Top stop

[3RAILKICK]

Couldya, wouldya, shouldya???

Are there times (few) when it may be the best shot choice?

Do you sometimes come up short on shape due to inadvertant 'top stop'?

Is it a shot that you would spend any time practicing?

What would be an example of when some manipulation of 'top stop' is the right situational shot?

Just curious if anybody practices this shot. (as a goof-off break* from serious practice?)

Take care-

 

[JB Cases]

This shot is very useful. It comes up in one pocket a lot. Also in 9 ball in certain situations.

In one pocket sometimes you need to bank a ball away but hold the cueball to the cushion. The top stop is the shot.

In nine ball sometimes you have a long shot to a hanger and you need to keep the cue ball down by the pocket but you can't hit it easy so the top stop is the shot.

I don't want to go to the Cuetable right now or I would diagram another situation that comes up where the top stop is a good choice.

I practice this shot all the time. In fact I just learned a variation of it from watching a video of Reyes using it to get really tricky position.

I went to the table and practiced it the way Reyes hit it until I could do it fairly consistently.

 

[alstl]

My problem is controlling the cue ball with that shot. It does stop but first it dances around a little and exactly where it will stop is a question. It is a useful shot at times in certain situations.

 

[JB Cases]

My problem is controlling the cue ball with that shot. It does stop but first it dances around a little and exactly where it will stop is a question. It is a useful shot at times in certain situations.

This is where the practice comes in. I have learned to control it. With the Efren shot I mentioned above the needed spin was not close to where I thought it would be when I first saw the shot. It took me about 10-15 tries before I figured out the spin and speed. And I need to put in another good hour or so to fully master that shot and it's variations.

 

[ndakotan]

I'll bite

So what's top stop?

 

[jay helfert]

So what's top stop?

It's a force follow shot. You use high english and follow through with a firm stroke. The cue ball contacts the object ball and then hits the cushion, but rather than rebounding away, it comes off slightly and then returns to stop on or near the cushion. Hope this helps explain the shot. With a little practice you will get it I'm sure. You may need someone to show it to you one time.

 

[cuesmith]

It's a force follow shot. You use high english and follow through with a firm stroke. The cue ball contacts the object ball and then hits the cushion, but rather than rebounding away, it comes off slightly and then returns to stop on or near the cushion. Hope this helps explain the shot. With a little practice you will get it I'm sure. You may need someone to show it to you one time.

I get a kick out of new players who do this accidentally, assuming that high english will make the cueball travel of the rail and back down table! They usually have a "WTF" look on their face! :yikes: :yeah: