Straight Pool Rack / Pack bank shots

Scottyboy716

Scottyboy716

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hey Gang!

Does anyone know of any videos posted that show the corner balls or the front balls banking? I know they're low percentage shots, and I'd almost never play them in game play.

Thanks in advance!
 
Scottyboy716 said:
That would be awesome if you have the time and interest. Thank you! I know all four "Corner Balls" Bank. Just can't find content showing. Thank you again!
Click to expand...
actually i know only 2 and my tip came off yesterday so gotta replace that first and can you tell me what are all 4 ones? I probably can figure out them fast if i just know what to try :)
 
Poolmanis said:
actually i know only 2 and my tip came off yesterday so gotta replace that first and can you tell me what are all 4 ones? I probably can figure out them fast if i just know what to try :)
Click to expand...
Both of the Back corner balls bank up table o the corner pockets.

Both of the Back corner balls bank to the side pockets

Both or the front Balls bank to the cross side pockets

I've seen them done, and I've executed them at a very low percentage.

There may be more. I do not know.

I know there are other balls in the stack that are wired to pockets when in the pack is struck a certain way, but I do not know the exact balls or pockets. I know it happens occasionally to me on flukes.

If I had a home table, I'd experiment more.

Thanks again!
 
Scottyboy716 said:
Both of the Back corner balls bank up table o the corner pockets.

Both of the Back corner balls bank to the side pockets

Both or the front Balls bank to the cross side pockets

I've seen them done, and I've executed them at a very low percentage.

There may be more. I do not know.

I know there are other balls in the stack that are wired to pockets when in the pack is struck a certain way, but I do not know the exact balls or pockets. I know it happens occasionally to me on flukes.

If I had a home table, I'd experiment more.

Thanks again!
Click to expand...
With a full 15 ball rack you can shoot from the kitchen two rails around a corner and hit the back left or right corner ball. This sends the head corner ball (the one on the foot spot) two rails up table and into the side pocket. At least that's what happens when Mosconi is shooting.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bbb
For some reason, back in the day, when many rooms still had clay balls (or resin balls that were never cleaned/polished), the up-table corner ball bank could be made much more consistently.
 
Scottyboy716 said:
That would be awesome if you have the time and interest. Thank you! I know all four "Corner Balls" Bank. Just can't find content showing. Thank you again!
Click to expand...
You will almost never see these shots played in a tournament, although I did see Tugboat Whaley make one of the front two balls in a tournament once. Jimmy Carras said that the back two balls have 50% chance of going (assuming the rack is tight) these are desperation shots that good player would almost never attempt in tournament play.
 
Many years ago while practicing straight pool I got stuck on a run at around 50 and had no break shot(screwed up position on the break ball) and wound up behind the stack.
So what the hell banked the corner ball cross side and made it and went on to run a bit over 100 I don't remember the exact total I was 16 years old and it was 1963.
But it's a low percentage shot as it has to get thru traffic and be on the right path.
 
Poolmanis said:
I got 9-ball tourney today but ended my yesterday practice with those 14.1 banks. Here are 3 of them. just for fun :)
Click to expand...
These are great, thanks! Just curious, on bank #2, would you mind sharing how you're hitting the ball and what english? Like are you hitting that corner ball mostly full?

Thanks again for these! I play some 14.1 by myself mostly just going for high runs, so it's nice to see a few options, even if low percentage, to be able to continue runs.
 
Lynch said:
These are great, thanks! Just curious, on bank #2, would you mind sharing how you're hitting the ball and what english? Like are you hitting that corner ball mostly full?

Thanks again for these! I play some 14.1 by myself mostly just going for high runs, so it's nice to see a few options, even if low percentage, to be able to continue runs.
Click to expand...
That is a great video. It should be noted that the corner ball bank into the upper corner can be made from behind the head string. This means if you are a wise guy you can bank that corner ball as your opening shot instead of an opening break safety. I had a guy do that to me and he missed. It kind of pissed me off. I ran about two racks from there and won the match, so there...
 
Dan White said:
That is a great video. It should be noted that the corner ball bank into the upper corner can be made from behind the head string. This means if you are a wise guy you can bank that corner ball as your opening shot instead of an opening break safety. I had a guy do that to me and he missed. It kind of pissed me off. I ran about two racks from there and won the match, so there...
Click to expand...
That's kind of a dumb break playing a person like you that can run a couple racks,unless he thought you couldn't play.
 
measureman said:
That's kind of a dumb break playing a person like you that can run a couple racks,unless he thought you couldn't play.
Click to expand...
He's capable of running out himself and it was more a game for funsies I think. We played in some one night straight pool tourneys but I don't recall if it was one of those matches or not. Either way it is a little insulting I think.
 
Lynch said:
These are great, thanks! Just curious, on bank #2, would you mind sharing how you're hitting the ball and what english? Like are you hitting that corner ball mostly full?

Thanks again for these! I play some 14.1 by myself mostly just going for high runs, so it's nice to see a few options, even if low percentage, to be able to continue runs.
Click to expand...
#2 shot is just centerball. Pretty full and it is just speed shot. Hit it slower than you think you need and you get close. I actually tried that 2 cushion behind rack kick afterwards more and made 6 in row.
I remember 2007 I promised to my friends before 14.1 Finnish Champs that if i get into final and i have one guy vs me i try make it.
Of course i faced him on finals...
I kicked to stack and ball was rolling in but another ball came to hang on that pocket and blocked it...
I was lucky and he made only 14 from that.. :D

He is one of best 14.1 players I know. He win Finnish Champs almost every year on that. Couple years ago Sunday we had last 16 - 100p games. He made intentional foul on first match and then ran 101 and out. Then he ran 100 and out 2 times after that. so 301 points without miss 3 matches :)
 
Nice video, Pool Manis. These are three very well known shots. It's debatable, but I'd call shot 3 a kick rather a bank. Another shot you might want to try is to make the front ball in the side in much the same style that the one is pocketed into the side on the nine ball break. I've seen Alex Pagulayan shoot that shot in a a straight pool match.

Well played!
 
Not quite the same as this, but I had one of my favourite creative break shots the other day. I completely messed up position for a traditional side pocket break shot and left the cue ball too high. After thinking for a moment I considered how common it was on high break shots to skim off the top two balls and scratch off one rail. So I called the break ball in the side pocket nearest to me, and played to carom off the stack and bank into the side pocket. I got another couple racks from there :).
 
In the May/June 1981 issue of Billiards Digest, George Fels diagrammed what he titled "Funny Farm Break Shots".

In addition to the shots mentioned here, he also gave the standard one pocket break which sometimes pockets a corner ball. I think that same ball can be pocketed straight in by shooting at the middle ball of the opposite side of the rack. Exactly where, I don't know, but I think the shot can be adjusted by the contact on that ball.

George also mentioned making one of the two outside balls on the row of four simply by hitting the rack hard. George was skeptical of it working more than rarely and so am I.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top