What would you do? (9-ball)

Oikawa

Well-known member
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9-ball situation I had recently. 7 and 8 are touching, and the angle is off for the 8 to go by throwing it in.

I ended up trying this to get 7 touching the rail, trying to at best leave the CB behind the 8, at worst leave a bank, counter-safety or a tough long pot. Ended up misjudging the power a bit and leaving a bank available. Not sure if this was the right play though.

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What would you do?
 
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9-ball situation I had recently. 7 and 8 are touching, and the angle is off for the 8 to go by throwing it in.

I ended up trying this to get 7 touching the rail, trying to at best leave the CB behind the 8, at worst leave a bank, counter-safety or a tough long pot. Ended up misjudging the power a bit and leaving a bank available. Not sure if this was the right play though.
What would you do?
I would’ve tried the same thing. At worst you’re leaving a relatively tough shot. Just make sure you hit it hard enough to get the 7 to the cushion, but not much harder.
 
Good play. I’d probably hit the 7 fuller and leave cb there trying to lock the cb on 7 off the rail. Worst case scenario unless you hit too hard is you leave a fairly easy bank
 
left center off the of the left side of the 7 taking the cue back up table and hopefully freezing it on the top rail, depending on how fast the table plays.
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Do you mean like this, freezing the 7 there, or some other cut angle?
 
I would have shot the same shot you did , You could also shoot through the center of the 7 ball with left draw and bank the 7 , 1 rail and the 8 3 rails, I would try to draw back up to the top rail and playing the 7 hard enough to get to the bottom rail if I missed the bank. It's probably going to go short anyway. I liked the 2 rail draw safe off the left side of 7 , but I don't think you can hit it thick enough to get the 7 off that line much.
 
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Do you mean like this, freezing the 7 there, or some other cut angle?
I would load it up with left and try to get it close to center diamond on the head rail, not go to the long rail, so it would only be a 2 rail shot. Bonus if you can hook him behind the 9.

I would have to leave distance. I’m terrible at short distance finesse safety play.
 
Left side of the 7...left English on CB two rails behind the 9.....hopefully right on the end rail center diamond...(that is my target anyway)
All depends on the skill level of your opponent. I like your idea of creating distance between the cue ball and 7 ball, but you are are exposing the 7, so if you don’t get the CB either behind the 9 or very close to the end rail, you’re giving up a very makeable shot.
 
Seems like a good option if you are confident in this shot (to make it over 50% of the time) and know the table conditions well. Might be impossible on some tables if the angle doesn't change enough off the rail even with max spin transfer.
Yep. I point it out as a shot that should be considered.

pj
chgo
 
Well since it’s not lined up to throw the 8 ball in I think I would cut the 7 full into the 8 with low left and hope the 7 stays put for a safety two rails back and forth to get the CB behind the 9 as close to the head rail as possible. A bit of a risk since my target area is only about 4 inches in the area around the head rail, but I’m feeling good that I’m going to force him to kick and hopefully my next shot will be game over.
 
Clip the 7 very thin with at natural rolling cue ball.
You'll then hit the 8 fat and bank it lightly off the long rail, causing the cue ball to move ''away'' from the long rail.
Your utilizing the 8 as a blocker.
If you cut the seven too thin, you'll hit the 8 thicker and lay whitey on the short rail.
Even if your opponent can see the 7, he'll have to do a cut down the rail with speed with a cue ball that will at best be in the table middle, then he'll have another thin cut on the 8 and have to come around table to make the 9.

Your object is to bank the 8 off the long rail and out.... to block seeing the 7.
 
All depends on the skill level of your opponent. I like your idea of creating distance between the cue ball and 7 ball, but you are are exposing the 7, so if you don’t get the CB either behind the 9 or very close to the end rail, you’re giving up a very makeable shot.
Of course skill level plays a role....for fun and a weak player...I may go for Patrick's bank shot suggestion......IMO....the 7 to the side rail is a soft touch shot....very easy to either over hit and sell out a shot or easy safe....or the other extreme of not driving a ball to the rail trying to get to touchy with it.......I set the shot up and got safe the time and 5 in a row....however it is "my table" so that is a advantage on my part .....The 9-ball is actually a very big ball as it sits....my target is the end rail directly behind...but the "safe zone" is actually fairly big....

The actual correct answer to this question.....is....you have to play to your strength......whatever you are most comfortable executing.

Side note (that only Efren would see prior to the shot).....(or for me after the first or second shot).....I noticed that the 2-rail to the far end rail behind the 9....sends the 8 to the end rail and the 7 (depending on the thickness of hit) toward the side rail...thinner the hit the 7 basically stays right there........the 8 banks back out and depending on the thickness of hit combined with running english the 8 banks back into and ties up the 7 or in some cases went past the 7 and became a blocker...in some shots it does not interfere at all with the 7.....Again it depends on the thickness of hit on the 7 and the amount of english applied changes that outcome.....For me it is a mere happening that I can notice after the fact........for Efren he could probably play for it.
 
My safety play is pretty atrocious so if anything I choose distance.
Hard to go wrong leaving distance between two balls as long as the object ball isn’t close to a pocket. At least you are forcing your opponent to make a long tough shot, especially if it’s on tighter pockets.
 
I don’t think it’s possible to get the CB safe behind the eight in this scenario. I think I would play the CB ball behind the nine. The seven will stay right there, and the 8 will go forward and bounce off the end rail.
 
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