Trickshots in real matches ?

mjantti

mjantti

Enjoying life
Silver Member
I was wondering, many pool players know at least some trick shots, usually with precise ball positioning, but quite rarely those shots come up in real matches. Anyone had similar experiences with trick shots that you're comfortable using and faced them in match play and used successfully to dumbfound your opponent ?

This shot come up to me on a set for small stakes and this out took me to the hill and eventually I made a nice out at the hill as well (that's another story), but first I needed to get through this situation:

5-ball frozen to the short cushion and cueball frozen to the cushion as well. The pockets were horrendously tight and very reluctant to accept a ball and even though I could've left a long six, I would have had major problems making the 7 with top left to get to the 8. So, I shot this instead:

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With very hard stroke, quite a lot of draw and only slightly right english, didn't want to take the cueball to the other side of table so I had to hold back the english a little bit. The position came perfect for the 6 and I ran out the rack even though I had to make a table length draw with the rake from 7 to 8. :p

Here's the pic:
 

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Not really much of a trick shot. Saw it in a book somewhere and practiced it until I could make it 9 out of ten times. Never thought I would really come up in a game, but you would be suprised how many times this shot saved my ass.

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%Ir6U4%Ps7D0%Us0Z8%Vr5V3%Wr5S8%Xq8C3%Yr7C5%Zr9C6%eC3`6

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Yes I know trickshots, but what really ticks me off is that every time I see an opportunity for such a shot, it is my opponents turn to shoot (and they don't know the shot). Or everything will be lined up nicely for such a shot, then my opponent messes the works up. Arrrgggg! :mad:

I do occasionally shoot a force follow shot - pocketing a ball in corner, then cue ball swings around to pocket ball in opposite corner pocket, breaks up a cluster, or whatever.
 
the kirkwood ki said:
Not really much of a trick shot. Saw it in a book somewhere and practiced it until I could make it 9 out of ten times. Never thought I would really come up in a game, but you would be suprised how many times this shot saved my ass.

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%Ir6U4%Ps7D0%Us0Z8%Vr5V3%Wr5S8%Xq8C3%Yr7C5%Zr9C6%eC3`6

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I think this qualifies easily as a trickshot. I still show this shot to many players who have never seen it... and if I use it in a tournament situation, I will get a strange look on my opponent's face. I bet you've seen the same facial expression with this shot :D
 
Oh yes, I've seen the look many times. First time they see it, many think it's luck or a fluke, but I set it up and do it again, and then it's, "Can you show me how to do that?"
 
Here is sorta a one pocket shot. Not a high probability make but it’s always entertaining to see your opponents face afterwards.

START( %Cr6W0%PH8X5%Us3[1%Vs7Z0%Ws2Z1%XI8X4%Yr6Y2%Zr6[3%]r6E1%^r6V3 %eC3`6 )END

Rick
 
Since I am often in this spot- straight in on a ball and trying to go length of the table to get on another- I use this one when the OB is too far from the hole to go rail first. You elevate the cue and bounce CB into the OB, then it hits the nose of the cushion and goes straight down the table.
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%Hr6Q2%ID3U7%Pr5L9%Us0Z8%Vr6Q9%WE7S4%Xs3S7%Yu8H1%Zv4F8%eB5`7

)END

This is also a good one playing 1-hole. Hit it hard, CB reverses and sticks on bottom rail @A.
START(
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%KL2_0%LL0]5%MN7^7%NC8S5%ON0^7%PR4Z6%QB9Q4%Wc2C8%XD3S0%Ys3O2
%Zd8C3%[g5[3%\s1Q1%]C7D7%^f6Z9%eA4`4%_D5T2%`Q7Z1%aR5Z5
)END
 
Nice. I was once stuck in a similar situation, corner hooked on the 9 on the short rail and solved it with a masse instead like this:

START(
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%KB9[5%LB8[3%MB9\0%NB9[7%OB7[7%Ps2Z9%Ur8D3%Vr6M9%_q8P8%`m9W1
%ar4Z4
)END

That was a night when for some weird reason I could do (almost) no wrong. (I say almost because of course I had managed to corner hook myself in the first place. If the cue ball had stopped 1" earlier it would have been a straight-in shot instead) That masse put me on hill and the next rack I snapped the 9 on the break to win the tournament.

Now on another occasion in the same local tournament I was playing a better player than me who used the same shot not because he was corner hooked but in order to make the 8 and get on the 9. It looked like this:

START(
%AB3[7%BB4[6%CB9[5%DB0[3%EB5[5%FB4[8%GB7[8%Hr9N5%ID4O8%JC2[6
%KB9[5%LB8[7%MC1[8%NB5[6%Pr9X2%UE2J8%Vr3O1%]r7D8%^r6M5%_q9O9
%`m9U0%aq9W8
)END

I have no idea if he practiced that shot a lot, most other players I know would have rolled in the 8 and banked the 9 but he just stepped up and nailed it with the masse like he did it every day.
 
