of skimming the eight and leaving your opponent down by the nine will get the cash many many times. A pro player would probably bank the Eight four rails to the nine or two rails back and forth where the eight is on one end rail and the cue ball and nine are on the other. Unless you are Corey....Then you just elevate and spear the eight in with total left english and get perfect on the nine......LOL.

 

[Rickw]

The drawing in your first pic gives me the impression you could have banked the 8 into the side and gone 3 rails for position on the 9. For a safety, I like a version of Kyle's drawing. I play on fast cloth though and I don't think I would have to shoot the 8 hard enough to go one rail and a third of a way across the table to sit on the top rail. I would thin cut the 8 so that the 8 would come off the rail about halfway across the table and the cb would be down at the bottom rail.

Given where you left your opponent, I'm guessing he would have cross-banked the 8 for the upper-right-hand corner so he could get shape on the 9 and/or leave you safe if he missed.

 

[sjm]

Well, here's what happened next. Aiming just right of center on the eight, my opponent sent the eight four rails into a safe, as shown below. Wish I could tell you I cut the eight in and got out, but on this occasion, my passive defense cost me and I lost the rack. Lesson learned. Thanks to all for your insights.

 

[CaptainJR]

I would have to go for it here. Everyone here knows the shooting a bank firm cuts down the angle the object ball comes off the rail. Shooting the 8 ball with stop on the cue ball lets you set up perfect for a firm with slight right and low dead bank on the 9.

If its hill hill I might have to think about it a little though.

 

[piglit]

Kyle, I don't see the angle for your shot to work. How do you get the 8 to bank down table and the cb to go 2 rails down by the 9? Not a chance. I think OHB has the right answer, either thin the 8 to play safe or high left and bank the 8 and the cb will hug the rail down toward the 9. Peace.

I think that the shot you are saying is impossible is actually 2 shots...If it's just 1 shot, then you are dead right and it is impossible.

One option that nobody presented is one I actually use often: just roll the 2 together and try to leave the carom line parallel to the long rail. Depending on which side the balls are on and if your opponent is left/right handed, it can leave for an awkward turn.
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It isnt as good as bih, but you are in a tough spot fer-sher. You'll probably get this returned, so power move it ain't (but, easy it is).
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For offensive options I like the bank w/ hi inside to hold the rail & go down-table. I may also shoot/ stop, if nina is being cooperative.

-piga

 

[Bob Jewett]

Playing nine ball, my opponent missed the eight and left me the very awkward position shown below. ... I could make the cross-side bank on the eight, which was dead-straight in, but how do I get the shape on the nine?

As you have drawn the shot, it is on the "ideal geometrical line" to bank, which means that if you shoot straight at the eight ball, it will go short. Assuming that you meant to draw the shot so that the bank was on with a full hit and speed, just follow with left english and hug the rail to the other end of the table.

If the shot was sitting where you have to cut it significantly to make the bank, then Dave's 3-cushion shot is right. If there is not quite that much angle, but there is some angle, it may be possible to draw the cue bal l to the end rail with right english and spin down the table.

 

[LastTwo]

Playing nine ball, my opponent missed the eight and left me the very awkward position shown below. The wei text is START(%Hb4D7%ID3O7%Pe5S9)END for this position. I could make the cross-side bank on the eight, which was dead-straight in, but how do I get the shape on the nine?

And so, for the consideration of the forum, what's the correct approach when facing this position?

Now that I actually look at the first diagram in this thread more closely, it looks that hitting it straight on will make the bank fall about 2 inches short of the side pocket. If that's the case, then you can cut it into the rail a little bit and use a little right english to go around the table for position on the 9. Now, if the cueball was to the right about 3 inches (in real life size), another shot you can do is to aim straight on, and bank the shot with alot of top inside (left), and the cueball will go thru where the OB was, hit the rail, and spin down table for position. That's actually one of my favorite shots. You have to hit it just right for it to work. The speed actually doesn't shorten the angle of the bank, it's the inside english that does the trick. Great shot to practice.

 

[sjm]

Now that I actually look at the first diagram in this thread more closely, it looks that hitting it straight on will make the bank fall about 2 inches short of the side pocket. If that's the case, then you can cut it into the rail a little bit and use a little right english to go around the table for position on the 9. Now, if the cueball was to the right about 3 inches (in real life size), another shot you can do is to aim straight on, and bank the shot with alot of top inside (left), and the cueball will go thru where the OB was, hit the rail, and spin down table for position. That's actually one of my favorite shots. You have to hit it just right for it to work. The speed actually doesn't shorten the angle of the bank, it's the inside english that does the trick. Great shot to practice.

I'll give that bank shot a try, Last Two, I guess I just didn't feel comfortable with it.