rail fiirst and follow
John,
You could say that I play an unorthodox game but actually it is the game that has changed with the coming of nine ball and I didn't. The reason is simple, for everyone but the elite players follow and natural angles are easier to control than draw. Although I am talking primarily longer shots here, this is true of middle distance shots too. I would far rather come two or three rails with natural roll than fewer rails using draw and side to accomplish the same result. I suspect that we are in full agreement that a player needs to do both but often we have the option of doing either.
All we have to do is watch any nine or ten ball tournament to see players hooking themselves with only five or less balls left on the table when they try to draw for pinpoint shape. Often a better solution to the puzzle is to use follow and there is next to no risk for that particular situation but the player is mentally geared to draw shots over and over. Often too I see players using draw that brings the cue ball across the angle they need for shape when follow would bring the cue ball down a much more forgiving angle. An old school saying but still often very true today, "draw for show, follow for dough!" If both options give an acceptable result I'll always choose follow for a pressure shot.
I learned my game from watching the older players that learned when straight pool was the game. I also spent some time on 5x10's with slow cloth and I spent a lot of time on very tight snooker tables for several years. All of these things will make your game less about show and more about getting the job done. Minimize having to juice the cue ball with anything and minimize risk.
The further the ball is off the rail and the steeper the angle the tougher the off the rail shot becomes of course. However I would easily double your distance from the pocket and still use it. Basically if I can go rail first at a moderate angle before the side pocket interferes I consider it a viable shot. Typically favored when the object ball is less than a ball off of the rail but that distance can be doubled when the off the rail shot is one that you use often. Something that isn't mentioned is that the off the rail shot can often change a shot with a strong possibility of scratching into one with no possibility of scratching. The opposite is true too but not as often. With moderate angles off of the rail the cue ball is usually coming out to an area in the middle of the table.
Rail first and follow are two of my strengths that many nine ball players are comparatively weak at and force follow with any real effect is generally accepted as impossible now. I've had more than one player come out of their chair when the cue ball took an "impossible" path!
My philosophies concerning play are simple. Don't juice the cue ball when you don't have to and don't travel the cue ball when you don't have to. John Schmidt is a modern champion that practices a lot using straight pool. One of the strengths of his game is that he does an excellent job of avoiding trouble. Willie Mosconi was maybe the best product rep a pool company ever had because he shot almost all simple shots. He not only was a fantastic player, he made pool look so easy that the average Joe watching him thought they could play as well as Willie did with a little practice.
Hu
