Straight Pool Geeks - Your Chance to Shine

sjm

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You're playing straight pool and your opponent misses, leaving this. What's the best approach to getting out and leaving a break shot? START(%AS7Z0%Hi9Y3%JL3N9%LJ9O8%PV5S5)END
 

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I dont play straight pool at all but what about shooting the 10 in pocket weight and pushing the 12 under the racking area abit, then shoot the long 8 with a bit of draw for a pretty much straight 1, roll forward on that past the straight in shot on the 12 so you instead are backcutting the 12 into the upper left pocket (as facing the diagram) and the cueballs natural angle goes straight into the pack.
 
I would shoot the eight ball and stop the cue ball for the one ball. Then Shoot the one ball with a very little follow to set up for a cut shot on the twelve ball so I can then cut that twelve ball and with a little hi english kiss the ten ball out of the rack zone and hopefully get a nice role for a break out. :D
c-man
 
SJM,
Shoot the eight, leaving a little angle on the one (so you do not end up on the rail after shooting the one). Shoot the one leaving the cueball slightly below the 12. Shoot the 12, nudging the 10 into break shot position, leaving the cueball in the rack for ball in hand for the breaker. In my opinion this is an easier sequence than pushing the 12 down for a below-the-rack breaker - and at my level EASY IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. - obtaining perfect position while pocketing the one and the 12 is MUCH easier slow rolling the shot (not an opinion, just fact :) :) ).
 
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I thought about that chipping the 10 out of the pack on the 12 shot but the amount of variables that come into play and the precise shape you need to play on both the object ball and the cueball on that one key shot are pretty extreme, chip the ball a slight bit too thin and it stays in the racking area and you are screwed, hit it a little too thick and it ends up straight in or even with the totally wrong angle. You need both precise shape on the 12 with the right angle, and then you need to hit that shot perfect for that path to work.

Question though, what happens in straight pool if you leave the cueball in the racking area on the last shot? Do you get the cueball anywhere you want on the line?
 
Celtic said:
Question though, what happens in straight pool if you leave the cueball in the racking area on the last shot? Do you get the cueball anywhere you want on the line?

Cue ball in hand anywhere in the kitchen, a rule fundamental to Williebetmore's solution here.
 
sjm said:
Cue ball in hand anywhere in the kitchen, a rule fundamental to Williebetmore's solution here.

Yeah then that makes that path quite alot more tempting.
 
Celtic said:
I dont play straight pool at all but what about shooting the 10 in pocket weight and pushing the 12 under the racking area abit, then shoot the long 8 with a bit of draw for a pretty much straight 1, roll forward on that past the straight in shot on the 12 so you instead are backcutting the 12 into the upper left pocket (as facing the diagram) and the cueballs natural angle goes straight into the pack.

Not being a straight pool player, I would play the 8, then the 1, and try to get a little bit underneath the 12 so that I could hit it and have it nudge the 10 ball out to a good break position, while the cue ball would float out to give me a shot on it. Either that or I'd just tank the 8 and see what my opponent could do! ;)
 
Willie's solution seems rather correct. BUT! As Henry Roth would say, "Not to dare quibble with peerless Will, I still question" whether drawing off the 8 ball, making the 10 and 12 in opposite corners, leaving the cueball in the rack wouldn't be better. With cueball anywhere in the kitchen, it seems like you could find the angle to follow off the 1 ball one rail into the pack.
 
Williebetmore said:
SJM,
Shoot the eight, leaving a little angle on the one (so you do not end up on the rail after shooting the one). Shoot the one leaving the cueball slightly below the 12. Shoot the 12, nudging the 10 into break shot position, leaving the cueball in the rack for ball in hand for the breaker. In my opinion this is an easier sequence than pushing the 12 down for a below-the-rack breaker - and at my level EASY IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. - obtaining perfect position while pocketing the one and the 12 is MUCH easier slow rolling the shot (not an opinion, just fact :) :) ).


Ditto! I'm with Willie on this one.

:D
 
Certainly, the most elelgant method, as it enables one to break with the ten from up close, is that suggested by Candyman, but I felt I might not be up to executing the final shot. Also aggressive would be to play the twelve with inside english to bump out the ten, but there's a danger of not bumping it to a good position. The first method mentioned by Celtic was also one that I seriously considered, because I'd get to shoot the break shot from fairly close to the object ball, but I didn't particularly like where the object ball would be relative to the pack, with the cue ball possibly runnning into the third ball along the back row of the pack. I also recognized the danger of having to shoot the break shot with the cue ball near the long rail if I wasn't careful enough to leave a good angle on the one ball. For these reasons, I did it Williebetmore's way, which seems to find favor with this group.

