Angle for Keyball (1)

C

CueAndMe

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
This may not be a series that will go on for very long, but I think it may be interesting to ask where exactly you would place the cueball for particular key ball/break ball combinations. I, for one, estimate these positions way too often and probably end up with more difficult shots than necessary. I think that being precise is an important part of running balls, so this may be a way to add more precision to our games. If you have a reason, please explain why you chose your specific angle. And, as in "Run This," if you have a layout of your own to post just take the next number in the series.

Here, the 1-ball is the break ball with the 2-ball as key ball and the 3-ball as setup for key ball. Where do you want to safely, but precisely leave the cueball? Also, if you can complete the run to the precise setup for the break ball, that would be great.

CueTable Help

 
My personal preference for cue ball position on break shots on the side of the rack such as the 1 ball, (although, I like the break ball higher) is keeping the cue ball line and object ball line parallel to the long rail. The cue ball one ball's width closer to the long rail is fine also.

I don't like the OB closer to the long rail than the CB unless the OB is way up high and close to the rack.
 
What I'm trying to come up with is a rule to follow. I have a hypothesis that the angle on the key ball for a situation where you decide to come off of the side rail when pocketing the 2-ball to set up the 1-ball break should be inside of a half ball hit. Maybe just inside, but definitely inside. Maybe a rule isn't appropriate. It may depend on the actual layout, but I can't imagine one where a half ball hit wouldn't be too much angle.

Of course there's a good option in this layout to get perfectly straight on the 2-ball so you only have to draw back to set up the break shot, but just for the sake of argument, if you had to go into the side rail, what angle would you want?

The straighter the shot, the harder it has to be hit to bounce enough off of the rail, but it also leaves you more choices in direction of the cueball than a thinner hit would. I would rather not have to pound the ball in to get position, but others may prefer the extra options of a straighter forced shot. But near half ball I think you would have to begin trying to kill the cueball so it doesn't rebound too far off of the rail. That would feel worse to me than pounding a ball in.

This is where I think I'd want the cueball:

CueTable Help

 
Actually in that diagram where you follow forward from the 3, i would prefer to stop shot there or just move forward enough to take the space of the 3. The shot isn't so thin that you can't control the rebound off the cushion. So, I would probably try to just move into the 3 ball space and then cinch that 2 ball in with low outside and come out 1 cushion and back around mid table. Another thing I'm looking for on that shot is not leaving myself so far down table that I have to stretch for the CB. I definitely want to be inside the line of the break ball or parallel with it. I don't want to cross that line and move over towards center table at all because I don't like forcing the CB into the rack like that.

In my diagram I like the position of where the original cue ball stops (marked with the 15 ball) or the "A" cue ball. Once it gets into the "B" cue ball territory I begin to get uncomfortable with the break.
MULLY

CueTable Help

 
Sure there are a few ways to get there, but I would say play a pattern that is most comfortable for YOU!:D set it up a few times and try different positions. 8 out of 10 pros would play it the same IMO, but whatever way you can get there with the highest % is the best for you.
 
Thanks everyone. And Mully, thanks for being so specific. I'm hoping that others will chime in on their preferences.

Mully, I agree with your preferences for the final angle on the break ball if you're prepared to put follow on the cueball. I think it has to do with the actual direction of the cueball's spin. If you don't have enough angle, that follow spin is spinning toward the foot rail which will send it glancing off of the stack toward the scratch, but with enough angle it will spin somewhere toward the other corner pocket, so it will not only be protected from the scratch, it will either go back into the stack or head to or bounce safely off of the foot rail.

Once you lose the steeper angle, you have to start thinking draw because of the tendency for the glancing scratch. Although, if you know that the cueball will catch the stack on the upper side of an object ball, you may be safe to follow it on that shot. The cueball should strike the side rail and avoid the scratch, I believe. It may also have something to do with how many balls are backing up the ball being contacted. I don't know enough about this to say. Joe Tucker seems to have this down to a science.
 
Jeff;

As the distance of the break ball to the long rail increases, so does the angle you want on the key ball. Perhaps not 1-1, but to some small degree, because you don't want to have to power the CB, but take advantage of natural angles and a degree of english which keeps you in the proper zone.
 
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