Black-Balled said:
Since I am often in this spot- straight in on a ball and trying to go length of the table to get on another- I use this one when the OB is too far from the hole to go rail first. You elevate the cue and bounce CB into the OB, then it hits the nose of the cushion and goes straight down the table.
START(
%Hr6Q2%ID3U7%Pr5L9%Us0Z8%Vr6Q9%WE7S4%Xs3S7%Yu8H1%Zv4F8%eB5`7

)END

This is also a good one playing 1-hole. Hit it hard, CB reverses and sticks on bottom rail @A.
START(
%AD0O6%BQ7]5%CL3\8%DM9]9%EO8]2%FL7^0%GM0^5%HL5]6%IG1Z4%JL6]2
%KL2_0%LL0]5%MN7^7%NC8S5%ON0^7%PR4Z6%QB9Q4%Wc2C8%XD3S0%Ys3O2
%Zd8C3%[g5[3%\s1Q1%]C7D7%^f6Z9%eA4`4%_D5T2%`Q7Z1%aR5Z5
)END
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Corey shoots that first one a lot. He used it in the $5,000 winner take all skins game at Derby City. They have it on tape and that shot helped him win the 30 dimes.
 
Some time ago I had a short lived experience in the BCA league. In any event - I was at a bar table (bar pool....), I was left with the 5 on the table behind the 8. I'm shooting the 5. If this were to happen in a match that mattered, I would have played a two rail kick leaving a tough 8 for my opponent. Well, because it was just a bar league I decided to play the 5. I played the cue ball with a little high left just to the right of the corner pocket to get the cue to pop up a little. (very slightly jacked up)

The cue hit the rail and jumped just barely over the 8 and put the 5 in. The cue ball was in position to easily pocket the 8 afterwards. Can I do this again? Maybe 1 out of 10 times if I'm lucky. It just happened to work out.
 

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Earl Strickland's super bank/masse shot

One pro who shot what most people would call a Trick Shot in a real tournament was Earl Strickland. In the 2003 Mosconi Cup during a singles match against Marcus Chamat with the score 2-3, Earl found himself stuck with a narrow, close cross-side bank for the 6 and no apparent way to get good position on the 8 near the middle of the head rail. This is how he made it and got position:

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%Fe0F3%HE4S3%Ih2E6%Pg1J6%Ue8D6%Ve9G5%Wc9D3%Xh3L6%][7Z1%^c3C4
%eB3a1%_T2F1%`b6F1%ae6C4
)END
 
Al-fahl Amir said:
Corey shoots that first one a lot. He used it in the $5,000 winner take all skins game at Derby City. They have it on tape and that shot helped him win the 30 dimes.
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I assume you reefer to the first one. Glad I am not the only fool who gets straight like that.

I need to renegotiate my contract 'coz I never got 30K for shooting that shot :eek:
 
Black-Balled said:
I assume you reefer to the first one. Glad I am not the only fool who gets straight like that.

I need to renegotiate my contract 'coz I never got 30K for shooting that shot :eek:
Click to expand...


Yes I was talking about the first one. I believe that a lot of pros and ams leave that shot a lot. Some don't know that shot and the ones that do are afraid to try it in a gamling or tournament situation. That's what I like about Corey, he has no fear, and is not afraid to try the near impossible shot in a gambling or tournament match.

It is the same as Tiger when he hits those full swing lob shots around the green in a tourament to get up in down. If he misses it could cost him the tourament but he'll shoot them. Tiger said it's not that the pros don't know the shot because I watch them practice it on the range it's that there afraid to play that shoot under the heat of competition.
 
the kirkwood ki said:
Not really much of a trick shot. Saw it in a book somewhere and practiced it until I could make it 9 out of ten times. Never thought I would really come up in a game, but you would be suprised how many times this shot saved my ass.

START(
%Ir6U4%Ps7D0%Us0Z8%Vr5V3%Wr5S8%Xq8C3%Yr7C5%Zr9C6%eC3`6

)END
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On this shot, how do hit it to make it consistently.
I've been able to make it numerous times but never with any regularity.
I was told a long time ago to use high outside english and aim into the point.
Does this sound right to you?

Thanks,
Koop
 
Black-Balled said:
Since I am often in this spot- straight in on a ball and trying to go length of the table to get on another- I use this one when the OB is too far from the hole to go rail first. You elevate the cue and bounce CB into the OB, then it hits the nose of the cushion and goes straight down the table.
START(
%Hr6Q2%ID3U7%Pr5L9%Us0Z8%Vr6Q9%WE7S4%Xs3S7%Yu8H1%Zv4F8%eB5`7

)END
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There is an MPEG on here somewhere of Jimmy Mendoza executing this exact shot. If I can find the link I will post it.

Koop
 
Shots like this, or variations come up all the time...A lot of "trick shots" are just more complicated variations of caroms and force follow...


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%KJ5P7%LJ5N2%MK6Q4%NU5Z0%OJ4R2%Pe8T9
)END


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%KJ5P7%LJ5N2%MK6Q4%NJ5R0%OJ5M0%PW2M7
)END
 
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As it's diagrammed, you use high right hand english into the point, jack up about 30 degrees or so. But the trick is the hit, too hard and it will bounce into the short rail, too soft and it goes off away from the short rail. Have to hit it just right with more of a tap type hit, rather than stroke.

I've also made this going down the long rail. A lot harder though. You just have to experiment until you get the touch just right. Trust me it took a while to get it down, but once you do you'll be glad you put the time in.
 
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Koop said:
On this shot, how do hit it to make it consistently.
I've been able to make it numerous times but never with any regularity.
I was told a long time ago to use high outside english and aim into the point.
Does this sound right to you?

Thanks,
Koop
Click to expand...

The problem is that this shot can change table to table. The differences are; 1. Flare of the pocket, 2. how pocket face was installed 3. Material used in the pocket face (backing used sometimes)

But if stuck, hey go for it. I have also seen this same shot in one pocket with the object ball going into the side pocket tit.
 
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