Analyze this (4)

[Nekdo]

My main objection to this is that you have four balls stuck on the side rail. If things to badly there, you may need the 11 to recover. This fits under Larry Schwartz's idea of "don't kill your soldiers," meaning that some of the balls are there to help you and you shouldn't get rid of them right away.

I agree about not killing you soldiers but here is also a matter of score.There are 10 balls on a table.Most of us agree to start with the 4.when the 4 is gone you have 7 and 2 in the opposite corner.if you take the 11 after 4 and manage to pot the 10 in the middle or either 7 or 2 there are only 7 balls on the table-->meaning that he cant finish the match in this rack.
If you can pot the 7 or 2 and go into 3 and hit the 3 on the bottom side you still have 6 in the same corner as 7 or 2.
playing 4 and then 6 and hitting rail and 3 is imo not a good idea.If you hit it thin you may not get it of the cusion and if you get it full you are stucked behind the balls.If you are unlucky you dont even see 11.
p.s.unpotted soldiers are one of the worst things that can happen in a 14.1.not only you lose points but they are very demoralizing(for me).

 

[Bob Jewett]

... there are only 7 balls on the table-->meaning that he cant finish the match in this rack. ...

I guess it depends on the level of play. If the game is on the table for both of us, my main concern is to find the best way to get what I need. I'm not so concerned about forcing my opponent into the next rack. If my opponent needs two, and I need lots, with only a tricky path to break a cluster, I might shoot in the ducks and take a solid safety if one is available, but I don't like going into a safety battle with someone who only needs a couple unless I can force him to foul.