Shooting Off the Rail

S

SPINDOKTOR

lool wtf??
Silver Member
Shooting off the rail, this where you really appritiate a low deflection shaft.... Even wih the best of strokes sllow rolling a ball in the side, perhaps, is tough... the longer the distance the more difficult, with a taper close to the Z shaft from predator the Tiger Products "X" Shaft made these shots easier for me.. I was practicing this shot earlier today..

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The tables I play on have thin rails (Olhousen 9' Home table) and these rails shots are pretty difficult because its very hard to make a solid bridge..

i first tried this shot with my Fury RP 9 with the standard shaft, and no matter how well I stroked the shot I was hitting it like this..

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When I switched to the "X" Shaft I did nothing differnt and did pocket the ball clean..... Then I proceeded to run racks, I ran out everytime I had a shot and a decent layout, I wouldnt have thought a shaft could make such a big differnance, Ive used the WD700 Mezz shaft, whitch is very good IMHO, as well as the Predator 314, 314-2, and I have played with the Z-2 being this is my weakest shot on the table for some reason, I go here to test all new shafts.. Well Was my weakest shot.... I fear not this shot now. My point? I dont care how good your stroke is, some shots and situations your shaft is a liability. easpeacialy a standard maple shaft. What I dont understand is how people tell me other shafts deflect less, NOT ON THIS SHOT, Not for me.. So either they a full of it, or have never really tried this shaft, in a back to back test I have and these are my findings.
 
For a rail bridge, Allen Hopkins had a good tutorial on ESPN during a tips segment. Take your stance and place your hand against the rail with your body weight. Go ahead and make whatever V-shaped open bridge that is comfortable from that position. Keep your body weight against your bridge to keep stable.

It seems to me that a stable bridge on that type of shot is most important. It's already a bastard shot the way it is.
 
I miss this shot a lot. But I'm using a shaft which apply swerve very easily. A slightly jacked up will give quite much swerve.

It looks like a good practise for me. Next time I'm in a poolhall, I'll try these shot.
 
First and foremost when shooting off the rail, make sure you start with the ferrule on the cloth (rail) and finish with the shaft on the cloth(rail). Keeping the cue as level as possible any elevation will cause the cue ball to jump. Try it and let me know what you think.
 
Thats very good advice, and is what I do, this shot I actualy mark the rail with chalk with the tip. (nice little trick I learned while watching an acustats tape) The problem, seems to be that most shafts Ive tried, Push the cue ball off line just enough over a long distance to miss the shot. All the Predator shafts, and even the WD700 all do this, the "X" Shaft from tiger products is more consistant, IMHO, and on this shot in perticular the way it absorbs the impact makes this shot alot easier for me. I believe its due to the spine in the taper.. (Simular to the Z-2).

What I found that even if I made contact in the exact same place, other shafts seemed to throw the object ball into the cushion. It could be thier construction, im not sure, but I would like to try the OB-1 shaft on this shot as well. So Far The "X" Shaft is the superior shaft IMHO and is what Im going to use untill I find a shaft better. If you know me you know, Im all about performance, and thats what I play with.

What id would like to see is the "X" Shaft cut down to the same diameter as the Z-2 as the "X" Shaft is 12.5mm , I believe at this diameter the "X" Shaft would out perform the Z shaft, as IMHO it already outperforms the 314, 314-2 and even the WD700 Shaft, whitch would be my pick if it were not for the X shaft..

SPINDOKTOR

P.s. this is on a 9' table with NEW 760 Simionis cloth.


DennyS said:
First and foremost when shooting off the rail, make sure you start with the ferrule on the cloth (rail) and finish with the shaft on the cloth(rail). Keeping the cue as level as possible any elevation will cause the cue ball to jump. Try it and let me know what you think.
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