Instead of trying to take the CB one rail to the center-line of the table, I would have gone back and forth instead, allowing me to use a less tentative stroke on the 8. Same "in case I miss" position, but higher percentage of hitting the 8 accurately for me.
But in response to your question, on a reasonably tight table, I'm always thinking about "in case I miss" when deciding how to shoot a shot like this. You should never take a shot for granted, and also playing position on the shot makes it feel more natural. Every other shot in the rack, you're playing position. Psychologically, it helps to play position when you're shooting the 8 as well. And if you're playing position anyway, put it somewhere where the opponent won't like it if he happens to get back to the table.
Of course, once you're down on the shot, you should only be focusing your brain on your aim, speed, and tip placement, just like on every shot. You should not be thinking about missing, because we all know what usually happens when we do that.
-Andrew
