How Do You Get To The 9-Ball?

D

DrCue'sProtege

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
ok, i was playing with a buddy one night, and he left me this out on the table. two balls left, the '8' and '9' Ball. Some points to consider here:
1) the shot is not straight in, it has a very slight cut.
2) seems like it would be difficult to hit low/stun and go around the table since its nearly straight in.
3) drawing back doesnt seem like much of an option either.
4) i elected to hit it high and hard, and hope to come up table. but the cue ball "died" coming off the rail and i ended up at Position A.
5) hitting it hard with left/inside english makes the shot more difficult.

what do you posters think?
and i am sorry, but i dont know how to put the actual table in a post yet, so i am still doing the code.

DCP


START(
%HL2V6%Ir0O5%Pi8L9%QY8T0%eB4a4

)END
 
DrCue'sProtege said:
ok, i was playing with a buddy one night, and he left me this out on the table. two balls left, the '8' and '9' Ball. Some points to consider here:
1) the shot is not straight in, it has a very slight cut.
2) seems like it would be difficult to hit low/stun and go around the table since its nearly straight in.
Click to expand...

DCP,
As long as it is not straight in, and as long as you are cutting it even slightly to your right, you should be able to easily do this with EITHER draw or follow. Of course it requires, a great stroke because most of the travel is caused by the top spin or draw. You must cue very high or very low. If your stroke is not long enough or precise enough; you won't succeed.

If you have trouble with these types of shots, then you have not developed the type of stroke that MW is teaching. These should be high percentage shots/routes; though obviously as with all extreme cueing options there is always the chance of failure. With the cueball that close to the pocket it is easier than if you move it a diamond further away. JMO.
 
alpine9430 said:
Please give the credits to Colin for showing me how in the following thread.
But here is your set up displayed.
I am interested in the answer on this one as well.
Click to expand...

Its difficult to give an answer on this because its tough to tell the EXACT layout your are left with. As well, its also difficult to give an answer when we don't kow your stroke.

If you have a big stroke, you might be able to play this ball draw. Since you say it is a slight cut, play low and a little (and i mean a little!) inside to draw as straight back as possible.

If you have a big stroke but not much of a draw stroke, you can cheat the pocket a hair and play high right. You may not get much further up table than you did when you attempted the shot but you'll be closer to the rail and that will leave you more of an angle to work with.
 
Make an appointment with a surgeon to have a stroke installed because you will need it.

If I had this shot the table would be the determining factor in how I played it. If I thought I could draw the ball back past the side pocket to the second diamond that would be choice A. If I were not comfortable with that I would play the shot with follow and try to come on the other side of the table above the side. Either way I am going to settle for a cut on the 9.
 
Last edited:
The cross bank is my choice. If I make it great, I'm out. If I miss, I try to miss it high for a natural safety when the eight rolls to the center of the foot rail. The most important thing is to hit it hard enough to roll the 8 back to the center of the foot rail if you miss.

START(
%HL2V6%Ir0O5%Pi8L9%UD0D5%VJ1[1%WM2U7%Xh8M1%YD3T1%ZK9U7%[g5D5
%\C6S5%]J9Z5%^L0W2%eB4a4
)END
 
Since you say the cut is to the left and NOT the right, then play this shot firm with a big stroke and low left. The cue will come one rail back past the top side pocket.

If the angle isn't that big, play it with a draw stroke and play low, inside english. You'll get underneath the nine but that might be even better for you. Again, it all depends on your stroke.
 
In most cases I will draw that back. If there is enough angle on the pot to get the CB to one side of the 9 I will draw the CB back to about the 2nd diamond. If the line of the CB draw is very close to hitting the 9 I will try to draw more, hitting the short rail and coming back a diamond or so. That way if I hit the 9 it will likely end up fine (except if you hit it dead square into the rail) ... if I miss the 9 no problem, obviously I'm off to one side or the other. I try to put no siding on this shot, just bottom ... I miss way too often when trying power-draw shots with a touch of siding.

This is a very strong stroke, and I find it more difficult to be accurate when hitting hard ... so I practice it a fair bit. Of course I also practice full-goose-bozo-hard stop shots and stun shots, for the same reason, to learn accuracy when hitting that silly cue ball as hard as my 150lb frame will allow. My power shots are improving to the point where I no longer shy away from long straight draw shots.

Dave
 
TXpool nut probably has the best option - cross side bank. This gives the easiest option for shape on the 9ball. If you miss the 8 ball, the Cueball will be downtable while the 8 will probably end up in the middle of the rail - thus a potential safety built in if you miss it to the "pro side"


You're too straight in on the 8 ball to hit low so that you get a tangent line exit path on the cueball which might get you down table. There are a couple of follow options. There is the rediculous power follow with left english described above. That is a sucker shot as it will be missed the vast majority of the time. By missed I mean making the ball and getting realistic shape on the 9ball.

There is just a simple follow to the rail and float the ball down towards area A...but that is a touchy shot. You never want to follow balls right into rails as they often die in the rail. Of course, rail conditions matter. You have to hit it soft enough to not kill it in the rail, but with enough spin and speed to get action to get down table. This is not the proper way to move whitey.


Tough shot no matter what. There's also a power draw shot. If you cheat the pocket to the right side, it will straighten up the angle enough to where you might miss the side pocket. This is a sucker shot too, as making the ball and getting shape is tough.

You could cinch the 8 which would leave misery on the 9ball, either a brutal cut or a bank shot. At least you'll get a shot at the cheese...

No matter what, the best shape in the world is going to leave you with a cut shot on the 9 due to the position of the 9ball.


