shot selection

Harvywallbanger

Harvywallbanger

Josh Eisert
Silver Member
Hi guys. I am new to snooker and my high run is 49 to date. I have a question about balls being close to the rail and a couple feet or more away from the pocket. Should I set them up for a cross side bank or try to get the cue ball as close as possible and run it down the rail at slow speed? I watched one of those videos and saw Ronnie set it up for a bank in the side. If he is scared to run those shots down the rail then I sure in the hell won't try them anymore.

And also if you say bank them about how far off the rail would you suggest I go for the pot down the rail rather than the bank.

EXAMPLE: ball is off the rail 2 inches between the side and corner pocket. Run it into the corner or cross bank in the side...assuming you can get position for either.

Thanks for the help in advance.
 
If there is a ball on the rail, or within the distance you used in your example, it is a good idea to perhaps get it out of there. Usually - on most tables - it is my experince that the pockets won't accept these shots anyway. John Parrot had an instructional video where he showed how to get the balls out into the open and off the rails by using the white or the assistance of reds within the area to nudge those balls free. I remember seeing that on the BBC website a while back, I am not sure if it is still there or not.

If you do try to pot a red or a color off the rail, speed is always the most important factor. The ball has to "dribble" into the pocket. If it hits anything on its way in you'll end up having to sit down in your chair. Ronnie will use a bank shot whenever he has to, but none of us have been blessed with his accuracy or his confidence level, so personally (if I had no other shot) I would try to find a way to lock my opponent deep behind the D - or try to invent something else if I saw it.
 
Harvywallbanger said:
Hi guys. I am new to snooker and my high run is 49 to date. I have a question about balls being close to the rail and a couple feet or more away from the pocket. Should I set them up for a cross side bank or try to get the cue ball as close as possible and run it down the rail at slow speed? I watched one of those videos and saw Ronnie set it up for a bank in the side. If he is scared to run those shots down the rail then I sure in the hell won't try them anymore.

And also if you say bank them about how far off the rail would you suggest I go for the pot down the rail rather than the bank.

EXAMPLE: ball is off the rail 2 inches between the side and corner pocket. Run it into the corner or cross bank in the side...assuming you can get position for either.

Thanks for the help in advance.
Click to expand...

I doubt Ronnie is scared of any shot. I haven't seen the video, but I'm guessing he had already run a break in excess of 74 points, in which case he is trying for the century. Thus even if he misses he still wins the frame.

If Ronnie went for the bank it was probably all he could get too, and/or he was in desperation mode (need to run out to win). Another possibility is that he was trying to get position.

My first preference in this scenario is to get position on a colour and nudge the ball out (what Debra said). If that fails, I'd rather get position to run it down the rail. 2 inches out isn't that bad really (unless my perception of inches is off :) ).
 
Ignore the rail and just play the angle. Bang it in without thinking. They all go if you hit them right.

Boro Nut
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNXasU1Dfg4

It's in this game. It is at the end and he needed to run out for the win. He sets up for the bank but he could have gotten position for either. Even before he got to that ball the announcers were talking about how they don't know what he is going to do with the ball next to the rail. It wasn't frozen.
 
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