Cue Ball against the rail..

Bridging from against the rail is dealt with in Darren Appleton's exceptional instructional DVD. Seeing how a World 9-ball Champion does it is worth your time. If you don't own it, get your hands on it.
 
Ih82luz said:
One of the toughest shots for me is when the cue ball is up against the rail and the object ball is +1/2 table away.

Are there any good lessons or drills out there that can help with this situation?:confused:
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Not sure if it was mentioned, for those shots you must look and sight the shot before bending, and if you can have a very low head position, when you shoot, your back swing must be very short barley an inch or two. Careful squirt is max if you use english, adjust for that is a must so as squerve.
 
Grip hand position

When shooting at just the top 1/3 of the cue ball, either off the rail or whilst bridging over an obstructing ball - I always tend to roll my Grip hand ever so slightly forwards to add a small amount of forward pressure to the cue and reduce the likelihood of having a miscue if I'm stroking lightly. Hope this helps!!
 
The way I was taught and have shown others that have trouble with this rail shot is to aim at the spot the object ball touches the rail, the rail and ball will make some what of a "V" , aim into that spot, use whatever english you waht with this methodbut inside works best.
 
buckshotshoey said:
Nostroke said:
Joe Frady shot them well and he used a short quick stroke on them-nearly a poke./QUOTE]

These two put together. It seems on a Valley table you have to raise the cue butt a little more then on my home table. Due to the cushion profile I guess. Only jack up as much as necessary. You will need a short bridge so only draw a few inches and follow through a few inches. Also I have found that an exaggerated pause at the back stroke helps with hitting exactly center ball. Very important when jacking up (even only 15 deg) and hitting top spin.....which is what you are doing. As mentioned earlier, off center hit when hitting top of cue ball results in a mini masse'.
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I agree, you want to jack up the butt just a little, so you are shooting slightly down at the rail BEHIND the cue ball. Try it, you'll like it! :wink:
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For these shots I usually work on my post shot routine. Finding a way to gracefully sit down and wait for my next opportunity at the table.

all kidding aside, I like some of the advice offered here. Im going to go practice a few of these suggestions this weekend as this particular shot always has me feeling like I got a bit lucky when I actually fire the shot in.
 
If you don't need to do much with the CB in terms of speed, it might help as well using a grip higher on the butt as suggested, with a "short" stroke, looking "simultaneously" with OB at the shaft going through CB in a straight line upon stroke release. "Parallel" cue as much as possible, "simple" stroke easy to control.
Petros
 
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Scott Lee said:
Here is a reliable way to practice shooting off the rail. Use an extended rail bridge. This is where your fingertips are on the back edge of the rail, which will allow your normal bridge length for the shot (or at least most of it). Elevate the cue so that it is at the same angle as the bevel on the front edge of the cushion (this is the only time I recommend elevating the cuestick for any kind of normal shot, excluding jumps and masse's). Using a pendulum swing, use a slow backswing, pause, and stroke through the CB. The shaft should still be laying on the bevel of the cushion at the end of your stroke. Use your normal followthrough...don't try to exaggerate the finish, and don't lift your cue off the rail. Start with very slow speeds, like a lag, and work your way up to higher speeds. As already mentioned, start with the CB and OB one diamond apart, and work your way up to several diamonds apart. This is one of, if not the most difficult shots...other than shooting over another ball. Hope this helps.

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
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I always used the extended rail bridge but last night I also used your advice here on elevating with the angle of the rail and....hahaha...wow! :bow-down:
 
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