Shooting off the rail

Houstoer

Houstoer

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
What the hell is the secret? I'm ok at it but not as good as I want to be especially with long shots where the cue ball is against the rail. I watched Jimmy Reid's videos and he says don't ever stop you backswing but when i do that I miss every time. I know practice will cure all just wanted to know if there is something someone does that helps. thanks !
 
Its a tough shot. It brings many variables in play.

Try and bridge as far back off the table as you can, jack your cue up a little extra and really really focus on delivering a straight stroke. Try and and be smooth and not pokey or jab at it. Oh and plenty of chalk. ;)
 
Closed bridge

It is very difficult to try to balance your hand and be stable with an open bridge on the rail , players have developed this shot but even the good players miscue from time to time.

Watch 3 cushion players if you can. They use a closed bridge and have plenty of power for long shots with spin. Make a fist with a closed bridge to get familar with the feel, hand on the rail. (you willl eventually develop your particular version of this bridge) Set many balls next to the rail and simply shoot them into a pocket with your new closed bridge, it will take a "few hundred" shots to get the comfort , but it is worth it.
 
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I aim then look thru the object ball to a spot on the rail or in the pocket.
Short stroke helps. Chalk up good.
 
Rail shots

Houstoer said:
What the hell is the secret? I'm ok at it but not as good as I want to be especially with long shots where the cue ball is against the rail. I watched Jimmy Reid's videos and he says don't ever stop you backswing but when i do that I miss every time. I know practice will cure all just wanted to know if there is something someone does that helps. thanks !
Click to expand...

Chalk up. Level cue. Practice. Play the bounce off the rail.
 
If I'm shooting a long shot off the rail I will sometimes look at the cue ball when i am delivering the cue to make sure I am hitting the exact point I want.
 
henho said:
If I'm shooting a long shot off the rail I will sometimes look at the cue ball when i am delivering the cue to make sure I am hitting the exact point I want.
Click to expand...
I think this gets closest to the reason rail shots are hard: if you hit a tiny bit offcenter on the CB it will curve a lot (because you're hitting downward on it, causing "masse" spin).

In other words be sure you hit the CB dead center, even if that means you have to look at while hitting it.

pj
chgo
 
ajrack said:
It is very difficult to try to balance your hand and be stable with an open bridge on the rail , players have developed this shot but even the good players miscue from time to time.

Watch 3 cushion players if you can. They use a closed bridge and have plenty of power for long shots with spin. Make a fist with a closed bridge to get familar with the feel, hand on the rail. (you willl eventually develop your particular version of this bridge) Set many balls next to the rail and simply shoot them into a pocket with your new closed bridge, it will take a "few hundred" shots to get the comfort , but it is worth it.
Click to expand...

Interesting not many 3 cushion players around here but I'll try to look at some youtube and get back to my table to try this. thanks
 
One trick I picked up, I think in Flemming's Creative Edge video, was with your back hand to apply a twisting downward motion. This will force the cue down and tighter in the V of your bridge, helping to prevent it from riding up and over the cue ball and miscuing.
 
Houstoer said:
What the hell is the secret? I'm ok at it but not as good as I want to be especially with long shots where the cue ball is against the rail. I watched Jimmy Reid's videos and he says don't ever stop you backswing but when i do that I miss every time. I know practice will cure all just wanted to know if there is something someone does that helps. thanks !
Click to expand...

Watch some snooker videos....the best of the rail shooters press the whole
cue down onto their bridge...short back-stroke, short follow-through.
...and I prefer looking at the cue-ball last.

...a loose grip doesn't get it in this spot
 
pt109...I have to completely disagree with you here. When the CB is frozen on the rail, you shoot it the same way you would any other shot. Smooth backswing, and accelerate though the CB, with a LOOSE grip. Tightening the grip is rarely, if ever, necessary...regardless of the shot (even the break). We never recommend "pressing the cue down"...and we certainly don't want to see the cue up in the air at the end of the stroke.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

pt109 said:
Watch some snooker videos....the best of the rail shooters press the whole
cue down onto their bridge...short back-stroke, short follow-through.
...and I prefer looking at the cue-ball last.

