Position from recent game

[Robert Raiford]

What would you shoot in this position?:

Click for CueTable diagram (yellow ball is shooter)

This is #6 from a run of nine that I recently posted here on YouTube.

It's usually bad to leave a ball in the middle of the short rail because it's frequently difficult to play off of it as a 2nd ball or reach it for scoring as a 3rd ball unless the position is just right. It was even more difficult here where the white stopped so close to the cushion.

I think I could have avoided these problems by hitting the previous shot harder to ensure the red crossed the table, even at the expense of ending up farther from the white.

Robert

 

[Jerseychris]

One tip high right english thin off left side of red ball: short, long, short.

 

[jimshovak]

Maximum reverse.

Nice shot and also nice run, Robert. Make sure you don't do that when we play next time.

 

[Bob Jewett]

What would you shoot in this position?:
...

Did you consider this to be a 2-way shot in case the cue ball hit the long rail second or would the cue ball have snapped too short?

 

[Robert Raiford]

One tip high right english thin off left side of red ball: short, long, short.

I like that pattern when the ball is a little bigger, but the white seemed kind of small for it here and a likely sell-out if I missed. Also, that shot isn't so comfortable for a left-handed player like me in that particular layout.

Definitely a good option, though, unless the cloth is too old to keep the ball from picking up too much spin on the 2nd cushion and spinning short.

Robert

 

[Robert Raiford]

Nice shot and also nice run, Robert. Make sure you don't do that when we play next time.

Aww, come on Jim - how else am I going to get the boot from the B tour?

Robert

 

[Robert Raiford]

Did you consider this to be a 2-way shot in case the cue ball hit the long rail second or would the cue ball have snapped too short?

No, I think it's a 1-way because of it snapping too short as you mentioned. You have to pick one or the other, and this choice allows you to hit the short rail pretty much anywhere to score, as long as you pass the red on the way in.

I think missing the corner spin-out (long rail 2nd) would have send the cue ball out to the middle of the table and closer to the opponents cue ball, which wouldn't have gone as far either because of the thinner hit required.

I just ran 5 and wanted to squeeze a little to protect my lead. Missing the diagrammed shot would have just send the cue ball into the red and left them both on that end of the table. The opponent's cue ball double banks because of the fuller hit, and is down table for safety and position.

Robert

 

[Gongmyo]

For a righthander the long around off the left side of the red is a pretty good option.

 

[Robert Raiford]

For a righthander the long around off the left side of the red is a pretty good option.

I agree, and when the white is bigger I will play it. Especially if the table is fast enough to let me play it Sayginer-style as a 2-way shot (5 or 8 rails).

However in this particular case, the white is fairly small since it's almost frozen,and there are two kisses to worry about: hitting the red 2 rails into the white, and kissing the cue ball near the 4th rail). Also, you probably sell out if you miss since your cue ball will end up in the middle or in the lower-left corner, and the opponent will be near the red. The diagrammed shot avoids these problems by playing off of the small ball into a pattern with no kisses and built-in defense.

Robert

 

[Gongmyo]

Actually I had in mind the long around the other way, hitting the long rail close to the corner. The white is not all that small coming into it from that angle and it's fairly easy to control the speed and leave the yellow and red below the white in case of a miss. No kisses. But no likely position either. The way you shot it is undoubtedly the best way to go in that exact position.