spot shot question.

dmgwalsh

dmgwalsh

Straight Pool Fanatic
Silver Member
I was working on some position shots from Ralph Eckert's Modern Pool book and one of them was to make a spot shot without letting the cue ball hit the short rail.

Darn tough for me. Is that a shot a lot of you guys can execute?

Lots of draw and a soft stroke???

I was barely able to do it once. The cue ball hit the side rail and started coming across and stopped just short of the middle of the short rail .

Thanks for any help.
 
Just roll the shot so that the OB falls off the shelf of the pocket. Some people call it pocket speed.

There was a really long thread about this a few months ago.
 
TX Poolnut said:
There was a really long thread about this a few months ago.
Click to expand...

I searched "spot shot" back to February, but no luck.

Slow roll?

In the book, they also mention that Massey can draw the cue ball above the side pocket on a spot shot, so I figured something with draw was needed.
 
We all wish we had Massey's stroke. I've never worked on that shot, but I have tried it and couldn't do it either. Oh well. IMHO I'm much more concerned with having a straight, level, and fluid stroke that I finish in the down position every time. That's what I'm working on, and that's what I'm going back to Stan Shuffett to have evaluated again next week. I wouldn't obsess over that shot if I were you. Good luck. I wish that I could play some 14.1 with you at the Illinois Billiard Club...Tom
 
DMG,
It's one of the PAT2 specialty shots.

I can do it about 50-60% of the time.

When I administered the PAT2 to a pro player (former #1 in the world), they failed on each of their 3 attempts - though appeared disgusted with themselves (very tight Diamond, and they had never seen or attempted the PAT2 drills before).

It takes near-maximum outside English, along with all the draw you can muster. The maximum outside allows a little fuller hit, and applies the necessary spin to lessen the natural angle off the side rail. To fulfill the PAT2 requirements you must hit this hard; it is not designed to test your slow-rolling abilities.

I have seen George Breedlove draw one of these so fiercely, that it went to the side rail, and spun back towards him ABOVE THE SIDE POCKET. He has been observed by a friend to have done that one-handed, jacked up as well (so I will keep my day job).
 
Last edited:
Williebetmore said:
DMG,
It's one of the PAT2 specialty shots.

I can do it about 50-60% of the time.

When I administered the PAT2 to a pro player (former #1 in the world), they failed on each of their 3 attempts - though appeared disgusted with themselves (very tight Diamond, and they had never seen or attempted the PAT2 drills before).

It takes near-maximum outside English, along with all the draw you can muster.

I have seen George Breedlove draw one of these so fiercely, that it went to the side rail, and spun back towards him ABOVE THE SIDE POCKET. He has been observed by a friend to have done that one-handed, jacked up as well.
Click to expand...

50-60% of the time??? Very Good!!

Joe Tucker mentioned Breedlove's draw in his aiming video.

Will the outside make the cut thinner due to throw? Maybe not at that speed.
 
dmgwalsh said:
50-60% of the time??? Very Good!!

Joe Tucker mentioned Breedlove's draw in his aiming video.

Will the outside make the cut thinner due to throw? Maybe not at that speed.
Click to expand...

dmg,
I was still editing my post when you responded. See above.
 
The "slow roll" proposition mentioned above is different from the PAT2 shot.

In that proposition, you must make the spot shot, but whitey cannot hit any rails (the PAT2 proposition is to make whitey hit the side rail, but NOT the foot rail).

In that shot, you load up with all of the elevated, inside, draw drag that you can; hitting at a speed so the object ball barely topples into the pocket. The elevation and inside apply some curve to the cue ball, allowing a fuller hit by virtue of the altered cue-ball path. Very tough shot. TheOne can make it regularly; I've only made it a few times.
 
Williebetmore said:
The "slow roll" proposition mentioned above is different from the PAT2 shot.

In that proposition, you must make the spot shot, but whitey cannot hit any rails (the PAT2 proposition is to make whitey hit the side rail, but NOT the foot rail).

In that shot, you load up with all of the elevated, inside, draw drag that you can; hitting at a speed so the object ball barely topples into the pocket. The elevation and inside apply some curve to the cue ball, allowing a fuller hit by virtue of the altered cue-ball path. Very tough shot. TheOne can make it regularly; I've only made it a few times.
Click to expand...

