Mosconi's full table length cueball bounce

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3RAILKICK

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I recently read that Mosconi would end an exhibition with a 'cueball in left pocket' shot.

If I understand this correctly, he would shoot from one end of the table and make the cb bounce back to him fully airborne off the end rail, catch it with his left hand and put it in his left pants pocket.

How do you do that-safely? ;)

And is it true that you can relieve a fresh blood blister under your fingernail(s) with a red-hot needle? ...as in smashing fingernail(s) with hammer/cueball attempting to short hop the catch:embarrassed2:

I promise not to sue anybody who can help with advice. I am pursuing this based solely on my own lack of good sense and a tanking shotmaking skillset.

thanks, uh...I think.
 
3RAILKICK said:
I recently read that Mosconi would end an exhibition with a 'cueball in left pocket' shot.

If I understand this correctly, he would shoot from one end of the table and make the cb bounce back to him fully airborne off the end rail, catch it with his left hand and put it in his left pants pocket.

How do you do that-safely? ;)

And is it true that you can relieve a fresh blood blister under your fingernail(s) with a red-hot needle? ...as in smashing fingernail(s) with hammer/cueball attempting to short hop the catch:embarrassed2:

I promise not to sue anybody who can help with advice. I am pursuing this based solely on my own lack of good sense and a tanking shotmaking skillset.

thanks, uh...I think.
Click to expand...

shoot straight into the end rail with as much top as you can the closer you are to the rail the easier it is to do.. full table takes a heck of a good stroke
 
I have this shot on a VHS tape called Sports Teaching Video- "BILLIARDS".
This was copyrighted in 1985 and if I remember correctly Willie slips the cue ball in his suit jacket pocket when he catches it.

I will have to watch it again this weekend.
 
3RAILKICK said:
... How do you do that-safely? ;)
...
Click to expand...
You don't, but jack up a little and shoot hard. The shot depends a lot on the cloth. With the old, thick cloth, the shot was easier. Try not to hit the light. I think I shot the shot best the first year I played -- after that I got smart enough to be afraid of breaking things.
 
3RAILKICK said:
I recently read that Mosconi would end an exhibition with a 'cueball in left pocket' shot.

If I understand this correctly, he would shoot from one end of the table and make the cb bounce back to him fully airborne off the end rail, catch it with his left hand and put it in his left pants pocket.

How do you do that-safely? ;)

And is it true that you can relieve a fresh blood blister under your fingernail(s) with a red-hot needle? ...as in smashing fingernail(s) with hammer/cueball attempting to short hop the catch:embarrassed2:

I promise not to sue anybody who can help with advice. I am pursuing this based solely on my own lack of good sense and a tanking shotmaking skillset.

thanks, uh...I think.
Click to expand...

I have always seen this shot performed from the width of the table, not lengthwise. Must be a good stroke. The person would call cue ballin the "side pocket"...then jump off the rail, catch it and place it in their sports coat pocket. :D

As far as the blood trapped under your fingernail, my Dad would have this happen occasionally as he was a carpenter. I would see him sitting at the tv and using his pocket knife.....would spin it....point down towards the nail...until he would "drill" a hole in the nail to relive the pressure.

I had that happen one time at work. I smashed my index finger. My whole left arm and leg was killing me due to the pressure. I went to the doctor and he used a drill to relieve the pressure by drilling into the nail. When he hit the "gusher", the blood shot to the ceiling. I could literally feel the pain going up from my leg and arm and out through the hole that the doctor made.

I feel for you. Use the knife method. It may hurt slightly because of the light pressure you are using (it will feel like 5 lbs of weight), but you will be relieved when it breaks through the nail.
 
It was fairly safe shot for Mosconi. After he caught the ball he put it in his jacket. I watched it several times and only once did he not get the c/b high enough. Its not a super stroke just hit down firm with center ball. I am guessing but I imagine it hits the end rail on the second hop. I have done it many times.

Also I believe at that time Brunswick had slightly thicker slate. That makes the rebound higher. I am real sure the rail height at that time was slightly lower as well. I remember balls would bounce with little force on the old Brunswick's. One last point is most pool rooms had ceiling lights. At that time overhanging lights was not common.

Today's tables have higher rails and thinner slate. There are exceptions but in general. So it takes more force to shoot the same shot. I tried it a few years ago. Now I think its a risky shot.

Rod
 
mosconi also did a trick where he would bounce off a rail on one table to an adjacent one and pocket a ball hanging in a corner pocket.
 
3RAILKICK said:
I recently read that Mosconi would end an exhibition with a 'cueball in left pocket' shot.

If I understand this correctly, he would shoot from one end of the table and make the cb bounce back to him fully airborne off the end rail, catch it with his left hand and put it in his left pants pocket.

How do you do that-safely? ;)

And is it true that you can relieve a fresh blood blister under your fingernail(s) with a red-hot needle? ...as in smashing fingernail(s) with hammer/cueball attempting to short hop the catch:embarrassed2:

I promise not to sue anybody who can help with advice. I am pursuing this based solely on my own lack of good sense and a tanking shotmaking skillset.

thanks, uh...I think.
Click to expand...


It's not hard to do. One year after he gave an exhibition we all ran to our pool hall and shot it over and over, until we put one in the lights :-o

One wrinkle to the shot that I don't think has been mentioned is that he would surround the left side pocket on the table with balls and then call, "Cue ball in the left side pocket." And everyone would go, "How's he going to make THAT happen?!" And he'd jack up, bounce the ball off the end rail, catch it on the fly in his bridge hand about shoulder height, and then gently place the ball in the left side pocket of his sports coat.

Lou Figueroa
 
Another variation is to shoot cue ball set stick on table ball hit's shaft [use someone elses],jumps up ,catch it ,walk over drop in pocket.
 
I did this shot by accident once and it was no where near safe. I was really made because I just missed a 9-ball and was 2 and out in a tournament that I should have done much better. I shot the cue ball hard down the table and it flew back and just about took my head off. Not the smartest move in the world but it is one I haven't repeated.
 
Don't know how to make the shot. lol

But know how to relieve the pressure use a very small drill bit and just turn it by hand. When it breaks through, it will feel weird especially if your putting too much pressure on the drill bit and it hits the skin underneath. The other person is absolutely correct that the blood will shoot out. When I was first told this probabley about forty plus years ago, I thought the person was giving me a line of bs. But my finger was throbbing so much I said Fu*k it and tried it. After putting the first hole in I put in a couple more more just to get rid of everything I could. I've done it a few times since whenever the situation has happened.
 
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I did this shot on accident once. Was practicing my break on a empty table and the cue must have caught some air before it hit the back rail. When it came back towards me it was airborn and lucky my hand eye coordination kicked in because I caught it without thinking about it. My friend standing next to me said "WTF!".:thumbup:
 
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