Scratching in the side off the end rail

9BallPaul

9BallPaul

Banned
This faux-pas may now top my long list of player sins. I never see it coming. Usually it happens with no help from other balls, just straight into the side from even the near diamond. I can't shoot the cue ball into the side from there myself, but it finds the side constantly when I practice.

If that weren't enough, all the ticks, nicks and puffs of wind that occur on my table are driving me nuts, and the cueball straight into the side pocket -- off the first diamond of the end rail!.

Any advice? How do I protect myself against this calamity?
 
Last edited:
If anything I would say that you should know that angle by now. If you don't I suggest watching exactly where the CB goes every single time you hit it. When you start doing this you will store a wealth of knowledge of position shots in your mind without even knowing it.
 
Gunzby, I thank you...reading your post I realize that I need to do this, watch the cue ball more.
 
Kinister said in one of his videos to try whenever possible to make the CB take a line that goes through the center of the table. Going from a 1st rail contact through the center of the table will never result in a scratch.
dave
 
avoiding the side

Kid Delicious also recommends making sure the cue ball passes through the center of the table when traveling past the side pockets. That way you cannot scratch at all.
 
Yup, I can identify with this. I'm completely flabbergasted when it happens, a lot of the time. I've always had a problem with over-hitting shots, not sure if that has anything to do with it or not. Sure is a *****, though:confused:
 
The one that gets me is, playing guys that play around the sides and hit points and out for perfect shape or misses the shot and CB comes down hit the point and hooks me. I took the time to learn more shape options to avoid the side scratch.

Try this to help: set shots up and scratch in the side. Once you know what causes the scratch, avoid it! Crossing the middle is ideal, but we all know, ideal is usually reserved for pros.
 
9BallPaul said:
This faux-pas may now top my long list of player sins. I never see it coming. Usually it happens with no help from other balls, just straight into the side from even the near diamond. I can't shoot the cue ball into the side from there myself, but it finds the side constantly when I practice.

If that weren't enough, all the ticks, nicks and puffs of wind that occur on my table are driving me nuts, and the cueball straight into the side pocket -- off the first diamond of the end rail!.

Any advice? How do I protect myself against this calamity?
Click to expand...

When I scratch it's almost always in the side pocket. I guess I pay more attention to the corner pockets and I rarely scratch in a corner, but for some reason the side pockets sneak up on me and I scratch.

I lost a match last Monday in my 9 ball league because of scratching in the side pocket. The match was close until I lost the cue ball twice in the side pocket and both times it cost me a game in a short race to 9. My opponent was playing well and he didn't scratch at all so I couldn't afford to make those mistakes and both times I scratched it was a complete surprise because of the shots I made prior to the scratch. Once was off another ball in the side and the other time was a 2 rail position shot that went in the side off the second rail and that was my fault for not seeing the angle right.

James
 
Wow

9BallPaul said:
This faux-pas may now top my long list of player sins. I never see it coming. Usually it happens with no help from other balls, just straight into the side from even the near diamond. I can't shoot the cue ball into the side from there myself, but it finds the side constantly when I practice.

If that weren't enough, all the ticks, nicks and puffs of wind that occur on my table are driving me nuts, and the cueball straight into the side pocket -- off the first diamond of the end rail!.

Any advice? How do I protect myself against this calamity?
Click to expand...

I thought this malidy only existed in Texas.:p
 
This past Friday I put so much spin on the CB that it actually looked as though it was sucked into the side pocket from at least 6" out from the long rail ...

Looked like a Mike Massey trick shot, but I wasn't smiling ...
 
Reminds me of a favorite Earl-ism... "Did you see that pocket move"?
:thumbup:
 
End rail?

Isn't scratching in the side coming from the end rail supposed to be 'impossible' or at the least unlikely, under 23 degrees. Of course without table roll or hitting another ball involved??
Dan
 
Quesports said:
Isn't scratching in the side coming from the end rail supposed to be 'impossible' or at the least unlikely, under 23 degrees. Of course without table roll or hitting another ball involved??
Dan
Click to expand...

Apparently not. While this rarely happened to me when I first started playing, it seems to occur more often over the years.
 
Quesports said:
Isn't scratching in the side coming from the end rail supposed to be 'impossible' or at the least unlikely, under 23 degrees. Of course without table roll or hitting another ball involved??
Dan
Click to expand...

I have personally been at the receiving end of some absolutely eye popping scratches in the side from seemingly impossible angles off of the short rail. its usually the speed that is the greatest factor for me. a scratch won't occur at anything other than the perfect speed (where the cue ball just barely falls in the pocket).
 
I know what you mean!

JusticeNJ said:
I have personally been at the receiving end of some absolutely eye popping scratches in the side from seemingly impossible angles off of the short rail. its usually the speed that is the greatest factor for me. a scratch won't occur at anything other than the perfect speed (where the cue ball just barely falls in the pocket).
Click to expand...

I was playing in a tournament hill-hill shooting at the 8 in a nine ball game and the cueball came off the end rail and rolled towards the side pocket and the table roll sucked into the side. The match was to get into the finals. When it got near the side it almost went sideways to scratch. It was pretty funny cause it was inside the first diamond off the rail and we all watched it ( including the director and owner) slowly turn sideways and scratch. It was like watching a slow moving death as it crawled into the hole!! As I recall we all just got silent and then just laughed cause it was so ridiculous!!
Funny things happen on a pool table for sure!
Dan
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top