How Would You Play This?

Jude Rosenstock

Jude Rosenstock

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
In honor of George Fels (writer of "How Would You Play This?", 1998). This diagram is one of many from his book, the same book that inspired many of my posts. The game is 14.1.

Get well soon, friend.

howwouldyouplaythis.jpg
 
I'd go with the 1 ball, try to stun it into the pack. 4 ball looks dead, but I have been known to screw up shots like that.
 
I rarely play 14.1, but I think I'd go with follow, bust the pack a bit, and set up a shot into the lower right corner.

Prayers to George...
 
Diagrams rarely make it clear whether a ball is dead in the stack by combo or carom, but the six looks pretty dead. If it is, it breaks the pack out better than anything else.

The ten is terrible, offering a poor attack angle, The four ball may be dead by carom, but I'm not playing it over the one ball, which offers a nice attack angle and very good prospects. Any carom is missable.

If it's as dead as it looks, I'm playing the six.
 
sjm said:
Diagrams rarely make it clear whether a ball is dead in the stack by combo or carom, but the six looks pretty dead. If it is, it breaks the pack out better than anything else.

The ten is terrible, offering a poor attack angle, The four ball may be dead by carom, but I'm not playing it over the one ball, which offers a nice attack angle and very good prospects.

If it's as dead as it looks, I'm playing the six.
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OK, I'll admit, this a bit of a weenie move on my part. I put a straight edge on the six ball combo and the six hits low of the corner. I'm not sure how to change the tangeant line with so many balls involved. It's easier to push one than to pull one.
 
Here's a possibility:

Play the 10 and draw back a bit for the 1. You're looking to be straight in on the 1 or angled for the cue ball to drift toward the rail after pocketing the one.

Shoot the one and drift down a bit. Now you can crack the 7 into the 12-13 and this should put the 6 into the corner and open up the rack.

Or you could just play it the boring way and play the one.
 
KoolKat9Lives said:
OK, I'll admit, this a bit of a weenie move on my part. I put a straight edge on the six ball combo and the six hits low of the corner. I'm not sure how to change the tangeant line with so many balls involved. It's easier to push one than to pull one.
Click to expand...

I have his book, so I won't comment on what he does. However, as it lies, the 6 does hit the short rail, so it has to be thrown to the right to go. One way to do this is to shoot the one hard, caroming into the 2. The 2 then caroms off the 4 hitting the 12. The 12 then hits the 13. The 13 is now hit on the left side of the 13-6 carom, so it throws the 6 into the pocket. That's how you make the 6.
 
Neil said:
I have his book, so I won't comment on what he does. However, as it lies, the 6 does hit the short rail, so it has to be thrown to the right to go. One way to do this is to shoot the one hard, caroming into the 2. The 2 then caroms off the 4 hitting the 12. The 12 then hits the 13. The 13 is now hit on the left side of the 13-6 carom, so it throws the 6 into the pocket. That's how you make the 6.
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I can see that, thanks Neil. My concern in stunning vs following is you're pushing all the balls to the right and could get stuck. But I'd take George's insight over mine. My high run in 14.1 is a tad lower than his.
 
Neil said:
I have his book, so I won't comment on what he does. However, as it lies, the 6 does hit the short rail, so it has to be thrown to the right to go. One way to do this is to shoot the one hard, caroming into the 2. The 2 then caroms off the 4 hitting the 12. The 12 then hits the 13. The 13 is now hit on the left side of the 13-6 carom, so it throws the 6 into the pocket. That's how you make the 6.
Click to expand...

I think the guy in post 6 had a much better method.

You take the 2 points first then open up the rack this way.

That guy must be purty smart.:thumbup:
 
sjm said:
Diagrams rarely make it clear whether a ball is dead in the stack by combo or carom, but the six looks pretty dead. If it is, it breaks the pack out better than anything else.

The ten is terrible, offering a poor attack angle, The four ball may be dead by carom, but I'm not playing it over the one ball, which offers a nice attack angle and very good prospects. Any carom is missable.

If it's as dead as it looks, I'm playing the six.
Click to expand...

I like the six here too. Looks like it throws perfectly into the corner and a variety of approaches to make the shot. Pack likely to scatter nicely thereafter too.
 
Can't teach you to think like anyone

2,4,6, look like they all have a shot to go....why bother when you have a definite 1 ball... pull cue ball up to center table and its of to the races.
should be no problem to fabricate another break ball should you need.
It doesn't matter what George or anyone else would do, you play with your own brain...more than 1 way to skin a cat.
Get 10 players and they will play it 20 different ways
 
sjm said:
The ten is terrible, offering a poor attack angle.
Click to expand...


This was actually the point of the diagram, to illustrate which shot *not* to take. For many beginner/intermediate pool players, the idea of taking a shot that is more difficult to pocket so that you'll have more options in the future is a lesson we all learn.


Everyone is more than welcome to continue posting their ideas. I'm sure George Fels would really appreciate it. The most important thing that we can ever do is continue the conversation on how to play perfect pool.
 
Jude Rosenstock said:
This was actually the point of the diagram, to illustrate which shot *not* to take. For many beginner/intermediate pool players, the idea of taking a shot that is more difficult to pocket so that you'll have more options in the future is a lesson we all learn.


Everyone is more than welcome to continue posting their ideas. I'm sure George Fels would really appreciate it. The most important thing that we can ever do is continue the conversation on how to play perfect pool.
Click to expand...

I don't play straight pool, but my first thought was to take the 10, but then after looking at the break out angle I quickly switched to the 1. Looks like a much better break out ball.
 
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