Gotta find a rail...illness

8

8onthebreak

THE WORLD IS YOURS
Silver Member
when planning a shot, I always seem to have the irresistible urge to use a rail after the shot...for position. After taking a shot, I have a really difficult time just playing the cue ball down field without hitting a rail afterwards. Example...if I have the choice between rolling the cueball up close to the rail...or contacting the rail and coming back off, I'll choose contacting it every time. I know that the less you move the rock, the better...yet I just can't resist the urge to take the rock to a rail, it has to be psychological. Maybe I feel like I can't scratch if I hit the rail first or something. I don't know why I have such a comfort in the rail. Maybe it's cuz I think that I have a lot more control with position because I can spin out various different ways after contacting the rail. I honestly just am more comfortable getting the cue ball into a rail after almost any shot.

Does anyone else have the gotta hit a rail illness?
 
I dont think it's an illness.. it's much easier to accurately judge the cue ball's speed coming off a rail than when it's rolling across an open table.
 
Efren Reyes has the same illness.....are you sure you want to be cured?
 
I really do the same thing, but I do not see it as a problem. If I can get the cue ball rolling onto the line of my next shot by going to the rail I always will. I also have the theory that if I am trying to go off of the rail I will not get stuck on the rail. Same goes for hitting other balls. When I think my cue ball might hit another ball I aim to hit that ball. If I hit that ball I am not stuck to that ball.
 
8onthebreak said:
when planning a shot, I always seem to have the irresistible urge to use a rail after the shot...for position. After taking a shot, I have a really difficult time just playing the cue ball down field without hitting a rail afterwards. Example...if I have the choice between rolling the cueball up close to the rail...or contacting the rail and coming back off, I'll choose contacting it every time. I know that the less you move the rock, the better...yet I just can't resist the urge to take the rock to a rail, it has to be psychological. Maybe I feel like I can't scratch if I hit the rail first or something. I don't know why I have such a comfort in the rail. Maybe it's cuz I think that I have a lot more control with position because I can spin out various different ways after contacting the rail. I honestly just am more comfortable getting the cue ball into a rail after almost any shot.

Does anyone else have the gotta hit a rail illness?
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" I know that the less you move the rock, the better."

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Well, no, not always. What is better is getting to the best spot the most consistent way.

Dale
 
Actually it's scientific fact that using rail to control speed is advantageous.
I don't remember accurately stats but cueball loses quite a lot linear energy when it hits cushion. Could be something like 40% if cueball comes about 90 degrees angle.

So you actually get more margin of error to your shot speed.
I really can't explain it properly in English but Science of Pocket Billiards Book does it.
 
Shannon.spronk said:
When I think my cue ball might hit another ball I aim to hit that ball. If I hit that ball I am not stuck to that ball.
Click to expand...

You haven't played on my table, the balls stick together like magnets :angry:

As to the OP's question, I don't try to hit the rail on every shot, if there is a good way to play shape without the rail, I use that as my first choice.
 
Yes, you do have a problem - you're stuck in a certain mode and this will not be to your advantage.

Try to play 14.1 and slow roll all the shots. You will miss some or many. Just don't care about that, continue and try and try again.
When playing 8 ball - safeties are no longer allowed. Take absolutely every shot, and take every miss as a learning opportunity. Obviously - slow roll as many shots as you can. Use a light to medium break for that.

Play on a smaller table.

Cheers - you can be cured ;)
 
This makes me happy

I am a really methodical player. I use systems. I have rules. I believe that these fundamentals are at the core of good playing...even on a bad day I can win if my fundamentals are solid.

You don't split a winning hand. You don't hit on 17. You don't move the rock if you don't have to.

These are the rules. Yet, I break them with the rail thing. I'm so happy to hear so many other players agree with my sickness. I really truly love going to the rail, but I do so with a knowledge that if I scratch, or turn the cue loose in any other manner than what was absolutely necessary...it's on me. This may include unwanted English that could sabotage an otherwise easy shape. I believe the rules are simple...keep it simple. Yet I love hat rail. Glad to see we're all sick together :-)
 
I will say this, it's fun running racks of nine ball using no rails. Great for position to

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk
 
Using the rail makes it much easier to control the CB.

Now that does not mean you should run it 4' to the rail to come back 3' feet to get shape if you could pretty much accomplish the same thing hitting the ball more softly.

Keep in mind that the pocket line for your next shot is important for the following shot so if you can use a rail from the side of the pocket line you need it on it is certainly to your advantage. If you can choose that route instead of trying to slow roll or using side/spin on a ball to move it into position then you will probably have more success.

In ZeroX Tor speaks about using the rail a lot to control the CB and after watching and working with what he teaches many times I fully agree with him as I appear to have better CB control using a rail then trying to float it where I want it.
 
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