most amazing shot you have seen?

To me, for a shot to qualify as the best I've ever seen, it has to be executed in a position in which even a highly skilled player would conclude that no possible shot existed. While I was sweating one of Leonardo Andam's matches with Jose Parica, he and I both concluded Andam, facing the position diagrammed below, would have to play some kind of safety here, as no shot was available. The seven was not frozen to the bottom rail, so numerous defensive options were available, including the soft kick Parica predicted Andam would play.

Actually, a three cushion billiards player is far more likely to find the shot available here than a pool player. It's a shot I've played many times on a billiard table, but I'd never seen it attempted or recognized it on a pool table. In three cushion, the shot Andam found is called "double the short rail." He hit the seven ball as full as he could with high left english, and the cue ball hit the short rail, then the long rail, and bent back to the short rail to knock in the nine.

When a player makes a shot in a position where it does not appear there is one, it's truly amazing. Sorry, no video of this shot, which occurred in Chelmsford, Massachussets in 1997.
 

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Earl Strickland kick-banked a ball cross side on ESPN in 1997 or 1998. I don't know if he intended that shot, but I made it personally sometime the next week.

In Winning One Pocket, Bucktooth is purported to play a jump shot on a ball in One Pocket, and the cue landed in the stack, and he ran out. I made the same shot, except I could see the ball straight in, when a dude broke super safe in a money Last Pocket 8 Ball game. i ran out from there.. :D

Last but not least, I banked a ball intentionally three rails cross side, like one of the shots in "Banking with the Beard". It was in the last rack of a three rack run in 8 ball...

I am not trying to brag, it's just that I've personally made most of the awesome shots I've seen, heh heh..

Russ
 
it may not be the most exciting shots ever, but I've seen Efren make about 200 of the coolest billiard/kick shots playing 1pocket! in the begining your like...lucky!....then after few dozen perfect moves it's humbling enough to take up quilting!:)

Gerry
 
eight on the break

X Breaker said:
What is the most amazing shot you have seen? Any videos?

Thank you.

Richard

I have mentioned it before but I had a guy call the pocket and make the eight ball three times on the break playing on an eight footer. He pocketed it in the corner the first time and twice in the side. He called it in the side the third time and was dead inline but less than an inch short. I'm not sure that he didn't ease off the gas because I had announced this was the last time I was watching the eight fall. This was a stranger who came through. I lost the coin toss and was three games down after three breaks. Never saw him again but he did have a passing resemblance to a young Johnny Archer. I'll never know.

Hu
 
ShootingArts said:
I have mentioned it before but I had a guy call the pocket and make the eight ball three times on the break playing on an eight footer. He pocketed it in the corner the first time and twice in the side. He called it in the side the third time and was dead inline but less than an inch short. I'm not sure that he didn't ease off the gas because I had announced this was the last time I was watching the eight fall. This was a stranger who came through. I lost the coin toss and was three games down after three breaks. Never saw him again but he did have a passing resemblance to a young Johnny Archer. I'll never know.

Hu

Hmm.. Must be something about 8 footers. I had a barracks table dialed in like that one day. Really made my fellow soldier mad.

Russ
 
TannerPruess said:
Deuel's draw shot with the cueball very close to the rail in the Mosconi Cup a few years back.
What about shots you witnessed in person? Or shots you have made yourself? Any video?

Take care,
Richard
 
sjm said:
To me, for a shot to qualify as the best I've ever seen, it has to be executed in a position in which even a highly skilled player would conclude that no possible shot existed. While I was sweating one of Leonardo Andam's matches with Jose Parica, he and I both concluded Andam, facing the position diagrammed below, would have to play some kind of safety here, as no shot was available. The seven was not frozen to the bottom rail, so numerous defensive options were available, including the soft kick Parica predicted Andam would play.

Actually, a three cushion billiards player is far more likely to find the shot available here than a pool player. It's a shot I've played many times on a billiard table, but I'd never seen it attempted or recognized it on a pool table. In three cushion, the shot Andam found is called "double the short rail." He hit the seven ball as full as he could with high left english, and the cue ball hit the short rail, then the long rail, and bent back to the short rail to knock in the nine.

When a player makes a shot in a position where it does not appear there is one, it's truly amazing. Sorry, no video of this shot, which occurred in Chelmsford, Massachussets in 1997.
This is awesome, thank you for sharing.
 
I wasn't mad

Russ Chewning said:
Hmm.. Must be something about 8 footers. I had a barracks table dialed in like that one day. Really made my fellow soldier mad.

Russ


I wasn't mad myself, just curious. Matter of fact, I was the one racking and made very sure every one was perfect after he called the pocket the first time. I wasn't totally crazy though, I was shelling out every time he broke. The first time was hard to call luck when he had called the pocket. The second time was less likely. The third time I was starting to be a believer. Had it fell the fourth time I would have seen enough. Sometimes you just have to pay the price of the admission to see the show though.

Hu
 
TannerPruess said:
Deuel's draw shot with the cueball very close to the rail in the Mosconi Cup a few years back.

Agreed. Against Nick Vandenburg I believe. This was the shot that came to mind when I saw the topic. I'm not even sure the ball was off the rail at all? Anyway, it was an insanely good shot to pull off, let alone under pressure. I have the video of this Mosconi somewhere and I kept it mainly because of that shot.

Come to think of it, there's another shot that Deuel did against Immonen in the 2004 or 2005 WPC which was pretty damn impressive too. No wonder I love watching him play.
 
ShootingArts said:
I wasn't mad myself, just curious. Matter of fact, I was the one racking and made very sure every one was perfect after he called the pocket the first time. I wasn't totally crazy though, I was shelling out every time he broke. The first time was hard to call luck when he had called the pocket. The second time was less likely. The third time I was starting to be a believer. Had it fell the fourth time I would have seen enough. Sometimes you just have to pay the price of the admission to see the show though.