...a loose grip doesn't get it in this spot
Click to expand...
 
Listen up kids, when shooting at the cue ball on the rail, aim for the center axis of the cue ball and at the rail about a quarter of an inch BEHIND the cue ball. Yes I said aim at the rail directly behind the cue ball. You will NOT miscue and you WILL make a good hit! This one is not in any book yet :wink:.
 
Scott Lee said:
pt109...I have to completely disagree with you here. When the CB is frozen on the rail, you shoot it the same way you would any other shot. Smooth backswing, and accelerate though the CB, with a LOOSE grip. Tightening the grip is rarely, if ever, necessary...regardless of the shot (even the break). We never recommend "pressing the cue down"...and we certainly don't want to see the cue up in the air at the end of the stroke.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Click to expand...

Well, Scott, I rarely disagree with anything you say...but I've spent some
time in Britain and the snooker players there are the best I've ever seen
from the rail...they shoot level cue and press down....and I've seen no
better technique on this side of the pond.

Scott, I'd really like you to try it for a while and pm results.

regards
pt
 
measureman said:
I aim then look thru the object ball to a spot on the rail or in the pocket.
Short stroke helps. Chalk up good.
Click to expand...



I could not agree more, in fact the only thing I would add is a bottle of water and I don't mean the cheap stuff Evan or nothing!!!!!!:smile:
 
Try shooting off the rail with a 10mm tip or smaller. You'll be surprised how much easier it is. A big tip makes it harder 'cause you are forced to shoot higher on the cue ball.


If you think I'm crazy...well....:sorry:
 
I try to keep the cue as level as possible. The biggest mistake I see is players jacking up the rear of the cue and putting accidental masse on the cue ball. I guess it comes from fear of miscues. But a good tip chalked properly will not miscue on a level stroke. :cool:
 
ajrack said:
It is very difficult to try to balance your hand and be stable with an open bridge on the rail , players have developed this shot but even the good players miscue from time to time.

Watch 3 cushion players if you can. They use a closed bridge and have plenty of power for long shots with spin. Make a fist with a closed bridge to get familar with the feel, hand on the rail. (you willl eventually develop your particular version of this bridge) Set many balls next to the rail and simply shoot them into a pocket with your new closed bridge, it will take a "few hundred" shots to get the comfort , but it is worth it.
Click to expand...

Like this @ 7:15?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjcpOCR7YjU&list=PLE0D26C514E5D730B&index=41&feature=plpp_video
 
rail shots

OK, I've spent a LOT of time on this shot. Why? Well, when I was 17-18 and I played around the clock I shot them in like any other shot. These days they all look miss-able. In my quest to recapture the feel of my youth I have spent many, many hours practicing. Here's what I've found:

It is about sighting, not cueing. Here's what I mean. If the shot is easy, I have NO trouble delivering my cue. If I were to shoot the cue ball straight into a pocket, or if I'm kicking and aiming at a rail, it seems easy to make a good hit. If, on the other hand, I'm lagging a ball in that's in the middle of the table, my stroke seems to get more tentative. TRY IT OUT. Let me know if you find the same thing.

If you, like me, have no trouble shooting off the rail on kicks, hangers, etc., then face it. Your trouble isn't the bridge. It's a lack of confidence sighting the shot because you can't see the whole cue ball. I haven't found a great way to practice this, but I try to visualize the shot as if the rail wasn't there, then make sure I keep my line all the way into stance. SVB also does a lowering, even bobbing, technique. The point is to sight very well before getting down.

Finally, I recommend a flatter tip. I used to have a round tip, when I went to a flatter tip it seemed much easier to hit confidently.

OK, who's with me on this one?
 
jay helfert said:
Listen up kids, when shooting at the cue ball on the rail, aim for the center axis of the cue ball and at the rail about a quarter of an inch BEHIND the cue ball. Yes I said aim at the rail directly behind the cue ball. You will NOT miscue and you WILL make a good hit! This one is not in any book yet :wink:.
Click to expand...

What he says, and I shorten the backswing a little, move my grip up a little and bridge with my hand flat on the rail if possible.
 
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