How Do You Get To The 5 Ball Here?

[pete lafond]

That's the easy and obvious way, they are looking for something harder, lol!

unknownpro

First glance I thought inside English however as well as I play that shot I do believe the potential for more trouble is even greater. Yes you can swing the cb but there is very little room for error in case of too much slide. In which case you just buried yourself from the next,5 ball, shot.

 

[cuetechasaurus]

I would definately play the inside english shot. The zig-zag shot is ridiculous. Lets say you DO get thru that very small window and get on the 5, what happens if you leave yourself a scratch shot? Play WHAT safe? This is a situation that Danny DiLiberto calls 'shooting into nothing'. You are playing a difficult shot where you have to get absoloutely perfect (within the margin of an inch or so) on the next ball, and if you don't, you are left with a tough safety to play.

The inside english shot, well I know for a fact that Efren would play it, so would any other top pro who can shoot straight. The 4 ball is not that far off the rail. Maximum inside english will get you around 3-4 rails, and most likely behind the 5. The point is, that playing the zig zag shape, your chances of getting on the 6 after the 5 are very, very slim.

 

[unknownpro]

First glance I thought inside English however as well as I play that shot I do believe the potential for more trouble is even greater. Yes you can swing the cb but there is very little room for error in case of too much slide. In which case you just buried yourself from the next,5 ball, shot.

I'm sure it will look different if I set it up on my table. But with my rails I have no doubt I would ALWAYS play this with inside. The only way to screw up is to undercut the 4. New rails, maybe, maybe not. But this shot doesn't slide much, the outside will slide more off the rail, because you're trying to reverse it. This cueball will hit the rail at 90 degrees and should bite enough to use inside even with new rails. It only has to come off at 45 degrees. It will lengthen some toward the other balls, but I don't think it'll matter. The way I look at it, you could pull the cueball down to where it's a 90 degree cut, remove the 4, shoot to the cueball into the rail beside where the 4 is with inside and easily make a 3 rail kick for shape on the 5. This shot is just as easy.

If you try the back and forth shot and leave yourself a scratch shot on the 5, you can always corner hook him in the jaws of the side, though, lol!

unknownpro

 

[pete lafond]

I'm sure it will look different if I set it up on my table. But with my rails I have no doubt I would ALWAYS play this with inside. The only way to screw up is to undercut the 4. New rails, maybe, maybe not. But this shot doesn't slide much, the outside will slide more off the rail, because you're trying to reverse it. This cueball will hit the rail at 90 degrees and should bite enough to use inside even with new rails. It only has to come off at 45 degrees. It will lengthen some toward the other balls, but I don't think it'll matter. The way I look at it, you could pull the cueball down to where it's a 90 degree cut, remove the 4, shoot to the cueball into the rail beside where the 4 is with inside and easily make a 3 rail kick for shape on the 5. This shot is just as easy.

If you try the back and forth shot and leave yourself a scratch shot on the 5, you can always corner hook him in the jaws of the side, though, lol!

unknownpro

I agree inside is a good shot and I believe that it most likely it will go a little long maybe 5 inches or so past the 5. The sliding I'm referring to is off the first rail which is the most critical. It really depends what's in front of you and how the tables playing. Nothing beats being at the table rather than looking at a wei diagram. The zig zag will also slide but the % error on slide is not really going to affect it that much. Speed is the key on this shot and if a screw up, you can always play a safe or bank it and safe.

Let us know after you try it.

 

[Snapshot9]

Choices

That depends on the level of the person you are playing. I might just get crazy and do this.

Your first choice was the way. A safety like this would allow your opponent
to put the 4 at the other end of the table, and you might be hooked also.

Now, as for english, subtle differences make for big results. Slight low right might look obvious at first, but consider this: A little too much right and you hit the 9. Even if you don't, coming off the 2nd rail, the cue ball will straighten up, and could end up in a problem with the 9 even, like hitting it and not having the right shot for the 5, especially to get back down on the 6. Plus, with low right, the cue ball will deadon up coming off the 2nd rail.

