9 ball middle short rail

Chesscat

Chesscat

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
As I have watched pool over the past 15 years, I have seen this shot as an effective defensive leave. the 9 ball is on the middle of the short rail, and the cue down table, with the possibility of a bank. but the odds are low or making the bank, high on selling out. I have seen Orcollo, or somebody, with this shot play it short, with the cue ball coming back bouncing off the long rail, going back up table but short of the side pocket. speed is important. I played this shot like that tonight and won the game, and the set. Is this common knowledge? How do you'll play that shot?
 
Clarificationi

What I mean is that the 9-ball impacts the far-side short rail, if it's not already on it, and comes back and impacts the near-side short rail, to end up on or very near the left-side long rail (from the shooter's perspective), but short of the side pocket. The cue ball, meanwhile, has gone off to the shooter's right, leaving not an impossible shot but a difficult shot.
 
Luxury

Thanks Luxury, for your avatar and your reply. One other shot, that comes up more often, or at least I can execute it better, is a shot I saw Stan Shuffett use to beat Lenny Samonski. Lenny and Richie play good, in case you don't know, they beat Kid Delicious and Chris Bartrum playing Scotch Doubles, of course on their home tricked up table, but still... Anyway, in Greenville, or thereabouts, Stan was playing Lenny, and he had a shot that comes up fairly often where your cue ball is to your left somewhat, and the object ball is down table near the right long rail. The big problem, is that the next ball is right in front of you, on the near short rail. In short, unless you've got the stroke of Ralf Soquet or Larry Nevel, you might make the object ball in the far right corner, but you won't get any kind of shape. I heard Nick Varner commentating one time, and he said what's the point in making a great shot if you can't get shape. So Stan shoots to cross bank the object ball off the right long rail, bringing the cue ball back to the near short rail for natural shape. I don't remember if he made the cross bank and it doesn't matter, if you don't make it the other shooter generally has the same problem, a difficult shot with no reward. I've used this cross bank to come back down for shape many times, and often I make the object ball. It's a great shot and a an even better concept. What say you?
 
Its a very nice one hole bank. Practice...you can make it!
Just hit it a little harder in 9-ball (and play it a tad short).
Great 2-way shot in all games, with natural shape.
 
Chesscat said:
As I have watched pool over the past 15 years, I have seen this shot as an effective defensive leave. the 9 ball is on the middle of the short rail, and the cue down table, with the possibility of a bank. but the odds are low or making the bank, high on selling out. I have seen Orcollo, or somebody, with this shot play it short, with the cue ball coming back bouncing off the long rail, going back up table but short of the side pocket. speed is important. I played this shot like that tonight and won the game, and the set. Is this common knowledge? How do you'll play that shot?
Click to expand...

I personally feel like it takes as much accuracy and even more touch to play the 9 short and get it on the long rail short of the side then it does just banking it in. Even if you do get the 9 there there is certainly no guarantee you didn't leave a cut or a bank. I would rather just bank the 9 and aim center pocket and not even think about missing.
 
common safety

CueTable Help



well, it look's like that didn't work, who knows how to use the Wei table?

Leaving the 9-ball on the middle of the short rail, and the cue ball way down table is a common late-game safety, and very effective. It's difficult to this the object ball from long distance, so what I suggest is to bank short and leave the 9-ball on the shooter's left long rail, short of the side pocket, with the cue ball going off to the right. If you are going to fire at the hole, it should be with a bias towards being short, and with the correct speed with this safety in mind.
 
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cross bank

CueTable Help



This is the 2nd shot, where the cross bank provides natural shape and if you play it with a short bias a natural safety if you miss, whereas simple cutting the object ball in, for most of us, does not give you any shape on the next ball (the 7).
 
exciting

I think this is probably the single most exciting thread I've ever seen on AZBillards!
 
Interesting

I have tried the 9 ball on the short rail shot and cannot come even close to the results that you guys are getting. I am not sure why maybe I am using the wrong English but now Interestingly enough if I hit the 9 ball on the left side I can make it 4 out of 5 times in corner on my right side.

Strange.
 
Chi2dxa said:
I have tried the 9 ball on the short rail shot and cannot come even close to the results that you guys are getting. I am not sure why maybe I am using the wrong English but now Interestingly enough if I hit the 9 ball on the left side I can make it 4 out of 5 times in corner on my right side.

Strange.
Click to expand...

You're not going to get it to bank that short if the 9 is frozen to the rail. Try it with the 9 at least a ball's width off the rail, and you can shorten the bank enough to get the tough leave Chesscat is talking about. With the 9 frozen to the rail the cross-bank back to the right corner plays a lot easier, as you noticed.

Personally, if I have to shoot that sort of shot on the game ball, I'm aiming to split the pocket. If I miss I expect to lose.
 
on rail vs. off rail

As this is a shot that is played as a late game safety, most often the 9-ball will be some distance off the short rail. I am going to take another look at it myself. It does seem like if the 9 is on the short rail, as opposed to being a ball or two off, it makes the leave shot more difficult.
 
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