How do you cinch these shots?

[unknownpro]

How do you cinch (just make the ball, position be damned) the following shots?

Be as detailed in your description as possible. Include exactly where and how you strike the CB (follow no english, stun right, draw left, etc.), how hard you should the shot, as well as your reasonings for doing so.

The first example is a slight cut shot to the left. More examples to follow...

CueTable Help

Use low right, as in 4:30 on the cueball, aim your tip's top left edge at the bottom right edge of the ghostball and hit it firmly. This is to minimize the chance of a bad skid or too much collision induced throw. Exact tip placement on the cueball is not as critical as using center ball. And with a firm speed curve of cueball is minimized.

 

[unknownpro]

CueTable Help

Straight high english, slow speed, aim over the top of the ghostball. With straight high the cueball will tend to follow the tip even if you hit slightly off center. Skid is not much of a concern.

 

[Fatboy]

I don't see the point here. Both of these shots are relatively easy and you should practice making these with center, draw, follow, inside, and outside english depending on your next ball.

If this were the last shot...as other people have said...center ball with pocket speed.

-Phillip

I agree, if you cant make these shots what shots can you make??? If someone is learning this-the last thing they need to get involved in is useing side spin-thats for next year.

 

[Cuebacca]

He never said he can't make the shots. He is asking what kind of hit maximizes the ball's chances of going in. Maybe he's looking for insight that will turn a 94% shot into a 97% shot.

 

[efirkey]

When I am trying to cinch a shot I think about the speed at which I am going to hit the ball first. You want to hit it with pocket speed. How many times have you seen a bad shot go in going down the rail because you hit it with pocket speed. Pocket speed would be hitting the shot hard enough to go pass the pocket by a foot or two.

Next, I would never hit a shot that had to be cut in with center english. You are asking for the pool gods to have it skid on you. If you need to cut it to the left then hit it with a little bottom right to help throw it in or just use a little bottom. I personally like to hit shots with some stun.

It seems to me if you can hit the object ball with the cueball when the cueball is between draw spin and over spin it helps with pocketing the ball. I don't know why, but it works. You have to practice a lot in order to do this. I don't think a beginner can do this on purpose.

Always play percentages. I can guarantee you that 99% of the pool players here will make this shot more often with right english than with left english and most would make it more often with draw than follow, so know your own game and play the highest percentage shot possible.

Personally if I'm trying to cinch the shot I don't think about position. I concentrate all my efforts into making the shot. When ever I am playing partner pool and either myself or my partner asks to cinch the shot we aren't thinking about position.

Lastly, the only way to get good a cinching shots under pressure is to put yourself in a pressure situation as much as possible and seeing how you handle it.

 

[JoeyInCali]

Center axis, half a tip below and a soft punch stroke.
You're asking for trouble if you roll it specially if it's past midnite.
No need to compensate for the cling or throw if you draw the cueball a hair.

 

[dabarbr]

I just finished reading all of this thread. IMO the most sense is made by Neil and Patrick Johnson. Take their advise and go with it.

I have little to add except to agree with Neil that you need to handle this shot just like you did all the other shots prior to this one. You need to keep your concentration with positive thoughts and not create a void in you mind just because there nothing to do but just make the shot. A void in your mind allows negative thoughts to enter. I like to position the cue ball to a specific location to keep my mind busy just like the shot before.

The speed should be just enough to make the cue ball do what you want it to do. Don't let it tell you what it wants to do make it do what you want it to do.

 

[pip9ball]

He never said he can't make the shots. He is asking what kind of hit maximizes the ball's chances of going in. Maybe he's looking for insight that will turn a 94% shot into a 97% shot.

No certain kind of hit maximizes the balls chances of going in...if you hit it good, it drops. Period! Putting any kind of english on this ball adds another variable to the equation and makes pocketing the ball harder IMHO.

 

[pip9ball]

Next, I would never hit a shot that had to be cut in with center english. You are asking for the pool gods to have it skid on you. If you need to cut it to the left then hit it with a little bottom right to help throw it in or just use a little bottom. I personally like to hit shots with some stun.

I'll shoot this shot with center ball all day long and make it 19/20 times! I agree with you though about the skid...although I guess Im accustomed to this and compensate

-Phillip

 

[dabarbr]

I'll shoot this shot with center ball all day long and make it 19/20 times! I agree with you though about the skid...although I guess Im accustomed to this and compensate

-Phillip

You compensate because it slightly increases the accuracy of the shot.

 

[Cuebacca]

No certain kind of hit maximizes the balls chances of going in...if you hit it good, it drops. Period! Putting any kind of english on this ball adds another variable to the equation and makes pocketing the ball harder IMHO.

What if you just hit it any old way you feel like, and "hit it good" but get a skid? It doesn't drop. Period!

 

[efirkey]

I'll shoot this shot with center ball all day long and make it 19/20 times! I agree with you though about the skid...although I guess Im accustomed to this and compensate

-Phillip

Boston shorty said to use outside english to help make shots down the rail and with his track record I didn't question him.

I can make the shot 20/20, but that doesn't make you or I right on how to best make the shot for everyone. I can make it 19/20 with any english, but I'm trying to cinch it, not just make it, which is why I said you have to know your own game and what you are most comfortable with.

I'll bet I can set this shot up for 10 different pros and ask all of them to cinch it and they would come up with at least 3 different ways of cinching the shot.

We need a tougher example.

 

[pip9ball]

What if you just hit it any old way you feel like, and "hit it good" but get a skid? It doesn't drop. Period!

Not if you hit it good enough to compensate for skid Seriously though, set this shot up and I'll bet money I sink it 19/20 times center ball.

-Phillip

 

[efirkey]

What if you just hit it any old way you feel like, and "hit it good" but get a skid? It doesn't drop. Period!

From my experience most skids happen on a cut shot with no english, which is why I always add a little english on the majority of cut shots. I can't remember the last time I skidded a shot - knock on wood.

Plus the english helps throw the shot in.

 

[JoeyInCali]

What the hell is a " center english" ?
LOL

 

[efirkey]

Not if you hit it good enough to compensate for skid Seriously though, set this shot up and I'll bet money I sink it 19/20 times center ball.

-Phillip

a more interesting bet would be to alternate shooting the shot and the first person to miss loses the bet. Then you would be see some cinching

 

[pip9ball]

Boston shorty said to use outside english to help make shots down the rail and with his track record I didn't question him.

I can make the shot 20/20, but that doesn't make you or I right on how to best make the shot for everyone. I can make it 19/20 with any english, but I'm trying to cinch it, not just make it, which is why I said you have to know your own game and what you are most comfortable with.

I'll bet I can set this shot up for 10 different pros and ask all of them to cinch it and they would come up with at least 3 different ways of cinching the shot.

We need a tougher example.

Maybe I don't understand what "cinch" means. My understanding of cinch is to just pocket the ball without worrying about any shape. If this is the case, center ball would do it for me. Of course this is just my opinion and I'm sure others have their own preferred way of hitting the cueball. I once played Kim Davenport and asked him a similar question. He told me, the easiest way to make any shot is to hit center ball. Once you get that down then you can introduce other variables like english. In any case, this shot is so simple I can most likely make it 19/20 times with any combination of english

-Phillip

 

[Cuebacca]

Not if you hit it good enough to compensate for skid

You never know for sure if you'll get a skid. So if you roll it or use center, compensate for a skid, and don't get a skid, then what?

Seriously though, set this shot up and I'll bet money I sink it 19/20 times center ball.

-Phillip

No bet. I believe you. But maybe you'll make it 39/40 if you cinch it.

 

[pip9ball]

a more interesting bet would be to alternate shooting the shot and the first person to miss loses the bet. Then you would be see some cinching

sounds like a challenge to me! Where ya located?

-Phillip

 

[efirkey]

Maybe I don't understand what "cinch" means. My understanding of cinch is to just pocket the ball without worrying about any shape. If this is the case, center ball would do it for me. Of course this is just my opinion and I'm sure others have their own preferred way of hitting the cueball. I once played Kim Davenport and asked him a similar question. He told me, the easiest way to make any shot is to hit center ball. Once you get that down then you can introduce other variables like english. In any case, this shot is so simple I can most likely make it 19/20 times with any combination of english

-Phillip

there are certainly shots that are easier to make with english than with center ball.