Slight low inside english, and shoot like a draw shot will send the cue a little higher up on the long rail, then straighten up the cue ball coming across. The draw part helps bring the cue back towards you and not
towards the 8 ball. The inside english will provide more speed throughout
the shot, especially coming off the 2nd rail, and with inside english, the cue ball coming off the 2nd rail (opposite now) will be propelled down
towards the 5 more. So, what I am saying is this: for safety of the shot, for enough speed, and to end up in optimum position on the 5 to shoot in the uptable corner, a 6:45 am english shot like a draw shot is the way to go in lieu of 12:30 pm english.

 

[Egg McDogit]

I don't see how you can go 3 rails using inside without going rail first or something. The wei table inside english 3 railer the earlier poster drew up is impossible...so is his safe.

If I used the zig-zag shot, I'd use 1/2-1 tip right and play it 3 rails. you can overcut/undercut/misstroke the 4 a little and still be fine.

I still think the easiest way to get out here is to play position by caroming off the 9 to shoot the 5 in the side. The 4 and 9 are close and you can hit just about anywhere on the 9. Worst case scenario (unless you hit it incredibly bad) is you end up hitting the wrong side of the 9 or somehow hitting it square - and having a look at a similar safe as you'd have by overshooting the zig zag position. would anyone else consider shooting it this way?

 

[cuetechasaurus]

I don't see how you can go 3 rails using inside without going rail first or something. The wei table inside english 3 railer the earlier poster drew up is impossible...so is his safe.

If I used the zig-zag shot, I'd use 1/2-1 tip right and play it 3 rails. you can overcut/undercut/misstroke the 4 a little and still be fine.

I still think the easiest way to get out here is to play position by caroming off the 9 to shoot the 5 in the side. The 4 and 9 are close and you can hit just about anywhere on the 9. Worst case scenario (unless you hit it incredibly bad) is you end up hitting the wrong side of the 9 or somehow hitting it square - and having a look at a similar safe as you'd have by overshooting the zig zag position. would anyone else consider shooting it this way?

The inside english route is very possible, all you have to do is overcut the 4 so it goes in the left side of the pocket. If you hit the 4 too thick, you will run into those balls near the rail. If you look at the line of position from the 4 to the rail if you hit it thin, the cueball is going straight into the rail, not at an angle to the right. Imagine shooting the cueball straight into the rail where the 4 is with maximum left english. The cueball can go three rails missing those balls.

 

[Hal]

For the record I would not really do the safety that I posted. I was just screwing around. I would go for the shot and come across the table and back (zig zag).

 

[Jedi V Man]

If the 6 ball wasn't in the way that's a dead 3 railer in the side pocket....

Or in Golf, it's a dead 3 railer in the #3 hole...

 

[cubswin]

I'm guessing your playing with yourself 99% of the time, as you never ask what is the correct shot. Just want to know how to get out.

Going on my guess above, why don't you shoot it multiple times and tell us what the best way to get on the five is?

 

[Cuebacca]

For the record I would not really do the safety that I posted. I was just screwing around. I would go for the shot and come across the table and back (zig zag).

Ah, way to go, Hal, you just blew your action! Hehe.

 

[PoolSharkAllen]

DCP: Today, while practicing I thought I would attempt to make the 4 and draw the cue back to make the 5 in the upper side pocket. I used various combinations of low, high and right/left english and speed. Despite several attempts, I was only able to get the CB in good position for 5 the in the upper side pocket just once.

The reason appears to be a combination of the sharp cut angle on the 4 and the closeness of the 4 to the rail. Almost all attempts to make the 4 ended up with the CB zig-zagging on the left side of the table. So, in hindsight the best option appears to be a safety play on the 4.

I think this does illustrate the limitations of the armchair quarterbacking that we're doing here. Some of the proposed solutions just don't work in reality.

 

[unknownpro]

I don't see how you can go 3 rails using inside without going rail first or something. The wei table inside english 3 railer the earlier poster drew up is impossible...so is his safe.

It is not impossible on all tables. I made it with the 4 ball further up the rail to where it would be touching the diamond. It was very low percentage from there, however, very hard to miss the balls without catching the 4 from behind after hitting the rail, lol! I had it set up wrong, so I will try it again as diagrammed. These shots do look a lot different when you set them up on a real table, but I assure you it is possible on worn tables.

unknownpro