Slammin balls at the corner-why?

3

3RAILKICK

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
:confused:I have seen players in warm up slam balls at the corner from just off the rail. They hit em HARD. Most don't go in. This has been on tight pocket 'Ernesto-ized tables.

Why?

Will it soften up pocket facings to allow the pocket to play a little easier? Or is the player just needing to hit something hard since the pockets are not cooperating?

I'm remembering Sam Manole(sp?) just firing shot after shot at some balky corners out in Riverside, Ca (Shooters) during a Labor day tournament warmup session. Is there a good reason for this or was he just angry do you think?

What do you think?

3railkick
 
Testing what the pocket will accept or spit out, what English to use and how the pocket can/ cannot be cheated. At least that's what I do it for when warming up on a new table that is known for tight/ tricky pockets.
 
While I agree with Fugi, I think most people think that they are intimidating their opponent. I just hope they keep playing that way :wink:
 
I've seen it too

I saw a top level shooter do that in practice many years ago, and when I asked him why he was shooting so hard, his answer was, "Oh, I just wanted to see where I was at...." So draw from that what you will.......I'm not sure what he meant myself....
 
Fuji-whopper said:
Testing what the pocket will accept or spit out, what English to use and how the pocket can/ cannot be cheated. At least that's what I do it for when warming up on a new table that is known for tight/ tricky pockets.
Click to expand...

Fuji gave you the correct answer. You should rep him. :wink:

Of course, it is entirely possible the guy was just a banger.


BTW, it doesn't have anything to do with softening up the pocket facings. If anything, soft facings/cushions make the pocket that much more unforgiving. That's one of the problems with Olhausens and the reason they rattle balls hit with speed down the rail. Because of the soft Accufast cushion, when a ball hit hard down the rail strikes the facing it "opens" it up a bit which causes the ricochet to got into the opposite facing rather than deflect into the hole. That, plus the fact the pocket angles are cut too open to begin with.
 
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Clarification re speed of shot

:yikes::yikes:I'm not talking about a 'firm' pocketing speed-nor a progression of increased speed to see what the pocket will accept-but rather at speed just south of the speed of light-where the expected result would be to tear out the back of the pocket or if mishit-fly off the cushion, airborn off the table and land four tables over. That kind of speed.

The player I saw doing this was a very good player-so-I thot there might be a good reason to fire em this way. I didn't/don't get it.

If you see this going on-DUCK!!

Just more stuff I don't understand

3railkick
 
Hitting them THAT hard down the rail, he could also be testing his stroke to make sure it is straight. Shots like that need to be struck very accurately, especially hit very hard. If they're going in he knows he is stroking straight through.
 
when shane was here a few years back, before he had any of the big titles.

When he first got on a table he was shooting shots with, the cue ball in one corner pocket, the object ball center of the table, and was firing them into the oppsoite corner.
Hitting them hard, and working of stopping the cueball dead, then a little draw, then follow. Said he was checking he stroke. making sure everything was still in line after a long road trip. Its was part of his warm up.

Edit: Basically what Dogsplayingpool just said
 
Ask Tony Watson to fire a few in for you sometime, he beats all I've ever seen. He can drill them in the center of the pocket at warp speed from the spot with the cueball near the center of the footrail into either corner pocket one after another. He dosen't know what the high speed wobbles is cause the ball don't touch the rail going in, it is absolutely amazing to watch that degree of accuracy.--Leonard
 
I read somewhere that Corey also used to fire balls in hard just to loosen up his stroke. If you can make balls cleanly shooting them hard, you would think you would be a little extra confident when you have to shoot them in at a softer speed since you have a little more room for error now... If you can make em consistently the hard way, the easy way just got easier... ;)
 
wahcheck said:
I saw a top level shooter do that in practice many years ago, and when I asked him why he was shooting so hard, his answer was, "Oh, I just wanted to see where I was at...." So draw from that what you will.......I'm not sure what he meant myself....
Click to expand...

Lots of real good top players do it. (Here's what i think i know) if you have ever notice when you practice it takes some time to "warm-up" you can shoot good, but after 45 minutes you're in stroke. Shooting the hard corner shot awakens quikly your muscle recall and you get the feel you're looking for in your shooting arm. It's more about your speed than your acuracy.
 
Speed accentuates any minor flaws that are present in your stroke. So if you can put your stroke under the toughest conditions (high speed) and still make balls and control the rock, that is valuable information. I test to see if I can make the ball, have it follow/draw with no side spin or even plain stop. I also use it to start warming up my arm and get the blood flowing, sort of like a relief pitcher that swings his arm around in a wide circle as he gets up and runs to the bullpen mound. But then again, I'm a hack, so who knows.
 
Any and/or all of the above....

3RAILKICK said:
:confused:I have seen players in warm up slam balls at the corner from just off the rail. They hit em HARD. Most don't go in. This has been on tight pocket 'Ernesto-ized tables.

Why?

Will it soften up pocket facings to allow the pocket to play a little easier? Or is the player just needing to hit something hard since the pockets are not cooperating?

I'm remembering Sam Manole(sp?) just firing shot after shot at some balky corners out in Riverside, Ca (Shooters) during a Labor day tournament warmup session. Is there a good reason for this or was he just angry do you think?

What do you think?

3railkick
Click to expand...

Or.... just got a new tip, and/or a new cue he/she is trying out...

who knows............


td
 
Thanks guys

It now makes sense to me that slamming balls is probably about getting your arm loose or compressing a new tip rather than practicing a shot to be used in the game. And I like the idea of exposing stroke flaws by hitting balls that hard. I know that I have trouble with my stroke veering off when I hit one much harder than normal-tenseness in the shoulder as I 'load up' to hit it hard.

I'm going to try this when I'm late again to league.

Thanks everyone

3railkick

ps: the reference to the speed of light was an exaggeration-more like Rafeal Martinez potting speed on the 9ball(no roll off possible)
 
Am I still being smooth, even though I'm hitting with a lot of power?
Am I accurate when I use power?

These are questions that can be answered when doing what you are describing.

My table at home (9 foot, brunswick) is pretty tight, and will spit out balls shot down the rails at just about any speed if they are not hit really good. They rattle if you hit the side rail, or a little too far outside. You have to hit em good.
When I can fire them in, as described, I'm pretty confident that I can make just about anything when I go to a pool hall.

It's fun to do that at home for about half an hour, and then go play a tournament. Pockets look like they're twice as big.
 
mosconiac said:
I'll bang some shots like that for one of two reasons. (1) I'm annoyed at my poor play and I'm trying to "loosen" up--or--(2) testing my stroke.

For example, I shot this vid just to see what happens when pounding in a corner-to-corner shot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT5lTil-aNs
Click to expand...


I do the same thing sometime just to relieve tension. I also start out my day at the table by loosening up my stroke and getting a feel for the cloth speed.

Stroke Shots
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