How do you control the lag?

[DelaWho???]

I imagine the ball coming to rest on the head rail and I let my brain do the calculation. I do like the number to force of hit to describe a stroke rather than Med Soft etc. my medium soft might be you're lag, or medium speed.

Banger

 

[DelaWho???]

I am with this dood!

And, honestly, when was the last time any of us lost solely as a result of a lost lag?

I lost a tourney match by losing the lag alone. I never got back to the table. I have also won a tourney match after winning the lag with my opponent never getting to the table....Play in enough little rinky dink short race tourneys and it'll happen to/for you too.

Banger

 

[Patrick Johnson]

...honestly, when was the last time any of us lost solely as a result of a lost lag?

... or a lost flip, which is the same thing. How many times have you lost by one game? How many of those times did your opponent break and win the first game? How many other times would one more turn at the table have turned things around for you? It's more often than you think.

pj
chgo

 

[Black-Balled]

With little variation, I can find another error on my part, or luck on my opponent's part, that could also be found to be 'reason I lost'.

I concede the point when referring to 1 or 2 game sets/ matches, though the skill level found in these events generally permits both players a turn(s) at the table.

... or a lost flip, which is the same thing. How many times have you lost by one game? How many of those times did your opponent break and win the first game? How many other times would one more turn at the table have turned things around for you? It's more often than you think.

Flip it!

pj
chgo

 

[Vahmurka]

While it may be true that you think of shot speeds in four major groups, this is not true for all players or even most

Bob, you are correct 4 is least but not last. That's just the way taught by Player Ability Test (PAT) popular in Europe. Lag shot is actually Speed 2 according to it. (okay, Speed 1=1 lenght of the table, 3=3 lengths, 4=4, as simple as that) Of course there are decimals like 1.5 and 2.5 to give an impression of the speed required to shoot certain shot.

And, honestly, when was the last time any of us lost solely as a result of a lost lag?

not that often it happens but often enough. Let me tell you a story. Once in a straight pool match a player lost a lag and had to break the rack. He played wonderful safety on that shot, parking cb on the short rail and 2 balls from the rack rolled back there after hitting the rails. But one of the balls ended up to create a dead combo in the corner with another adjacent to it. So his opponent comes and makes that combo and runs out a 150. And player A made only one mistake - which was losing the lag.

 

[Scott Lee]

Vahmurka...Actually, there are NINE major degrees of shot speed, that we teach...from a lag, to a break. The key is to learn how to vary the speeds in micro-adjustments. Other than that, I agree with your post 100%!

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

There are 4 major degrees of shot speed, and pooltchr named exactly what you need to shoot. It will vary a little depending on the table condition, cloth speed and cushion rebound, but will remain in the limits of so-called pocket speed.

 

[Flex]

you have to develop "feel" for your stroke, or your position play will suffer. There are 4 major degrees of shot speed, and pooltchr named exactly what you need to shoot. It will vary a little depending on the table condition, cloth speed and cushion rebound, but will remain in the limits of so-called pocket speed.
Bottom-line: go and practise!

I only wish it were so easy!

Of course if you play on only one or a few tables constantly it's easier to dial in the speed of the lag.

But if you are playing under conditions that widely vary it can really help to roll a ball up and down table once to get a visual confirmation of what you think may be the table speed. Also, rails can vary widely.

If you are unable to even roll the ball up and down table, just observing how the balls roll on a table can help.

Flex

 

[Flex]

Yeah I shoot the lag shot too.

I shoot a lag shot too.

Here's how I dial it in.

I set the cue ball about 6 inches off the end rail. I bridge off the rail, and put the tip right at the contact point on the cue ball, with my forearm perpendicular to the cue. I slowly bring the cue back so the tip is right at the edge of the table, and then let the cue swing forward naturally, adding no muscle to the shot. I observe how close the cue ball comes to settling on the rail when it comes back, and make slight adjustments to the distance I set for the original setup.

Obviously, it's not perfectly mechanical, but it works pretty well for me.

Flex

 

[Flex]

I am with this dood!

And, honestly, when was the last time any of us lost solely as a result of a lost lag?

I don't know about a lost lag, but I do know that I've won matches with the last shot of the match being making the 9 on the snap...

Actually, one a tournament once with that.

Flex

 

[Billy_Bob]

I always use the same exact weight cue...

And I practice and practice and practice speed control...

I practice shooting just the cue ball 1/2 diamond.
Then 1 diamond.
Then 2 diamonds.
Then 3. Then 4, 5, etc...

To far rail.
To far rail and back 1 diamond.

Etc. All the up to 3 rails.

Before playing, I will practice lag shots (few other players do this).

Then with all this practice, I "know" what speed to shoot for a lag.