Position Play: Straight-In Shots

[Matt]

As most of us know, leaving yourself straight-in or nearly straight-in on a shot when you don't want it can bring a relatively easy run to a screeching halt. Especially devastating is the straight-in shot along a rail when you want to be on the other side/end of the table next shot.

I would like to hear any ideas on how to avoid leaving yourself straight-in and how to recover once you are already there (because even if you don't do it to yourself, your opponent might). In particular, I'd like to hear about the case where the CB and OB are both on the same rail. Can you reliably pocket the OB and get the CB across the table, or do you have to just take your medicine and deal with leaving the CB near the rail if you want to make the shot?

 

[Cory in DC]

As most of us know, leaving yourself straight-in or nearly straight-in on a shot when you don't want it can bring a relatively easy run to a screeching halt. Especially devastating is the straight-in shot along a rail when you want to be on the other side/end of the table next shot.

I would like to hear any ideas on how to avoid leaving yourself straight-in and how to recover once you are already there (because even if you don't do it to yourself, your opponent might). In particular, I'd like to hear about the case where the CB and OB are both on the same rail. Can you reliably pocket the OB and get the CB across the table, or do you have to just take your medicine and deal with leaving the CB near the rail if you want to make the shot?

Well, when both the CB and OB are frozen to the rail, you can always hit the CB firmly into the rail to make the ball rail first and get the CB off the rail.

Back in Chicago, I remember Jamaican Aaron hitting this shot very well:

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Basically, he would jack up, and jump the cueball slightly, make the OB, have the cue-ball pop up and hit the edge of the rail and then run all the way across table. It requires a very slight angle on the shot.

Cory

 

[longhair]

Cory, if the OB is off the rail you can play that shot as a masse and get away from the rail a foot or so


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[longhair]

You can also cheat the pocket to get enough angle to draw or follow out of trouble


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[Matt]

Basically, he would jack up, and jump the cueball slightly, make the OB, have the cue-ball pop up and hit the edge of the rail and then run all the way across table. It requires a very slight angle on the shot.

I've used that shot, or something very similar to it, in a ring game before, but don't have it down well enough that I'd want to play it in a situation where I could play defense instead. Fun to see the looks on everyone's faces when you can pull it off, though. :smile:

 

[Matt]

You can also cheat the pocket to get enough angle to draw or follow out of trouble

I find that there's something very satisfying about shooting a straight-in shot to a corner by cheating slightly towards the long rail with inside/follow to bring the CB 2 rails around that corner pocket and back up table. It's a nice shot to know when the OB is close to the pocket and there's too much distance to the CB to feel good about the draw shot.

 

[Cory in DC]

Cory, if the OB is off the rail you can play that shot as a masse and get away from the rail a foot or so


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Indeed, but the jump shot sends the cue all the way to the other end of the table!

I've pulled it off in a match a few times. Not a high %, but as Matt said, a lot of fun when you pull it off.

 

[JoeyInCali]

Parallel left english works on this shot unless you have a light-front shaft.
Or rail first but it's harder.

 

[peteypooldude]

Practice your "rail first" shots. You can play these pocket speed

 

[owll]

i like the rail first shot, it looks real cool with draw and running english

 

[Matt]

Practice your "rail first" shots. You can play these pocket speed

How far away from the pocket and how far off the rail are you comfortable playing rail first? Within a diamond away from the pocket and about a half ball off the rail, I wouldn't hesitate, but shooting rail-first in tougher conditions would be a "low percentage" (less than 90%) shot for me. I probably wouldn't even consider it from more than 2 diamonds away from the pocket.

 

[victorl]

To avoid leaving myself straight in, I always make sure the cue ball is rolling with a little pace when it hits the end rail so it will bounce and leave an angle. Try to float the cue ball softly into position without a specific goal in mind and you'll find your subconscious will put the cue ball perfectly in line with the object ball because you didn't specify otherwise. The subconscious is a powerful thing.

 

[takeitdown]

Well, when both the CB and OB are frozen to the rail, you can always hit the CB firmly into the rail to make the ball rail first and get the CB off the rail.

