What order to shoot the stripes with ball in hand?

PoolBum

Ace in the side.
Silver Member
i would start with the 15 ball to clear the rail for the 10 later
use the 10 as my key ball
hope you can follow my lines yellow and blue for the cueball red for the object ballView attachment 701994
You're not cutting the 13 in the side from that angle and still holding the cue ball for the 14 in the corner.
 

straightline

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
You're not cutting the 13 in the side from that angle and still holding the cue ball for the 14 in the corner.
13 would go quite easily in the corner. Regardless, with BIH, you could play it in the side with what they used to call a near stop shot and any landing in the lower left quadrant of that square containing the 5 and 13 would put you smack on the 15 with multiple control options.
 

DaWizard

Active member
For me 10 - 15 - 11 - 13 - 14 and 8

10 with some follow for easy reach.
15 a slow roll
11 slight roll to 13 and if I mess up the grey line still allows for various positive outcomes.
13 to 14 doesn't really matter, it always possible to get to the 8.

For me the keyshot would be 11 to 13. On paper super easy, in reality I could mess it up by ending up in between grey and black line.

sNO03wH.png
 

Cornerman

Cue Author...Sometimes
Gold Member
Silver Member
For me 10 - 15 - 11 - 13 - 14 and 8

For me the keyshot would be 11 to 13. On paper super easy, in reality I could mess it up by ending up in between grey and black line.

sNO03wH.png
I think this is the key statement. It won’t take much to get between the gray and black lines. Everyone thinks it’s so easy, until they’re in the heat of it. My “Idiots Guide to Run Out 8-ball” always has a player looking at the dreaded ball in the side pocket and avoiding it if its angle is crucial to the run. Most people will be shaking their heads at that point wondering why they didn’t take that 13-ball first. If either solid weren’t there, it becomes less heinous. As it is, planning an out that involves this cut on the 13-ball into the side from the 11-ball is beyond intermediate amateurs. I think at best it is going to give the shooter a headache. At worst, he’ll miss a missable ball and sell out.
 

ChrisinNC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Playing 8 ball with the layout given shooting stripes starting with ball in hand. What order do you shoot the balls and path if possible for easiest runout? Thanks.

View attachment 701993
13-15-11-14-10-8

13 in lower side with follow to clear past the 3. 15 at pocket speed pace with a touch of inside, although if the 15 is frozen it could be a little dicey to hold for the 11. 11 in corner with high inside going 2 cushions and out between the 3 and 5 to center table. The angle you leave on the 14 will determine if you are able work the cue ball closer to the long rail for a straighter angle on the 10 in which case you’ll play a stop shot and play the 8 in the other corner. If you’re left with a significant angle for the 10, you’ll play shape to pocket the 8 in the same pocket.

The key shot you’ll need to be careful with is positioning from the 11 to the 14, making sure you avoid getting snookered by the 3 or 5 but not going too far which could leave a sharper angle on the 14, in which case you could change up and shoot the 10 next and then the 14 last before the 8.
 
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Cornerman

Cue Author...Sometimes
Gold Member
Silver Member
13-15-11-14-10-8

13 in lower side with follow to clear past the 3. 15 at pocket speed pace with a touch of inside, although if the 15 is frozen it could be a little dicey to hold for the 11. 11 in corner with high inside going 2 cushions and out between the 3 and 5 to center table, 14, 10, 8. The only shot you’ll need to be careful with speed control is positioning from the 11 to the 14, making sure you avoid getting snookered by the 3 or 5.
Also, if you feel that the 14-ball is not a bad key ball (which it absolutely is a legit key ball), the 11 to the 10 as a bailout ends up with an out that any intermediate should handle, both with 7’ and 9’.
 

WobblyStroke

Well-known member
I think this is the key statement. It won’t take much to get between the gray and black lines. Everyone thinks it’s so easy, until they’re in the heat of it. My “Idiots Guide to Run Out 8-ball” always has a player looking at the dreaded ball in the side pocket and avoiding it if its angle is crucial to the run. Most people will be shaking their heads at that point wondering why they didn’t take that 13-ball first. If either solid weren’t there, it becomes less heinous. As it is, planning an out that involves this cut on the 13-ball into the side from the 11-ball is beyond intermediate amateurs. I think at best it is going to give the shooter a headache. At worst, he’ll miss a missable ball and sell out.
Ye, I think the best way to deal with the 11 to 13, if that route is taken is to take that troublesome wedge between the gray and black lines out of play by making sure to come off the long rail with the CB. This way, if a bit low, playing to the corner rather than the bottom side pocket saves us a bit.

In general, I think going to the second rail just gives us more room for error and still be fine whereas the way it is diagrammed, going one rail to the top side pocket demands a very precise line off the short rail and really good speed control with the 3ball looming. Under pressure, speed control fails first so the two rail option for bottom side or corner just seems like the safer and higher percentage approach as long as you are comfortable playing some inside english if need be.
 

Cornerman

Cue Author...Sometimes
Gold Member
Silver Member
Ye, I think the best way to deal with the 11 to 13, if that route is taken is to take that troublesome wedge between the gray and black lines out of play by making sure to come off the long rail with the CB. This way, if a bit low, playing to the corner rather than the bottom side pocket saves us a bit.

