Simple situation and you must not dog it. How do you usually play it?

[CreeDo]

My video of this shot and trying all the possibilities. I say it's worth it to practice them all to make yourself familiar with how comfortable you are with each one AND also to learn how to do each one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6utA3gEecQ&feature=youtu.be

Good video. I think it really revealed some of the pros and cons.

One thing, I didn't mean to make anyone jack up on the rail. The rails are super skinny on the wei table. I was trying to draw the diagram so that you had at least a handspan off the rail and could bridge low comfortably (though you would be bridging on the rail, definitely no room to place your hand on the felt).

Cleary said it a while ago -

The wei tables make it strange to tell exactly how close the cueball is to the rail. If I can have a fairly level cue and not bridge off the rail, I wouldn't mind D, but if I'm bridging off the rail, A all day.

Obviously option D was a lot less reliable if one has to elevate and almost semi-curve the CB to bring it to the 2nd diamond.
See how you like the same shot with an extra 2-3 ball widths off the rail.

Your shot with pure top and a touch of outside, mentioned earlier, not only sounded very good in terms of cinching the ball
and making it unmissable... but you got great shape and were nowhere near a scratch or the rail.

Also, maybe this is just confirmation bias, but both times you went with route A you got pretty good on the ball.
Close to the rail the first time, but you're not really on the rail and worried about skimming off the top of the cue ball with the tip.

 

[backplaying]

I'm on D all day long for 3 reasons.

1) Spin: When cutting a ball to a pocket like diagrammed, it is too easy to hit the object ball into the rail. By using the right spin on the cue ball, the object ball is throwing to the left some, helping the ball to be pocketed. Spin also prevents the phenomena of "cling", when the CB and OB seem to stick together. Crazy things happen fron the results of "cling".

2) Bottom: Using the bottoms and having the CB travel further allows for a harder hit. That means the OB is hit harder and the table roll (if any) won't come into play. That type of harder hit is easier to control than a "baby" hit as required by the other shots.

3) The LINE: While any good player can and should be able to execute any of the options, the safest play is D. All anyone need to do to see that is look at each option and shape lines and ask where the CB would be if you hit too hard, then too soft. Note, in all of the options except D the CB is crossing the shape line. With D, the shape line and CB line are running parallel. That is a sign of good shape play. Whether the CB is hit too hard or too soft, the resulting shape is a very reasonable shot. Most good players (pros) I know always try to play shape coming into the line as opposed to crossing the line.

The two rail shape coming into the line is one of my lessons that students appreciate most.

That's my two cents.

We have a winner!

 

[JB Cases]

Good video. I think it really revealed some of the pros and cons.

One thing, I didn't mean to make anyone jack up on the rail. The rails are super skinny on the wei table. I was trying to draw the diagram so that you had at least a handspan off the rail and could bridge low comfortably (though you would be bridging on the rail, definitely no room to place your hand on the felt).

Cleary said it a while ago -


Obviously option D was a lot less reliable if one has to elevate and almost semi-curve the CB to bring it to the 2nd diamond.
See how you like the same shot with an extra 2-3 ball widths off the rail.

Your shot with pure top and a touch of outside, mentioned earlier, not only sounded very good in terms of cinching the ball
and making it unmissable... but you got great shape and were nowhere near a scratch or the rail.

Also, maybe this is just confirmation bias, but both times you went with route A you got pretty good on the ball.
Close to the rail the first time, but you're not really on the rail and worried about skimming off the top of the cue ball with the tip.

On the CueTable you can always leave the grid lines on which helps to show ball placement. As well you can stack balls and then use their ghost balls to indicate distance in ball widths. Putting the cue ball farther from the rail actually makes this shot much easier and in that case D, drawing two rails is the best option I would think.

As for Route A. The line to the 8 was flatter but with the cue ball being close to the rail and it being a "must win" situation I felt that it wasn't the best place to be in. I wasn't worried about the tip at all but just being on the rail means that any extra spin is going to throw the object ball slightly and that then leads to just barely missing the shot on these side pocket shots.

I think that the real key here is to really cinch the first the shot and make absolutely sure you don't miss it. Doing that with a plan in mind kind of leads to a good position on the 8 because by bearing down you are fixing the speed in your mind. Take it too lightly and you can easily underhit the position or overrun it. I think on all my shots I got the CB into decent enough position to make the 8 without too much trouble.

 

[cleary]

I went to the pool room last night and set these up exactly as it was diagrammed. I'm a terrible player and it's so hard to not get out from here. Everyone said that option A was too hard but you should be able to make this ball every single time no matter what kind of spin you're using. It's a hanger.

I didn't have a way to setup my phone to film this on something other than just setting it up on the table. Table isn't too tough. I wouldn't call it tight but two balls do not go in so I guess about 4.5". I pocketed the object ball with two tips of inside every time. I hit it bad once, still pocketed the ball and still had an easy shot on the 8, but I over ran the 8.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZ8BrOU3Wi8

After setting it up and trying the shots, I think D is the best, then A. I was worried D was too close to the rail and the spin+elevated cue would cause a little masse on the ball... but it was further off the rail than I thought. D is a 100% out. A is 99.98383% C.... 94%

 

[SmoothStroke]

Still like c

I will take c all day...center ball hit..probably shorten the angle a bit.
I think if I broke my leg while dropping in on the shot and screwed up...I will still have an easy shot in 1 of 3 pockets....If not I will break my other leg for the fun of it.

 

[SMG]

Assuming I need the last two balls to win 8-7 I would go three rails to get position on the 8 and my pocket :rotflmao:

 

[BeiberLvr]

Looks like Efren prefers route A

http://youtu.be/XW7E90taZH8?t=12m35s

 

[smoooothstroke]

A but...

I usually go high inside here but I realize it is not the best way to go and am working on changing that.IMO you want to stay as close to center on the CB as you can and pop 1 rail out for side pocket shape.

 

[smoooothstroke]

I will take c all day...center ball hit..probably shorten the angle a bit.
I think if I broke my leg while dropping in on the shot and screwed up...I will still have an easy shot in 1 of 3 pockets....If not I will break my other leg for the fun of it.

Damn I had a start when I saw this post....when did I post this LOL.

 

[CreeDo]

Looks like Efren prefers route A

http://youtu.be/XW7E90taZH8?t=12m35s

haha, nice catch. Now on every pool video I watch, I will reflexively look for this situation. This one's a little different though, he's very close to the rail and would need a lot of elevation to do something like D. My original shot is intended to have comfortable room to hit anywhere on the CB without jacking up.

I was doing a lesson the other day and had my student try it, he's still adjusting to his cue. I had him hit it over and over until he could make the ball and get good shape (near straight) three times, doing both route A and D.

His first instinct was to do something like E or F, a touch of outside to float down one rail. But he overran or underran shape a lot. I am pretty sure that 2 rails is the way to go.

Doesn't prove anything, he's still learning, but after doing both ways many times he also preferred draw+outside, said it seemed much more comfortable and natural. That may be the right choice for most players. I gotta admit when I tried it, I felt more scared of missing when I cued up with inside.

 

[George]

Looks like Efren prefers route A

http://youtu.be/XW7E90taZH8?t=12m35s

D wasn't an option with the 8 ball location , not the same shot.