Kicking tricks

H

henho

I Beat Fidelshnitzer
Silver Member
If the path to hit a ball on a one-rail kick is obstructed, or I'm not sure where to hit the rail, sometimes I'll aim for the spot directly above and in line with the ball I am kicking at and apply alot of reverse english to make the cueball come off the rail in a straight line towards the object ball:

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Some days my hit rate with this shot is higher than just using the angles with no english. Although the shot requires getting heavy action on the cueball, it is fairly easy to judge because it's hard to overdo the english; just use maximum reverse. Anyone have any favorite kick shots?
 
The two rail parallel kick can come in quite handy in the above situation. See the following page at the bottom titled "Addendum:"
http://www.jimloy.com/billiard/kick3.htm

Also in other situations, you can aim straight forward, use one tip of left/right english and the cue ball will come back 1 diamond to left or right. Or two tips and the cue ball will come back two diamonds to left or right. This is shooting the short length of the table.

Of course you need to practice these things quite a bit. Best to shoot same speed always. Different speeds will change a kick angle. If you can mark the position of the balls, set up the same exact shot and practice it over and over. Try different speeds and see what happens!
 
henho said:
Some days my hit rate with this shot is higher than just using the angles with no english. Although the shot requires getting heavy action on the cueball, it is fairly easy to judge because it's hard to overdo the english; just use maximum reverse.
Click to expand...

It's not the days, it's how far away from the rail the object ball is. Gauge your english and speed for these things so you have a backup to get around when there is a ball in the way for a one rail kick... Great shots when you need them, and they are fairly reliable.
 
It's also how far away the OB is from the pocket, in addition to how far from the rail. In this case, draw is what makes the CB curve, not the reverse english. Without the draw, you'd NEVER hit the OB is this example, even if you put max reverse sidespin on it. Depending on the situation, if it was gambling or tournament play, I would play safe here, before I'd kick at the ball, as described. jmo

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
 
Why ?

would you even shoot that shot? What good things do you envision that will happen from that shot? I would call that shot a 'No future' shot.

I would shoot the natural angle 2 rail kick with a good chance to make the 1 in the corner and the cue ball would come up by the 2. Even if you don't make the 1, it might go back down on the foot rail with the cue up by the 2 for a leave. Play the percentages .... always .... you will win more.
 
In the diagram, the indicated path to the first rail is almost precisely the path for an easy 2-rail (center-ball) kick. Why complicate it with all that reverse english? I would aim just slightly higher on the first rail... and apply a touch of running english.

And I would aim to hit the 1-ball full in the face so that it is driven to the long rail... and bank to the opposite long rail... and then for it to go up-table by the Brunswick... leaving the cue downtable by virtue of the full face hit... likely leaving the cue ball behind the 2/5/6 cluster. The proper speed is such that the 1-ball goes up table the way that I descibed... so it needs to be hit pretty firm.
 
safetey

kick it up table...watch for the scratch again a lot of this would depend on the EXACT layout of the balls

START(
%AF9T0%BV9P4%CT4Z2%EU2P7%FR1S8%PX0W6%Qc3H1%WE7R7%XC8P5%YL0Y5
%ZG3T7%[_7M5%\M2Z7%]J7D2%^W7V6%_C9O9%`G0I5%aI7C2
)END
 
Conversely, when the incoming path to the rail is blocked, you can shoot straight ahead or at a very small angle to the rail with inside (running) english to widen the path after contact with the rail. I have used both successfully.
 
here is a stupid little trick i picked up and use it quite proficiently.

Take the 1/2 way point between the cue ball and the object ball there. Go from there into the center of the pocket and take that angle and go through the center of the cueball to the rail and play it with running english, and you have your self a nice little two railer. "Box method" I think.
 
PROG8R said:
here is a stupid little trick i picked up and use it quite proficiently.

Take the 1/2 way point between the cue ball and the object ball there. Go from there into the center of the pocket and take that angle and go through the center of the cueball to the rail and play it with running english, and you have your self a nice little two railer. "Box method" I think.
Click to expand...

Can you diagram this?
 
supergreenman said:
Can you diagram this?
Click to expand...

I can't diagram it... but perhaps I can explain it better... let's see:

1. Find the mid-point between the cue ball and the ball that you are trying to hit by going 2-rails.

2. Once you have located the mid-point, position the tip of your cue on top of it and leave the tip there for the next steps... next, swing the butt of your cue to your right or your left so that your cue ends up pointing at the center of the corner pocket in the general direction that you want to start the 2-rail kick. Remember to leave the tip on the mid-point!!! (note: you can literally select any of the four corner pockets to point at... at this time, but which corner pocket should be selected will become obvious in a short time)

3. The key point is next... you need to really focus on the exact direction/angle that your cue is pointing when pointed at the center of the corner pocket... because you will need to hit the cue ball on a parallel path to the line of your cue as you are holding it right now... so remember the angle... next, pick up your cue tip and your cue... and line yourself up behind the cue ball so that you will be hitting the cue ball at the exact same angle (as you were at when pointing at the center of the pocket).

