Insurance Balls

[CueAndMe]

I have quite a few Accustats straight pool videos, and I've been watching some lately. I just watched the Sigel/Zuglan 150 and out match, and the Mizerak/Sigel 1989 US Open match. One thing that's plain to see from both Sigel and Mizerak is that insurance balls are used, not only for primary and secondary break shots, but for ALL shots when available.

You'll find that their choice of which of several shots/position to play usually ends up being the one that has 1 or more other available shots if they fall wrong on that shot. Sometimes they aren't even playing for any one ball at all, but a zone where several balls will be available to choose from. After shooting they will just go to that next cueball position and have a look around at the 2 or 3 balls available and start again with the same sort of insurance-minded way of thinking.

It's a unique way of looking at the table. If you're cueball control is perfect you can probably forget this way of doing it. But who's is?

Jeff

 

[Bob Jewett]

... Sometimes they aren't even playing for any one ball at all, but a zone where several balls will be available to choose from. ...

Unless it is a situation where I know within an inch of where the cue ball will be, I'm usually uncomfortable when I need to get just right on a single ball.

 

[CueAndMe]

Here are a couple of examples to show how effective this can be.

Playing the 10-ball only thinking of position for the 13-ball break shot, you have to fall on the proper angle. If you get straight in on the 13 or go beyond the angle, you have some serious work to do to get into position to break the cluster:

CueTable Help

But if you play for a slightly longer shape on the 13-ball, you have the 2 in the side or even the 11 or 5 to help to get you back to the proper angle on the 13 for the break shot.

CueTable Help

Another reason to have insurance balls is so that you don't Force a position from a ball that you Almost fall correctly on.

Here, falling on the 11-ball with only a slight angle to break the balls means having to hit the shot very hard, possibly getting stuck in the rack while trying to break open the balls.

CueTable Help

But if position on the 11-ball were previously played long, there is the option of coming back around for the angle on the 11 after pocketing the 12 going two cushions or the 12 then 4.

CueTable Help

Jeff