Hu

Well, on my barracks table, I made it in the side pocket three times in a row. I used a second ball break, and hit the break with bottom left. I shoot this break off the side rail. It took a certain stroke, and if a good stroke is not put on it, you scratch a lot. I have found that this break often moves the eight ball directly towards the opposite side pocket. I don't know if the bootm left is necessary, it was just the standard second ball 8 ball break I used to use.

My fellow soldier told me after the second 8 ball break, that if I made it again on the break, he'd never play pool with me again. And we never played again..:D :D

Russ
 
> SJM,Grady showed me that shot as a way to bank a ball from where the 7 lies,and using the cue ball path you describe as a way to keep the cue ball uptable close to the rail,in case of a miss,in 1995. I totally agree,a great shot. In Grady's case,he used the 9,and his example was that the match was hill-hill,your shot,and in case you miss it,you might leave a long,tough shot that less than a world-class player might not pocket every time.


> That Corey Deuel draw shot ranks right up there with the best I've seen too. I'll draw it out.


http://CueTable.com/P/?@3BaiR4CVwl2...VGCj1VbRP1VPDo2lXhj3lcEM3laqR3laiR3laiR3laaR@


Corey is hooked by the 6 ball,playing Steve Davis during the Mosconi Cup 3 years ago I think. He pushes out to point A,and has this look on his face like he can't believe where the cue ball got,which was frozen on the point. The 2 ball may have been a hair off the rail,and it looked like he caught it rail-first. The cue ball moved out off the rail after contact,then curved when the spin grabbed,and slung the cue ball into this path stopping at about point B. Just downright awesome,and be damned if he DIDN'T get out. I asked him about this shot in Akron once,and he said he would show it to me,but I didn't have the time to really wait,he was in the middle of a practice set with Aaron. He said if he's playing good this shot is like a 70/30 proposition,enough that he feels confident in making it regardless of the heat. Tommy D.
 
I once drew a guy who I shoot with quite often in our weekly amature 9-Ball tourny, and knowing that I wasn't nearly at the top of my game at that moment and that even when I am on the top of my game he is about 3 balls better than me, I decided to just have fun and try crazy shots. So, when I was left with a table that looked to only have opportunity to play a safe I attempted a cross rail kick combo shot into the nine (I wish I knew how to use the pool table diagrams because this shot was crazier than it sounds!). Wish I would have called it, but didn't think about it because it was 9 ball. To this day he doesnt believe that I did it on purpose, and tells me that it was a stupid shot to try, but I think he's just mad that I put him in the loosers bracket. That one shot gave me all my convidence back, and suddenly it was like I couldnt miss. Gotta love those moments :cool:
 
despotic931 said:
I once drew a guy who I shoot with quite often in our weekly amature 9-Ball tourny, and knowing that I wasn't nearly at the top of my game at that moment and that even when I am on the top of my game he is about 3 balls better than me, I decided to just have fun and try crazy shots. So, when I was left with a table that looked to only have opportunity to play a safe I attempted a cross rail kick combo shot into the nine (I wish I knew how to use the pool table diagrams because this shot was crazier than it sounds!). Wish I would have called it, but didn't think about it because it was 9 ball. To this day he doesnt believe that I did it on purpose, and tells me that it was a stupid shot to try, but I think he's just mad that I put him in the loosers bracket. That one shot gave me all my convidence back, and suddenly it was like I couldnt miss. Gotta love those moments :cool:
It really is a great feeling when you're freewheeling and you make the shot. Actually, you just reminded me of the two most amazing shots I've ever seen.

I was watching Larry Nevel play someone (no idea who, some local guy) about 4 or 5 years ago. I don't remember what the situation was, but he attempted a three rail bank into the 9 ball, which was sitting in the middle of the table. This was no hanger by any means, it was at least two diamonds towards center table. Well, he missed it but not by much. He was not happy about it. I think the other guy might have won that game, I don't remember.

Anyways, he's really ticked that he just missed the shot (Not that he missed it, but that it was so close and he missed it. We've all been there!), so in the next game or two, he tries it again. Normally this shot would be completely uncalled for, but the other guy was outclassed anyways. Banks the lowest ball three rails (with plenty of traffic, mind you), the nine ball was even further from a pocket than last time, and it just splits the pocket. It was amazing. To see it two games in a row was just astonishing.

I really miss the days when Larry would come to the pool hall I frequented. It was like having God on the table next to you. I really improved my draw shot watching Larry. He was always great to watch, but that was the best thing I ever saw!
 
The best shot I saw in person went like this:

The 9 was hanging, and the 2 and 4 are tied up on the cushion, but is not wired to the 9.

The 8 is a bit off in front of the 9 about 2 feet.

The player shot into the 2, double kissed it to hit the 8, carom to make the 9.
 
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A Month Ago!

I was playing 9 ball. I broke and made 3 balls on the break. My next shot was straight in on the 1 ball. No problem. The next shot was a wonder to behold. I had the 8 ball sitting in the jaws of the bottom right pocket. The 3 ball was about 2 feet up the table and a foot and a half off the right rail. I figure I could easily cut the 3 into the 8. I shot the 3 ball into the 8 and they both droped. The cue ball continued down table and hit the 6 ball sending it into the 4 ball which went into the pocket opposite where the 3 & 8 went in. Then the 6 ball came up the table and went into the side pocket above where the 4 ball went. That left me straight in on the 9 ball. I was playing a game and my opponant couldn't believe it. I had a hard time believing it myself. You got my word on it and I have a witness. I have never seen anything like it!
Purdman :rolleyes:
 
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