There's nothing to this shot - just slow roll it. Once you've clocked the shot's speed you can make it just about every time. "Elevated inside draw drag" just makes it harder to execute.

There are videos of more than one person doing it over and over in the earlier thread mentioned before (sorry, no link).

Edit: Oops, I see that we were both talking about a different shot than dmgwalsh asked about (not hitting any rail). To draw to the side rail without hitting the end rail, you only need draw (no sidespin required). It's not "easy", but it's not all that hard either. As others have said, with outside spin some players can bring the CB back past the side pocket on the rebound - that's hard.

pj
chgo
 
Last edited:
It IS difficult to do! As to how important it is, that I would question. I don't think you need this shot in your repertoire to be a good player. Work on other things! Don't waste too much time on this shot.
 
didnt one guy make that shot a whole buncha times from both sides of the table...?? everyone thought the table was rigged somehow.

I gather it to be fairly easy once you have got the speed down...Guess I might have to give it a go tonight.
 
Jay Helfert witnessed me shoot it and I left the CB about 4 2/3 balls off the back rail, it was on old 860 table has huge pockets so I shot I hit more of the OB and cheated the pocket. I doubt I'll hit it that good again. the ball didnt skid or anything funny. I got luckey ;)

on a Diamond with kinda new 860 i have made it and have the CB come 3 1/2 balls off the rail. and lots of times 2 balls off the rail.

I just roll with a 1/2 tip of low left and stroke it so it will slide then roll before contact. When I'm hitting them good I can make it 4or6/10 on average but when I do hit it-I do hit it good-awalys atleast 1/2 ball away from the cushion. right now i'm out of stroke and am hiting it 2/10.
 
Last edited:
I used to practice drawing the CB and touching only the side rail on a spot shot, with the CB starting at the corner of the break box. You don't NEED this shot to be a good player, but it does open up a whole range of position shots, of cutting a ball in from long distance and drawing back up table.

If you stroke the shot right, it looks easy, which greatly intimidates a lot of players, and automatically puts them in "dog mode". :D

Russ
 
Russ Chewning said:
I used to practice drawing the CB and touching only the side rail on a spot shot, with the CB starting at the corner of the break box. You don't NEED this shot to be a good player, but it does open up a whole range of position shots, of cutting a ball in from long distance and drawing back up table.

If you stroke the shot right, it looks easy, which greatly intimidates a lot of players, and automatically puts them in "dog mode". :D

Russ
Click to expand...

In the old days, this was an important shot, to be able to make the spot shot and draw the cue ball to the side rail for position on the next ball. Alas, we never shoot spot shots anymore. :(
 
jay helfert said:
In the old days, this was an important shot, to be able to make the spot shot and draw the cue ball to the side rail for position on the next ball. Alas, we never shoot spot shots anymore. :(
Click to expand...

i forgot about that, but spot shots were huge when we spotted balls after the break or in ring games, etc. I havent played like that in years, i like spot shots, i made 53 in a row, i had a friend randy spot them for me, the CB would just roll past the side pocket,
 
Fatboy said:
i forgot about that, but spot shots were huge when we spotted balls after the break or in ring games, etc. I havent played like that in years, i like spot shots, i made 53 in a row, i had a friend randy spot them for me, the CB would just roll past the side pocket,
Click to expand...

Yeah, but that was using the short rail right ? I guess you owned that shot Eric...Tom
 
I disagree variations of this shot come up all the time in nineball. a lot of times u will land off angle on the eight - say in the bottom left pocket and the nine is on the bottom rail if you roll it in the cue ball may travel too far - or you just don't want to roll your money in. So you have to draw the cue ball to the long rail instead of rolling it in. I believe it is one of the most important strokes to learn. The spot shot is a variation of this shot but the stroke is the same. Please don't make a habit of rolling balls in - it will cost you in the long run.
 
jay helfert said:
It IS difficult to do! As to how important it is, that I would question. I don't think you need this shot in your repertoire to be a good player. Work on other things! Don't waste too much time on this shot.
Click to expand...

Right. I wouldn't spend 2 minutes practicing such shots unless I wanted to earn a living doing exhibitions.

Unless, of course, I could routinely make 70 deg. cut shots with 2 rail shape stopping on a dollar bill at the opposite end of the table.

Doing so would impress your friends too...but will also win matces...whereas I've never seen a match won with a one handed jacked up draw shot.

Just my preference.

Regards,
Jim
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top