I used to dwell on shots like these, but the reality is that it's pointless. Your time and efforts are better spent NOT getting bad shape like that in the first place. Do not consider this shot the problem, but rather the shot or stroke that led up to this is the problem. Too many players blame not knowing what to do in these tough situations and focus on that, rather than avoiding this from happening by learning to play high percentage routes. Now, if your oppenent leaves you this, well, yeah you have to try something, but consider it a gift, since if an opponent misses the 8, the game up to that miss was a loss for whatever reason.


This might not be so bad on a practice table where nerves are not an issue and nothing is on the line. You might get out on this a few times. But when it counts, these shots will feel much more uncomfortable.
 
DrCue'sProtege said:
ok, i was playing with a buddy one night, and he left me this out on the table. two balls left, the '8' and '9' Ball. Some points to consider here:
1) the shot is not straight in, it has a very slight cut.
2) seems like it would be difficult to hit low/stun and go around the table since its nearly straight in.
3) drawing back doesnt seem like much of an option either.
4) i elected to hit it high and hard, and hope to come up table. but the cue ball "died" coming off the rail and i ended up at Position A.
5) hitting it hard with left/inside english makes the shot more difficult.

what do you posters think?
and i am sorry, but i dont know how to put the actual table in a post yet, so i am still doing the code.

DCP


START(
%HL2V6%Ir0O5%Pi8L9%QY8T0%eB4a4

)END
Click to expand...
Extreme right english. Pound it and let the cueball float down to the bottom rail, spin to the right side rail and spin uptable.

unknownpro

START(
%HL2V6%Ir0O5%Pi8L9%Qp5V3%WD0M9%XM2U9%YJ7D1%ZC0L9%[j0Z7%\K5C3
%eB4a4
)END
 
DrCue'sProtege said:
ok, i was playing with a buddy one night, and he left me this out on the table. two balls left, the '8' and '9' Ball. Some points to consider here:
1) the shot is not straight in, it has a very slight cut.
2) seems like it would be difficult to hit low/stun and go around the table since its nearly straight in.
3) drawing back doesnt seem like much of an option either.
4) i elected to hit it high and hard, and hope to come up table. but the cue ball "died" coming off the rail and i ended up at Position A.
5) hitting it hard with left/inside english makes the shot more difficult.

what do you posters think?
and i am sorry, but i dont know how to put the actual table in a post yet, so i am still doing the code.

DCP


START(%HL2V6%Ir0O5%Pi8L9%QY8T0%eB4a4)END
Click to expand...


Just surround the code with these two tags: {WEI} START(%HL2V6%Ir0O5%Pi8L9%QY8T0%eB4a4)END {/WEI}, except use [] instead of {} (if I had used the real tags, you'd just see the table and not the tags).

And if the cut is slight left, I'd try plain draw if the cloth is fast, and hammer it with high right if the cloth is slow. On a fast cloth, the follow won't work well because the CB will still have topspin when it hits the rail, and the topspin will stop it from coming off the rail with speed. Both ways should leave you with an easy cut into the lower right corner if executed correctly.

-Andrew
 
Depends on how straight it is.

If close to straight you have 3 options. Draw, follow and follow with heavy left english.

If the angle is a bit more, then follow with right english will bring you around the table toward the right lower pocket.

Not an easy shot, but hitting it hard enough shouldn't be a problem unless the rails are made from feathers and the cloth is carpet.

You've just got to pratice hitting hard with control so that you maintain accuracy and hit the CB where you want. Sounds like you hit the CB too low and stunned through on your attempt.

On fast tables you can run through up table with a medium firm stroke.
 
DrCue'sProtege said:
sorry, but the slight cut on this shot is to the left, not right.

DCP
Click to expand...

That makes it easier since you are not using reverse english.

I love this shot. Top right and the CB comes down table to the right side.

But if it is not lying right, not enough cut, then I too would go for the cross corner bank. If you miss, the OB usually ends up in the middle of the short rail and the CB ends up at the bottom of the table. Of course you have to watch for the kiss and the scratch in the lower left pocket.

This two way shot, cross corner bank, comes up a lot of times and is a good one to know. Be surprised how many time lately I have played it intending to play safe and made the OB.


Jake
 
Last edited:
jjinfla said:
That makes it easier since you are not using reverse english.

I love this shot. Top right and the CB comes down table to the right side.

But if it is not lying right, not enough cut, then I too would go for the cross corner bank. If you miss, the OB usually ends up in the middle of the short rail and the CB ends up at the bottom of the table. Of course you have to watch for the kiss and the scratch in the lower left pocket.

This two way shot, cross corner bank, comes up a lot of times and is a good one to know. Be surprised how many time lately I have played it intending to play safe and made the OB.


Jake
Click to expand...

I don't get the cross corner bank shot. There's not an angle that this ball can lay where it can't be positioned to the 9-ball with 90% certainty for a good player.

With slight angle changes the shot choice can vary, but for most angles close to what is draw there are at least 2 shot options.

Granted many players are not comfortable playing this shot hard with inside or outside english but they should learn these shots. They are not hard if you know how to adjust for them.

It's best to learn the proper shot. The shot the pros would take. In 99% of game play, pros play shots that any B-grade player is capable of, but they can play the shot with higher consistancy.

Maybe if you're not good at using english or power and you're playing an average player, the bank / safe option will win you more games. But it makes sense in the long term to play the shots the pros would play in most circumstances and just learn to get better at them.

By not playing those shots, the player will be doomed to mediocrity forever.

Not aimed specifically at you Jake, but just to address the issue of that particular shot option.

Colin
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top