How would you play this ball in hand shot?

#3 is how I've always played that shot, works, reliable, see no reason to change.
 
Not one of those options is high percentage

45 degrees stop with a hair of spin and come back a couple feet. Great angle. You can blow the shoot by 3 feet and still have a easy bucket. I would come back not roll forward. Firm and easy.
I like easy,
Nick
 
If the 3-ball is in the jaws of the pocket, I'd place the CB about 8-ball high and 3-4" to the right. 1/2 ball hit on the 3 with 4:00 english goes 2 rails toward the 3rd diamond above the 8-ball. Wide margin of error on the speed and little chance of contacting the 8-ball.
 
Straightpool_99 said:
No way I'd ever shoot this shot rail first! The speed is very hard to control, and the natural tendency is for the cueball to go to the opposite end rail, or at least far up table if you set up for a thin rail first. A thick rail first is a more difficult way to achieve the same result a direct stun shot would achieve easily.

If I had to shoot the shot rail first I'd go (counting the first rail) 4 rails with low and lots of outside. Not that I'd ever shoot that shot in a game that mattered.

But I agree with you that it's hard to mess up this position going between the rail and the 8. About the only two things you can do wrong is to freeze to the 8 or the end rail. Otherwise a good player should be out from almost any position.

Here is an instructive video on hangers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZ-xWRVDP2w
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With ball in hand & depending how the ball is by the point, I'm fairly confident that I could go rail first & not go anywhere past mid table. You just have to slow roll the ball.

Naturally it all depends exactly how the OB is sitting 'in' the pocket which we really can't see.

Best 2 You & All,
Rick
 
Ended up leaving the cue against the opposite short rail
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Jawed object balls are deceptively hard to control the CB from, so if you're not familiar with them your best odds are probably to take the simplest possible position play even if it means a longer shot on the 9 - in other words, your second example. But I'd place the CB on a line closer to the 8 so I could follow softly off the end rail, not the side rail (to avoid crossing the shot line).

This is a tradeoff: easier shape for a harder shot. You have to decide which is more important, given the actual layout and your skill level.

pj
chgo
 
If I'm feeling like a showoff then I would place the cue ball somewhere near where it is now, maybe a bit higher, and then draw the cue ball back one rail to the 8. I could hit that shot near 98% of the time with all of them leaving an easy shot on the 8.
 
First mistake is putting the CB to make it straight in. Slight angle, about 4 inch's off the rail, a little bottom and your straight in on the 8. I dont know your skill level, but anything over a 4 should know this is easy. Good Luck in the future!
 
I would have cheated the pocket some and draw cue ball center bottom. Looks like the OB is in mouth of pocket enough. Drawing the ball some for an easy thin cut on other OB. 1st option way to long, 2. dicey, a 2-3 type shot. 3. doesn't require any spin but slide cue same way. 3-3 Easy quick little snap draw.
 
Rjmoncrief said:
First mistake is putting the CB to make it straight in. Slight angle, about 4 inch's off the rail, a little bottom and your straight in on the 8. I dont know your skill level, but anything over a 4 should know this is easy. Good Luck in the future!
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Easy for you to say. Sometimes the best make the simplest position mistakes. Always need an escape route. How bout answering the question as presented.
 
Haven't looked at the other replies, so one option would be shot #3 however I would have used low right instead of low left. Or place the CB around the center and
2 diamonds out, just make the ball and it will roll back toward the center of the table.
 
I made it a bit ugly LOL but a bit of left from there and it goes to the rail and up easily. Or same shot with no spin and it goes up-table on other side of the 8 towards the middle of the table. Easy cut from there.

I actually just read you said it was in the jaws, I thought it was on the short rail. From the jaws the shot I would shoot is low right hitting the ball 3/4 full with the cueball against the rail by the 8 and spin 2 rails to behind the 8. That way there is 0 chance of you running into the ball and not much chance of coming up short as you are hitting with speed to get to the rail. Short you are good, too hard you hit the rail and still good. Have like 30% of the table to get to for an easy shot.

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If in jaws:

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If i was playing scotch doubles with someone and they played that second shot with ball in hand and left me long on the short side they would be getting a friggin look.
 
Celtic said:
If i was playing scotch doubles with someone and they played that second shot with ball in hand and left me long on the short side they would be getting a friggin look.
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Well I played the first shot and left him against the opposite short rail so not much better. I agree, the long shot is a cheesy leave.
 
I would have put the CB towards the other rail close to the eight. You could play it one of two ways from there. Either just play a half tip of inside and cut the ball in and the CB will come up past the 8 leaving an easy shot. You could also play a full tip of outside and play the ball 2 rails with it coming off the lower long rail and back towards the middle of the table. Either shot will work fine without any real chance of running into the 8 or scratching. Come anywhere near the speed you need and it will leave a good shot. All of the other shots require much more precise speed and ball control to leave the CB in a spot that leaves a good shot or avoid running into the 8 ball. Also, the shots I mentioned leave the CB going into the line of the shot, giving you much more room for error, while two of the three others cross the line leaving a much smaller room for error, a classic ball control no no.

While the third listed shot would be the best of the 3 presented, it still takes more control of the CB than either of the two shots I presented.
 
Don't feel too bad though. I had the opportunity to play a scotch doubles match with a pro player. That player had ball in hand going from the 2 to the 3 and left me with a long shot jacked up directly over another ball and straight in. I had to try and shoot the shot while drawing the CB back 5 feet to get position on the 4. I did not make it. The point is that it happens to everyone, and your attempt to learn from it is the best thing you can do.
 
hang-the-9 said:
I made it a bit ugly LOL but a bit of left from there and it goes to the rail and up easily. Or same shot with no spin and it goes up-table on other side of the 8 towards the middle of the table. Easy cut from there.

I actually just read you said it was in the jaws, I thought it was on the short rail. From the jaws the shot I would shoot is low right hitting the ball 3/4 full with the cueball against the rail by the 8 and spin 2 rails to behind the 8. That way there is 0 chance of you running into the ball and not much chance of coming up short as you are hitting with speed to get to the rail. Short you are good, too hard you hit the rail and still good. Have like 30% of the table to get to for an easy shot.

picture.php


If in jaws:

picture.php
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I like the second shot here, but there is no reason for low right, just right. Low right brings the CB back too close to the 8 ball and decreases your room for error. Straight right takes the CB through the center of the table, removing any chance for a scratch and leaving a lot of room for error to still have a shot on the 8.
 
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