Back in Chicago, I remember Jamaican Aaron hitting this shot very well:

[/URL][/IMG]

Basically, he would jack up, and jump the cueball slightly, make the OB, have the cue-ball pop up and hit the edge of the rail and then run all the way across table. It requires a very slight angle on the shot.

Cory

If the two balls are within about 2 inches or less of the rail you can kick into the rail with draw and you cue ball will go up table. I can do this full table pretty easily. I mostly shoot it when balls are on short rail. Practice it a little and it is pretty natural.

 

[driven]

play for the angle you want to avoid getting straight. Do it good.
aside from that..

If the distance is short, and the balls are close together, the trick shots described here work very well.

If the ob is within a couple feet from a corner pocket, no matter how far away the cue ball is, "closer is naturally better" go ahead and cheat the pocket a little with some spin to get out of there.

If the straight shot is frozen to the rail with distance and the side pocket between them, shoot away from the rail with some back to the rail spin.
No guarantee on this shot... Forget about getting across the table.
Although there may be people that pull this shot off....
I have never seen it.

If there is distance from the pocket, and from the ob to the cue ball, just make the shot. Go foward or back if you like, and take your medicine.

best of luck
steven

 

[zpele]

Cory, if the OB is off the rail you can play that shot as a masse and get away from the rail a foot or so


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There is a trick shot that uses this principle. You have the one ball and the cue ball in a straight line to a corner pocket along the end rail and a line of balls forming a wall on the side of the one ball. The object of the shot is to get the cue ball down to the opposite side of the table after making the one ball without touching any of the other balls on the table.

In order to perform the shot you jack up and strike down on the outside of the cue ball. I think it's more of a jump shot than a Masse but the cueball doesn't jump until it makes contact with the object ball at which point the spin makes the cueball jump towards the side and spin just past the opposite side pocket off the side rail to get a leave on the opposite end rail.

 

[driven]

In the second post, if in the picture the balls are just off the rail, say within a chalks width, maybe more with practice, a person could jack up, hit it firm to left center pocket, and cue ball jumps a little and lands on the edge of the rail bouncing out towards center table.
not a hard shot.

steven

 

[Andrew Manning]

When playing position for a ball on the rail, whenever possible I like to hit that rail and have the CB bounce out a little for position, as opposed to trying to stop the CB on its way to the rail. It's much much easier to get a good angle when you can hit the rail and come off a little.

Also, next time you get straight on on a shot down the rail when you didn't want to, ask yourself what thought was in your head when you played the previous shot. I often find that I was thinking "play the 7 with high left to get down to the other end of the table for the 8" or something. Don't think "get down to the other end of the table," or your subconscious mind will follow those instructions too well. Instead think about exactly how far you have to be off that end rail to have the angle you want to get to the 9.

Lastly, choose your positional routes to come in along the line of the next shot instead of across it, and you'll have much better control over your angle. This is fundamental stuff that every decent player knows, but sometimes we need a little reminding.

-Andrew

 

[Wileydog]

Well, when both the CB and OB are frozen to the rail, you can always hit the CB firmly into the rail to make the ball rail first and get the CB off the rail.

Back in Chicago, I remember Jamaican Aaron hitting this shot very well:

[/URL][/IMG]

Basically, he would jack up, and jump the cueball slightly, make the OB, have the cue-ball pop up and hit the edge of the rail and then run all the way across table. It requires a very slight angle on the shot.

Cory

You can use back hand english for this.
Line up center ball aiming slightly to the right of the 11 ball.
Rotate up to about 10 o'clock.
Hit with a lot of speed and follow through.

The 11 will go into the corner and the cue ball will carom about 20 degrees up to the side rail.
With the left spin and speed, it will bank down the table about 2 diamonds past the side pocket, setting up for a shot at a ball on the other end rail.


You can do this even if the balls are a quarter inch from the rail. The cue ball never hits the end rail before or after hitting the 11 ball.

 

[The Kiss]

Twist your wrist/cue to the left as you hit the cue ball creates a stun effect and the cue goes down table. Hard to master but it works

 

[rookiepsu]

You can also use front-hand english (which is easier for me). Line up center ball and twist the bridge to the left while keeping the back hand in place. Nice smooth follow-through.