Thanks for participating.
 
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sjm said:
Cue ball in hand anywhere in the kitchen, a rule fundamental to Williebetmore's solution here.

These are the reasons why it is SO important to know the rules when playing. I never knew this rule existed and would have missed a great opportunity if it were me. Not to mention the fact that I stink but that's another story :-)

Thanks for sharing SJM,
Koop
 
SJM,
I think most players will agree that in straight pool, the lowest risk/highest percentage route is always best. The layout above is fairly easy to negotiate for a skilled player, the hardest part is the subsequent break shot. My personal margin of comfort is exceeded by a break shot where I must shoot from the kitchen - I need to be CLOSER.

In my match with Johnny Archer, he played for such break shots on several occasions; hitting the pack at warp speed even though the cue ball was in the kitchen, far from the object ball. Even Johnny can't make these all the time - he missed a couple of them.
 
Danny's answer

Play the ten and bump the twelve ball down two inches below the rack, I like behind the rack break shots. We would then want to pocket the eight and then try to get almost straight in for the one, when addresing the one make sure that you use top english so you can fall below the twelve. Generally speaking use inside eglish when attacking the rack from behind, the cue-ball will spin 3 rails towards the middle of the table and you should get great results. 14-1 is a wonderful game, I have a high run of 312 and have run over two hundred several times, there are of course other ways to finish this out but this would be my answer. I hope this helps someone out in their journey to becoming a great player, alot of folks think this game is long been forgotten but not me it's still alive in Springfield, MO.
Thanks, Danny Harriman
 
sjm said:
You're playing straight pool and your opponent misses, leaving this. What's the best approach to getting out and leaving a break shot? START(%AS7Z0%Hi9Y3%JL3N9%LJ9O8%PV5S5)END

Okay, perhaps this is where my inexperience in straight pool shines but I'd play the 8-ball first with draw to try and get straight and close on the 1. Then, I'd make the one, follow to the second diamond down table for the 12. Play the 12 in the upper-left corner, bumping the 10 into breakshot position and leaving the cue-ball in the rack.
 
sjm said:
You're playing straight pool and your opponent misses, leaving this. What's the best approach to getting out and leaving a break shot? START(%AS7Z0%Hi9Y3%JL3N9%LJ9O8%PV5S5)END

shoot the 8 in corner...slight draw...
shoot the 1 w/ stop...
shoot the 2 w/ bump on 8!
 
BigLip said:
shoot the 8 in corner...slight draw...
shoot the 1 w/ stop...
shoot the 2 w/ bump on 8!


Bump on 8? You started the run by pocketing the 8!! You'll need to scratch to do that and hope you're not playing on a table with drop-pockets!
 
sjm said:
You're playing straight pool and your opponent misses, leaving this. What's the best approach to getting out and leaving a break shot? START(%AS7Z0%Hi9Y3%JL3N9%LJ9O8%PV5S5)END

Shoot 8,1, and get position on the 12 to push 10 outside the rack and leave the cue ball inside rack (unless cue ball position does not allow; otherwise push 10 to rail with cue ball a little higher and off rail).
 
Jude Rosenstock said:
Bump on 8? You started the run by pocketing the 8!! You'll need to scratch to do that and hope you're not playing on a table with drop-pockets!

haha..you know what i meant...i just messed the numbers up! hahaha thanks for the laugh of the da mr rosenstock :p
 
Williebetmore reply seems best to me ! But as many other players, I sometimes refuse to leave a long distance break shot from the kitchen, especially if I haven't warmed up yet. So, I want to point out that there are a few different ways to bump a new break ball. Danny made a good point that you can also bump the break ball under the rack.

Personally I don't particularly like this, to me it seems it's too easy to leave the cueball in the wrong side of the break ball or maybe even straight in.
START(
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I think this is easier, to play a fuller bump to the 10-ball and force it to the long rail and back. You don't have to have a perfect thin bump to the 10-ball and you can use a little bit of stroke. This is easier than it looks !

START(
%AB7\1%Ht0[8%JL3N9%LJ9O8%PM8W4%UK8Q7%VM4V4%WL2P1%XK7P7%YM3D4
%ZL2M9%[C7D0%\J3N9%]T5K5%^M0O6%eB4a1%_N2J8%`M9I3%aM6C5
)END

I think Danny proposition was a good one, but seems like you'd need to get a perfect angle to bump the 12-ball under the rack with position. But, my position play usually sucks anyway, so that might be the reason... :p

Thanks for a good question SJM ! I always enjoy reading these "what would you do here" -threads.
 
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