Ok, I've read what you wrote. Here are my notes:
The first thing you do when you have one or more clusters is to analyse them. Is there a ball in the cluster that is possible to Pocket somewhere, if so, will pocketing it give you Access to pocketing more balls? if that is the case, play position on that one ball. And work from there. This analysis should happen when you come to the table the first time. All problems should be adressed as early as possible.
The second part of the analysis is to look for combinations or caroms that lead straight to a Pocket, or has a possibility of being trown in, using spin or throw. If you don't have a "free" ball in the cluster, but have a dead combination, you shoot that, but in a mindful way, with Power and spin that will disperse the cluster and keep the cueball under Control.
If none of the above are true, look for a ball that has a Direct tangent leading into the cluster. Preferably you should have another ball to play, even if the cue ball gets stuck in the cluster at the impact point.
If you don't have an obvious breakout ball either, clusters are Perfect for safety play. Play a safety by knocking one or more balls out of the cluster, leaving the cueball stuck in it. If you stick an opponent to a ball, you'll give him trouble even if he has balls to shoot at, but you'll also greatly reduce his options and increase the chance of successfully snookering him. Even kicking gets more difficult if you have to shoot over a ball. You can't Control the spin, and shooting hard will not work, because you are elevating the cue, causing the ball to jump.
Lets say the opponents balls are all open but you have maybe one ball left, with no shot at a bank or Direct Pocket. You don't blast that one ball as hard as you can. What you do is look for an opponents ball that you can tie up with Your ball. If possible, Select a ball that is far away from the others or otherwise difficult to break out. If possible, Block a Pocket. If the player is really good, this may not make much of a difference, but it gives the opponent a chance to make a mistake. Most People are not as good as you think. Even players that look like the run out everything, often stumble when they have a ball tied up this way. If they're good, and you did well to tie their ball up, they'll snooker you and make you kick at the ball you used to tie up their ball. If you're good at kicking, this is the chance to turn it all around. Kick softly and leave them on the ball, or otherwise difficult. If you're Lucky you may win the game.
Shooting as hard as you can will not win you many games. You'll likely get murdered by anyone using the strategies above. Even a Complete idiot can freeze you to a cluster. Usually that can win or at least tip the game in their favour.
I wrote this for the benefit of anyone actually looking for advice on this forum. Be aware that 8 ball is a runout game. Good players will run out on you and you won't get very many chances at all. You'll do well to avoid letting them even see a ball. The best plan is to look the table over, and if you can run out, do so. If not, and especially if you have clusters, look for a lockup safe, preferably one that will either help you breakout a cluster, or position a ball near the cluster in order to break it out later. Be aware that overly passive play is actually more difficult to pull off than being offensive, as very passive play usually means making a single mistake will cost you dearly, while running out usually will let you continue even if you're marginally out of position (8 ball being a game where you have a Choice of which ball to shoot). The smart way to run out, is to play position into an area where you have a choice of balls to shoot, rather than playing for a single ball. Be careful of ending up straight in, and ending up on a rail. Play for angles, keep away from the rails. Generic, I know, but it helps to think about these Things.