4. When properly aligned at the correct angle, hit the cue ball with a medium stroke and with a touch of running english... and you should hit the target ball with a full-face hit after contacting 2 rails. If you don't hit it... or don't hit it full in the face, re-assess your angle... and if correct, adjust your speed of shot... and/or the amount of running english you're applying until you hit the object ball full in the face.

Set an object ball and the cue ball at various other places on the table... and try this technique over and over... it really works!!
 
cigardave said:
I can't diagram it... but perhaps I can explain it better... let's see:

1. Find the mid-point between the cue ball and the ball that you are trying to hit by going 2-rails.

2. Once you have located the mid-point, position the tip of your cue on top of it and leave the tip there for the next steps... next, swing the butt of your cue to your right or your left so that your cue ends up pointing at the center of the corner pocket in the general direction that you want to start the 2-rail kick. Remember to leave the tip on the mid-point!!! (note: you can literally select any of the four corner pockets to point at... at this time, but which corner pocket should be selected will become obvious in a short time)

3. The key point is next... you need to really focus on the exact direction/angle that your cue is pointing when pointed at the center of the corner pocket... because you will need to hit the cue ball on a parallel path to the line of your cue as you are holding it right now... so remember the angle... next, pick up your cue tip and your cue... and line yourself up behind the cue ball so that you will be hitting the cue ball at the exact same angle (as you were at when pointing at the center of the pocket).

4. When properly aligned at the correct angle, hit the cue ball with a medium stroke and with a touch of running english... and you should hit the target ball with a full-face hit after contacting 2 rails. If you don't hit it... or don't hit it full in the face, re-assess your angle... and if correct, adjust your speed of shot... and/or the amount of running english you're applying until you hit the object ball full in the face.

Set an object ball and the cue ball at various other places on the table... and try this technique over and over... it really works!!
Click to expand...


To help the visualization process. imagine the line from the CB to the first rail, the line from the second rail to the OB & the middle line to the corner pocket are all running paralell to each other (if one is crooked, you miss....)

Its actually easier to play this shot if the OB is actually off the 2nd rail a bit. (The nearer it is to the 2nd rail the shorter your imagonary line)
 
I like these shots when the object ball is closer to the bottom rail but this far out, I would not play the reverse english kick. I would be playing a safe putting the one ball back up by the 3 and rolling the cue ball to the opposite side rail. Especially seeing where the 2 is.

ez
 
Just to clarify, the diagram was not meant to illustrate a game situation, only to show the kick. The other balls are there to block the natural one-rail kick.
 
cigardave said:
I can't diagram it... but perhaps I can explain it better... let's see:

1. Find the mid-point between the cue ball and the ball that you are trying to hit by going 2-rails.

2. Once you have located the mid-point, position the tip of your cue on top of it and leave the tip there for the next steps... next, swing the butt of your cue to your right or your left so that your cue ends up pointing at the center of the corner pocket in the general direction that you want to start the 2-rail kick. Remember to leave the tip on the mid-point!!! (note: you can literally select any of the four corner pockets to point at... at this time, but which corner pocket should be selected will become obvious in a short time)

3. The key point is next... you need to really focus on the exact direction/angle that your cue is pointing when pointed at the center of the corner pocket... because you will need to hit the cue ball on a parallel path to the line of your cue as you are holding it right now... so remember the angle... next, pick up your cue tip and your cue... and line yourself up behind the cue ball so that you will be hitting the cue ball at the exact same angle (as you were at when pointing at the center of the pocket).

4. When properly aligned at the correct angle, hit the cue ball with a medium stroke and with a touch of running english... and you should hit the target ball with a full-face hit after contacting 2 rails. If you don't hit it... or don't hit it full in the face, re-assess your angle... and if correct, adjust your speed of shot... and/or the amount of running english you're applying until you hit the object ball full in the face.

Set an object ball and the cue ball at various other places on the table... and try this technique over and over... it really works!!
Click to expand...

yEAH, THIS IS WHAT i WAS TRYING TO SAY ONLY SAID BETTER.
 
jondrums said:
PROG8R-
that's a nice method.
Its described visually at the bottom of this page:
http://www.jimloy.com/billiard/kick3.htm
originally suggested by Billy_Bob

Its a decent method when at least the OB is close to the pocket, and even better when both CB and OB are close.
Jon
Click to expand...


Sorry, that link is blocked from my work "personal pages" so I could not read it.
 
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