Top 10 Impressive and Easy Trick Shots Every Pool Player Should Know

[tbryant67]

Great stuff. I am a big fan of trick shots, especially ones like these as opposed to the crazy one handed jump shots, which are really cool, but certainly aren't easy to pull off for most of us.

I've seen most of these but your explanations and the diagrams are great. I know what I will be doing later tonight after work on my home table. :smile:

 

[dr_dave]

Great stuff. I am a big fan of trick shots, especially ones like these as opposed to the crazy one handed jump shots, which are really cool, but certainly aren't easy to pull off for most of us.

I've seen most of these but your explanations and the diagrams are great. I know what I will be doing later tonight after work on my home table. :smile:

I'm glad you like it.

Have fun tonight,
Dave

PS: For convenience, here's the document with the shot diagrams.

 

[jay helfert]

Thanks Jay! You're welcome.

FYI, I have demonstrations of several approaches to making that shot (even a diamond away from the pocket) in NV J.31 – Top 10 PROPOSITION SHOTS – Bar Bets and Tricks all Pool Players Should Know starting at the 12:22 point. Check it out.

I've never tried that one before, but I've seen lots of successful videos on YouTube.

I don't know this one. Is it done with a legal shot, like jumping off the opposite cushion over the chalk ... "nothin' but net" into the pocket? I bet Venom could do that in 1-5 attempts. Or is it a gimmick shot, maybe jumping high off the opposite cushion, catching the ball in the air and dropping it in the pocket? Or maybe kicking into two angled butts that ride the CB over the chalk? Or do you use two cues to lift under the CB and roll it off the cues into the pocket?

Regards,
Dave

It's not a legal shot but I can do it with one cue (cue stick only!) and make it two out of three tries! I don't need to shoot off any rails or jump any balls or cues. It's just a fun shot that you would get a kick out of. Ask me when I see you and I will show it to you. Five minutes of practice and you will have it down pat.

I've got a few other gaff shots that you might like as well. They are money makers for the unsuspecting. I taught one particular shot to Buddy, Efren and many others. They could not make it until I showed them how. Buddy must have shot at it fifty times and finally got too frustrated. Then I made it on the first try! I got Dennis on another one and it cost him breakfast (made that one on the first try too!). Of course he was many meals up on me by then.

 

[jay helfert]

When the subject of trick shots comes up, a lot of players have some kind of knee jerk reaction against them. "Just stupid set-up shots." They don't see the value in learning them, both in the techniques that are required for the more skillful shots and the knowledge they give about how the balls work.

When I was first learning pool, a fair amount of my time was spent with the "trick" shots in the back of Willie Mosconi's "Winning Pocket Billiards," so maybe my perspective is skewed.

Jimmy Caras had a great little book, "Trick and Fancy Shots" I think it was called. I know you have a copy.

 

[dr_dave]

Here's one more you might like. You put a piece of chalk in the jaws of the side pocket. You place the cue ball on the same side rail about 4-6" inches away from the pocket. Now you make the cue ball in the side pocket without disturbing the chalk?? Ha Ha, I can do it! And people love this shot! I bet Dave knows this shot.

I don't know this one. Is it done with a legal shot, like jumping off the opposite cushion over the chalk ... "nothin' but net" into the pocket? I bet Venom could do that in 1-5 attempts. Or is it a gimmick shot, maybe jumping high off the opposite cushion, catching the ball in the air and dropping it in the pocket? Or maybe kicking into two angled butts that ride the CB over the chalk? Or do you use two cues to lift under the CB and roll it off the cues into the pocket?

It's not a legal shot but I can do it with one cue (cue stick only!) and make it two out of three tries! I don't need to shoot off any rails or jump any balls or cues. It's just a fun shot that you would get a kick out of. Ask me when I see you and I will show it to you.

I would love to meet you in person some day, but I would prefer not wait that long to hear a description of your shot. Would you be so kind as to provide a description here for the benefit of all reading this thread?

