Example of what this site has done for me

Hal

Hal

Daaang!
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I just wanted to share something that occured to me while knocking a few balls around earlier. In my younger days, I would've tried something stupid like using low right english and trying to float down behind the 8 towards the 9ball and maybe shoot it in the same pocket as the 7ball.

Now that I'm a little older and think a little, I can see the importance of hitting the correct rail. If you hit rail A before B, you're screwed and pretty much banking cross side, but if you hit B then A, the cue ball comes toward the 8 and the chance of having a shot is a lot greater.

There may be other options here, but this is what I chose to do. I stood lined up with the 8 ball into the upper side pocket and imagined the cue ball coming off rail A. I actually hit it a little too hard and ended up about 2 inches from the 8 ball but was straight in.

My angles may be off a little, but you get the idea.
 

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Hal said:
I just wanted to share something that occured to me while knocking a few balls around earlier. In my younger days, I would've tried something stupid like using low right english and trying to float down behind the 8 towards the 9ball and maybe shoot it in the same pocket as the 7ball.

Now that I'm a little older and think a little, I can see the importance of hitting the correct rail. If you hit rail A before B, you're screwed and pretty much banking cross side, but if you hit B then A, the cue ball comes toward the 8 and the chance of having a shot is a lot greater.

There may be other options here, but this is what I chose to do. I stood lined up with the 8 ball into the upper side pocket and imagined the cue ball coming off rail A. I actually hit it a little too hard and ended up about 2 inches from the 8 ball but was straight in.

My angles may be off a little, but you get the idea.
Click to expand...


I credit shots like these for making a significant difference in my game the past year. This is an excellent shot and the correct one, as far as I can tell. Basically, you're hitting the cue-ball such a way that's easy to replicate. You're not trying to do anything terribly dramatic, you get to hit it with a natural speed and the final leg falls right into the angle so you can over/under hit it and still be perfect.

Really, these things happen when you're shooting well and thinking well (always a great combination) and it's this style that most good players will stop to admire.
 
Hal said:
I just wanted to share something that occured to me while knocking a few balls around earlier. In my younger days, I would've tried something stupid like using low right english and trying to float down behind the 8 towards the 9ball and maybe shoot it in the same pocket as the 7ball.

Now that I'm a little older and think a little, I can see the importance of hitting the correct rail. If you hit rail A before B, you're screwed and pretty much banking cross side, but if you hit B then A, the cue ball comes toward the 8 and the chance of having a shot is a lot greater.

There may be other options here, but this is what I chose to do. I stood lined up with the 8 ball into the upper side pocket and imagined the cue ball coming off rail A. I actually hit it a little too hard and ended up about 2 inches from the 8 ball but was straight in.

My angles may be off a little, but you get the idea.
Click to expand...

Good choice. I would have slow rolled the seven into the pocket and played the cue with a little right english to take it basically to the same spot downtable without the two rails.

The only difference between your way and my way is that if I hit mine wrong, I clip the 8. If I hit mine too hard, I go past the right spot on the table and hit the two rails in the exact opposite order and leave the same bank you were talking about.

Granted if I hit it right, I'm golden. But I suck so I probably won't hit it right. Your play was smarter.

(...or maybe I'd just play safe)
 
Judging by the angle that you have in the diagram, you may need a little top left english on the cue ball (11 o'clock) to shorten it up to hit rail B before rail A. This would also allow you to hit the 7 a little harder and concentrate on making sure you pocket the 7. You shot the right show tho IMO.

Southpaw
 
One thing I have learned from watching the pros is, when possible, it's always better to go into a line of aim or away from the line of aim vs coming across the line of aim where your stroke as to be more exact. Does that make sense?

On your shot selection you are, what I call, coming into your line of aim.

Matt
 
This site has me on the verge of being fired from not doing any work ;)


Eric >j/k
 
Looking real good, Hal. By keeping an open mind, you have tightened up your angle management.
 
I think that is absolutely the correct route.

If the cueball/7ball position is what I think it is, I might shoot it with inside top to make sure I hit the long rail first.

-Roger
 
pharaoh68 said:
Good choice. I would have slow rolled the seven into the pocket and played the cue with a little right english to take it basically to the same spot downtable without the two rails.

The only difference between your way and my way is that if I hit mine wrong, I clip the 8. If I hit mine too hard, I go past the right spot on the table and hit the two rails in the exact opposite order and leave the same bank you were talking about.

Granted if I hit it right, I'm golden. But I suck so I probably won't hit it right. Your play was smarter.

(...or maybe I'd just play safe)
Click to expand...

I see it perfectly, you with your finesse touch, lol.

-Roger (then me stopping you from pounding your hand into a concrete wall, if there's anything at all on the line ;) )
 
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