Tough Shot

I

irock

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Tonight I missed a shot with both the cue ball and the object ball frozen to the same long rial, one on each side of the side pocket about half way down the rail. Is there some way to make this shot consistently? Any advice would be appreciated.
 
Tricky shot.
Medium soft speed, with half a tip of inside english will help keep the cue ball and object ball on the rail.
 
Thanks for your reply, I tried a little inside english and it either threw the object ball out of line or the cue ball hit the pocket point and screwed it up. I can come down on the cue with english to swerve it and miss the corner pocket, but it has to be perfect to pocket the ball. Right or left english still brings the cue ball off the rail. it drives me nuts lol.
 
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Actually the best bet is to use the rail side english to squirt the cue ball out away from the rail & have the spin swerve it back to hit the rail a hair before the ob or at the same time.

The side pocket points can be a problem going along the rail.

It's not that difficult if one is use to using english.

Give it a few tries & I think you'll see it.

Good Luck,
Rick
 
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Looking back, I think I might not have been clear enough in my explanation.
Like Rick said, you shoot with a bit of english on the side of the cue ball nearest the rail.
 
I will give them a try, I hate a shot that I worry about not making, thanks guys.
 
I like it center-ball- well, can't really say I like it- like that, you can use the visual aid of your stick/ cushion edge parallel lines to assist with alignment.

You don't wanna be shooting that ball every game. Tuff one, fer sher.
 
Centre ball and cue straight. There are no tricks to it. Its the same with any other pot, just the pocket on this particular shot plays a lot smaller.
 
All depends on the equipment. Every shot mentioned so far is good on the right equip. On a valley with buckets, I'd be tempted to play a 1/2" swerve, just because I've seen so many tables with the rails out of alignment - if one side pocket point is sticking out a little, the shot is nearly impossible. Typically I like to use a bit (or is it a touch?) of inside and swerve just a couple of millimeters. Speed is also a big factor on this shot - you figure to mis-hit it slightly, so pocket speed gives you the best chance.

Aaron
 
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Pidge, your stroke is much straighter than mine, when I try straight in, my success rate is dismal lol. Using inside like some fellow posters suggested works pretty well, but for me only if I shoot a kind of small masse shot. I have no success at all, if I need to draw the cue ball back any. Guess I have to make sure I do not leave my self in this predicament. Thanks for everyone's input, I'll keep working on it, but it is going to be a toughie to master, I think, as for as position play goes.
 
Aaron, you are correct, my table is a bar table, but the pocket points seem right, too much inside and the cue ball hits the points every time. I guess I need barrels for pockets instead of buckets lol
 
irock said:
Aaron, you are correct, my table is a bar table, but the pocket points seem right, too much inside and the cue ball hits the points every time. I guess I need barrels for pockets instead of buckets lol
Click to expand...

Don't feel bad, it's a super tough shot on any equip. What kind of cueball are you using? If it's a big cueball, or an unidentifiable brand, I'd recommend getting an upgrade and seeing if the shot changes for you. A red circle cueball will run you about $20, and is well worth it IMO.

Good luck,
Aaron
 
irock said:
Pidge, your stroke is much straighter than mine, when I try straight in, my success rate is dismal lol. Using inside like some fellow posters suggested works pretty well, but for me only if I shoot a kind of small masse shot. I have no success at all, if I need to draw the cue ball back any. Guess I have to make sure I do not leave my self in this predicament. Thanks for everyone's input, I'll keep working on it, but it is going to be a toughie to master, I think, as for as position play goes.
Click to expand...
Its just one of those shots that becomes more complicated when you try adding side spin. Then even tougher when you try doing too much with the cue ball to gain position. Its better to just stick to centre at first and just admit that your next shot is going to be played from the rail. A little draw or a little follow but adding side and trying to do too much makes it more difficult in my eyes.
 
Pidge, you may be right, sometimes I guess you just have to respect the shot. Aaron, I play in a lot of bar table tournaments, that is mainly what you have here, so I use the ball most Valleys use. I do have several cue balls , the red dot, measel ball, and a few more, and sometimes when my younger friends get cocky, I pull out the old big mud ball, and bring them back down to reality, works every time, lol
 
irock said:
Aaron, you are correct, my table is a bar table, but the pocket points seem right, too much inside and the cue ball hits the points every time. I guess I need barrels for pockets instead of buckets lol
Click to expand...

Keep in mind that the cue ball squirts in the exact opposite direction of the tip placement, So, for say 7:30 for the tip placement the ball will squirt along a line from there, 7:30, to 1:30 & for a 10:30 tip placement the ball with squirt along the line from there, 10:30, to 4:30. Since the ball is being squirted into the bed of the table, the actual squirt may be a hair less as it can be absorbed by the table, but the ball can also bounce 'out'. To me there always seems to be a hair less net squirt when using high along with the off center.

So you can still draw or follow the ball. But... with speed the ball will not swerve back in time to make the correct contact. So.... you will actually have to aim a hair into the rail. The rail side tip location will squirt the ball out away from the rail.

It's sort of like using back hand english. Also keep in mind that the spin will throw the ball some if not hit too hard.

This may sound 'tricky' to some, but IMO it actually gives one a wider margin for error than trying to to roll or slide or draw the ball while maintaining contact with the rail. For those... one needs to be 'perfect'.

I'm not as 'perfect' as I once was when I was very young. I think that is why middle aged 'dogs learn 'tricks'.

Good Luck with the experiments & don't give up too quickly if at first you don't succeed.

Best to Y'a,
Rick
 
Thanks English, I copied the info, and am going to take it out to my game room, I have the luxury of having a nice place here at home to play anytime for free.
 
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irock said:
Aaron, you are correct, my table is a bar table, but the pocket points seem right, too much inside and the cue ball hits the points every time. I guess I need barrels for pockets instead of buckets lol
Click to expand...

Keep in mind that the cue ball squirts in the exact opposite direction of the tip placement, So, for say 7:30 for the tip placement the ball will squirt along a line from there, 7:30, to 1:30 & for a 10:30 tip placement the ball with squirt along the line from there, 10:30, to 4:30. Since the ball is being squirted into the bed of the table, the actual squirt may be a hair less as it can be absorbed by the table, but the ball can also bounce 'out'. To me there always seems to be a hair less net squirt when using high along with the off center.

So you can still draw or follow the ball. But... with speed the ball will not swerve back in time to make the correct contact. So.... you will actually have to aim a hair into the rail. The rail side tip location will squirt the ball out away from the rail.

It's sort of like using back hand english. Also keep in mind that the spin will throw the ball some if not hit too hard.

This may sound 'tricky' to some, but IMO it actually gives one a wider margin for error than trying to to roll or slide or draw the ball while maintaining contact with the rail. For those... one needs to be 'perfect'.

I'm not as 'perfect' as I once was when I was very young. I think that is why middle aged 'dogs' learn 'tricks'.

Good Luck with the experiments & don't give up too quickly if at first you don't succeed.

Best to Y'a,
Rick

PS Don't be afraid of it. just play around with it & don't quit to quickly if at first you don't succeed. Once you get it, it will be your friend for more than just that one shot.

PSS If hit at exactly at 3:00 or 9:00 the cue ball basically will NOT swerve back. The spin has nothing to grab on that angle. Picture a ball spinning in place as I hope you've seen before.
 
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I do know what you mean with the ball just spinning, I will work with the info, I love messing with something new. Thanks
 
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