I can think of other possible approaches to add to my list above:
You can use the cue to wedge the CB up against the cushion and over/around the chalk into the pocket. You could also hit a highly-elevated masse draw shot and use the cue to deflect the CB over the chalk as it draws back, but I suspect your solution is simpler.

Thanks,
Dave

 

[dr_dave]

I've got a few other gaff shots that you might like as well. They are money makers for the unsuspecting. I taught one particular shot to Buddy, Efren and many others. They could not make it until I showed them how. Buddy must have shot at it fifty times and finally got too frustrated. Then I made it on the first try! I got Dennis on another one and it cost him breakfast (made that one on the first try too!). Of course he was many meals up on me by then.

Maybe you should visit Colorado some day so we can film a lot of your favorite gaff shots for a video. You would be welcome to stay at my place. What do you think?

Catch you later,
Dave

 

[jimmyg]

I like most trick shots, especially the ones where it's hard to tell which ball is going where. The ones that I dislike are the ones that use cue sticks and/or the rack to guide the last moving ball towards its obviously missed destination.

They look so rinky dink...and make the person executing the shot look like a real amateur, IMO.

 

[dr_dave]

I like most trick shots, especially the ones where it's hard to tell which ball is going where. The ones that I dislike are the ones that use cue sticks and/or the rack to guide the last moving ball towards its obviously missed destination.

They look so rinky dink...and make the person executing the shot look like a real amateur, IMO.

Which shot number(s) was(were) your favorite(s) in this video.

Regards,
Dave

 

[Patrick Johnson]

You balance a silver dollar on end between two pieces of chalk, on the spot. Then you shoot the silver dollar off the far end rail, and make it roll back between the two pieces of chalk.

https://www.liveleak.com/view?i=514_1445730949

pj
chgo

 

[Bob Jewett]

https://www.liveleak.com/view?i=514_1445730949

pj
chgo

Here is that video on YouTube so you don't have to deal with the intermediate site which for me has some issues.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pljUg6Ri7M

It sure looks to me like the coin curves in both directions.

I have heard of it passing through the chalks a second time.

 

[Cornerman]

This is probably my favorite of all the Dr Dave videos, but the Proposition Shots had some great moments. I know many of you all don't bother watching the videos all the way to the end, but if you did....

 

[dr_dave]

This is probably my favorite of all the Dr Dave videos, but the Proposition Shots had some great moments. I know many of you all don't bother watching the videos all the way to the end, but if you did....

Thanks Freddy!

I love that shirt. Not so much the wig ... it gets very under under all of that hair.

I've had that shirt for about 35 years. The first time I wore it was at a music festival in Austin. It was one of the first times I saw Stevie Ray Vaughan, just as he was starting to get famous. I remember getting lots of looks of approval for the shirt. Apparently it still works.

For people who haven't seen the proposition video yet, here it is:

NV J.31 – Top 10 PROPOSITION SHOTS – Bar Bets and Tricks all Pool Players Should Know

Enjoy,
Dave

 

[briankenobi]

Great Video Dr Dave! Some classic shots there and interesting variations such as the parting the red sea.

If you are interested, I could send you a plethora of shots like these. Let me know.

 

[dr_dave]

Great Video Dr Dave!

Thank you!

Some classic shots there and interesting variations such as the parting the red sea.

If you are interested, I could send you a plethora of shots like these. Let me know.

Thank you for the offer, but I already have more than I can process in the books: “Mike Massey’s World of Trick Shots” and “Byrne’s Treasury of Trick Shots in Pool and Billiards.” Trick Shot Tim's compilation page is also a good resource.

Regards,
Dave

 

[briankenobi]

Thank you!

Thank you for the offer, but I already have more than I can process in the books: “Mike Massey’s World of Trick Shots” and “Byrne’s Treasury of Trick Shots in Pool and Billiards.” Trick Shot Tim's compilation page is also a good resource.

Regards,
Dave

I know Tim's site quite well. I competed with him 2 weekends ago. Great guy. Yes you do have a lot of stuff available. Enjoy!

 

[dr_dave]

I know Tim's site quite well. I competed with him 2 weekends ago. Great guy. Yes you do have a lot of stuff available. Enjoy!

I haven't met Tim yet, but he seems like a smart and friendly guy.

Regards,
Dave

 

[jay helfert]

I would love to meet you in person some day, but I would prefer not wait that long to hear a description of your shot. Would you be so kind as to provide a description here for the benefit of all reading this thread?

I can think of other possible approaches to add to my list above:
You can use the cue to wedge the CB up against the cushion and over/around the chalk into the pocket. You could also hit a highly-elevated masse draw shot and use the cue to deflect the CB over the chalk as it draws back, but I suspect your solution is simpler.

Thanks,
Dave

BINGO! You got it! You wedge and scoop and slide the cue ball into the pocket. It's not as easy as it looks but with a little practice almost anyone can master this "shot."

 

[jay helfert]

Maybe you should visit Colorado some day so we can film a lot of your favorite gaff shots for a video. You would be welcome to stay at my place. What do you think?

Catch you later,
Dave

I'm on my way...after the snow melts! Thanks for the kind offer Dave. You don't know how much I'd love to make one more tour of the country (over 40 years since my last coast to coast and back pool tour (1978). I left L.A. with five grand and returned three months later with five grand! :smile: Not bad huh.

I keep telling my wife we're gonna buy a Class B Motorhome and take a tour of the U.S. There is so much to see and do if you get out there. I remember stopping in many little towns, shooting some pool and finding a cool little diner to eat in and maybe a cozy motel to get some rest. In those days (the 60's and 70's) you could travel easily on $25 a day. I could make that playing $2 9-Ball and often did.

 

[jimmyg]

Which shot number(s) was(were) your favorite(s) in this video.

Regards,
Dave

#s 3 & 4 are pretty catchy. In #4, just looking at the cluster I wouldn't know which ball is going where. Although Ive seen it before, #3 still executes nicely.

Seen most, or variations of, all before.

While playing in several Queens, NY weekly tournaments during the late 90s, before and between games I would hang out with an old timer from the old days at Julians, called himself "Trick Shot" Monty. He was amazing and would still occasionally travel worldwide giving exhibitions. He would set up shots and ask everyone watching, remember these were tournament players, which ball(s) would get pocketed, and where. Some were so good that most could only guess, and wrongly more often.

One of his proposition shots that I found interesting, and which demonstrated his 3 cushion skills, was that he would start with a full, normal, rack of all 15 balls and explain that he would have to shoot every shot three rails, going up table from behind the foot string (same side as the rack), and would get ball in hand after each shot.. He would then ask you to pick any ball in the pack and decide which of the two lower corner pockets you wanted him to pocket it in. He would ask for 21 or 25 shots, but would go down to about 18 if he had to. Almost everyone would naturally pick either the center racked ball and either corner pocket, or pick a top ball on the left or right side of the stack and then pick the pocket on the opposite side, but it really didn't matter which ball or pocket you chose.. Once the ball and number of shots were decided he would go to work...3 rail bank the cue into the full stack, break open some balls, pick up the cue and stroke another 3 rail bank moving his ball closer or knocking others out of the way, until somewhere around shot number 12 you just knew that the ball you picked was going into the pocket you picked....everytime.

I've only tried it a few times and made it in 18 shots.

Sorry if I didn't explain it very well, and thank you for all the great advice and information you make available.

Jim

 

[Bob Jewett]

The 1909 book by Joe Hood is the grandfather of all pool trick shot books. Here is a rough scan of it:
http://www.sfbilliards.com/HoodRoughScan.pdf
It was reprinted by Charlie Ursitti about 10 years ago. I may have an extra copy of the reprint and/or of the original.