In general, I think going to the second rail just gives us more room for error and still be fine whereas the way it is diagrammed, going one rail to the top side pocket demands a very precise line off the short rail and really good speed control with the 3ball looming. Under pressure, speed control fails first so the two rail option for bottom side or corner just seems like the safer and higher percentage approach as long as you are comfortable playing some inside english if need be.
I like the thinking. I would ask you (if you were my teammate) to take cueball in hand and line up where that cueball needs to land for the 13 in the bottom side, and then place the cueball to each side by an inch and see if it’s still good. Feels like the the 5 and 3 are in play if you don’t get exactly correct on that 13 line. Considering you’re thinking if you come up way short that your bailout is to the left bottom corner, whereas I’m asking if you miss your line by an inch. It’s just another reason I like to avoid the side pocket in 8-ball if that angle is crucial to the out.
 

WobblyStroke

Well-known member
I like the thinking. I would ask you (if you were my teammate) to take cueball in hand and line up where that cueball needs to land for the 13 in the bottom side, and then place the cueball to each side by an inch and see if it’s still good. Feels like the the 5 and 3 are in play if you don’t get exactly correct on that 13 line. Considering you’re thinking if you come up way short that your bailout is to the left bottom corner, whereas I’m asking if you miss your line by an inch. It’s just another reason I like to avoid the side pocket in 8-ball if that angle is crucial to the out.
Now that I look at it again, I'd probably just play 2 rails for the corner IF I went the 11-13 route... which as I said in my original plan I'd just avoid and either shoot the 13 first or as key ball naturally landing on it off the 10.

A collision with the 5 is very likely when playing for the bottom side and to avoid it, you'd have to be just about as precise as going for the top side. Opting for the more difficult corner shot coming off the long rail with the CB, you can be short, long, or miss your spot on the rail by a few inches in either direction and still be fine for getting on the 14.

But again, these considerations are exactly why I avoid the 11-13 route in my plan for the rack. I just think 13 first or last are both higher percentage outs with fewer shots demanding a high degree of precise line+speed.

Even with my preferred out, the 11 to 14 is no picnic either, but the position area where you are fine getting from 14 to the 10 is massive and you can probably even get away with most incidental contacts with a solid on the way there.
 

alphadog

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
With bih and that wide open table , I would run out in numerical order. It's great practice. If I can't run those in order I have something to work on.
 

WobblyStroke

Well-known member
With bih and that wide open table , I would run out in numerical order. It's great practice. If I can't run those in order I have something to work on.
Yes this is surely possible and good practice and I might do that messing around. But in competition, even if you are a super pro, you want to choose the highest percentage out. Nobody is 100%. And in competition, even the difference between 95% and 90% makes a huge difference over time. Numerical order is not the easiest, highest percentage pattern.... tho it is the one I saw first too lol.
 

fuggles

Member
The 13 has 4 pockets. 14 has 5 pockets [4 if you don't count the top side]. 10 and 15 one pocket. 11 has 2 pockets. No way I'm shooting the 13 first. The 15 is a difficult ball to get on. And its a blocker for the 10. So it goes first. 15, 11, 13, 14 or 10, 10 or 14, 8.
 

WobblyStroke

Well-known member
The 13 has 4 pockets. 14 has 5 pockets [4 if you don't count the top side]. 10 and 15 one pocket. 11 has 2 pockets. No way I'm shooting the 13 first. The 15 is a difficult ball to get on. And its a blocker for the 10. So it goes first. 15, 11, 13, 14 or 10, 10 or 14, 8.
getting on the 15 from the 13 is about as simple a positional shot as there is. Then 11 to 14 is way easier to get on right than 11 to 13 for an easy path to the 14.

I get it tho, ur pattern seems to be the favorite overall. I think if you went out and shot each way 10X, u'd run into fewer tough shots taking the 13 first.
 

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
getting on the 15 from the 13 is about as simple a positional shot as there is. Then 11 to 14 is way easier to get on right than 11 to 13 for an easy path to the 14.

I get it tho, ur pattern seems to be the favorite overall. I think if you went out and shot each way 10X, u'd run into fewer tough shots taking the 13 first.
Yup. My new best pattern starts 13, 15. Combos like the 10-15 go wrong too often.
 

fuggles

Member
getting on the 15 from the 13 is about as simple a positional shot as there is. Then 11 to 14 is way easier to get on right than 11 to 13 for an easy path to the 14.

I get it tho, ur pattern seems to be the favorite overall. I think if you went out and shot each way 10X, u'd run into fewer tough shots taking the 13 first.
But you can easily get goofy on the 15 and not get on the 11. I'm not taking that chance because bih on the 15 is guaranteed position on the 11.
 

WobblyStroke

Well-known member
Taking the open ball in the middle of the table with BIH is usually all I need to know about my opponents game.
Ha. Usually ur right it's bad. But in this case, you end up with the same shot most would be setting up their BIH for and eliminate the toughest shot from the pattern that starts from the 15 (the 11 to 13).

The more I look at it, the more I hate anything other than 13 first or last.
 
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