What's your shot?

Here's another example of the same principle... the cb and the 8 are both froze to the rail. The easiest way to win from here is to just aim the center of the cb to where a line from the 9 comes into the 8. Try it a few times. If you didn't know this shot, it will come in handy for you.
The same principle can also be used for safes.

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I like this system I will try this carom on the nine ball shortly

Thanks for sharing

Update - I went 3 for 6 on this shot missed the first 2 real short. I have to put a little action on the ball to keep it going but too much kills the line. Cool shot I still need to work on picking the point to setup/aim.
 
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Like you said.. Your post has merit but again i would like point out this is what i would have done. The beauty of this layout is the mass amounts of appoarch to the rack.

I just saw it as being on the safe side more than the agressive appoarch. I like to play safe and veiw myself as a good safety player so it really depends on your opponent. I rather get into a safety battle with somebody than the risk of breaking balls apart in this manner. Again this is just my opinion and everybody has their own appoarch or tactic to the game. Isnt that why we love to watch the different top players?? Their games and styles are all so unquie.. Just like everybody else.

I really dont think there's a right and wrong (unless its really bad) situation here. I think it comes down to how comfortable you are in executing certain shots.
 
It is a viable option, but not my first choice. If you get behind the 8 correctly, he should have a very low chance of hitting the one. The problem is getting the cb right where you need it. Not as easy as it looks on cuetable diagrams!

The main reason I wouldn't do that in this case, is that it adds another chance for him to get to the table. There really is no need for him to get back to the table, not yet anyways. If I do get BIH after playing that safe, what have I gained? Really, nothing. I still have to break out the 3-9 with the one. I could easily have done that without him getting to the table, so why let him have a chance at getting lucky and doing something crazy??

My reasoning was if you get the 1 closer to the cluster,and get BIH it would be easier to break out the cluster and with the 2 that close to the pocket ,have a good chance of getting a shot
 
My reasoning was if you get the 1 closer to the cluster,and get BIH it would be easier to break out the cluster and with the 2 that close to the pocket ,have a good chance of getting a shot

You are right Petey as Aaron was with his first suggestion being the same idea. Neil doesn't say what size table he is referring to. He did say it was a friend who had this situation but sidestepped the question of table size. I think Neil is a 7x3.5 kinda guy. Not me I grew up on 9ft gold crowns. Big difference there. Guys who just play 7ft tables will get drilled when they try to play someone with 9ft skills.
 
Like you said.. Your post has merit but again i would like point out this is what i would have done. The beauty of this layout is the mass amounts of appoarch to the rack.

I just saw it as being on the safe side more than the agressive appoarch. I like to play safe and veiw myself as a good safety player so it really depends on your opponent. I rather get into a safety battle with somebody than the risk of breaking balls apart in this manner. Again this is just my opinion and everybody has their own appoarch or tactic to the game. Isnt that why we love to watch the different top players?? Their games and styles are all so unquie.. Just like everybody else.

I really dont think there's a right and wrong (unless its really bad) situation here. I think it comes down to how comfortable you are in executing certain shots.

A couple of things, JJ.

First, if you hit the 3 rail first, the cue ball will go almost straight uptable, RH english or not, because it comes off the tangent line with the 3 ball. You'd have to hit the 3 first with some RH english to go toward the side rail where the 8 is. Even that is not so great because bad things can happen. You could use too much english and hit off the left side of the 8 and scratch; you could scratch in the upper corner; and you aren't going to snooker the opponent anyhow with this shot.

I agree there isn't a right or wrong in this discussion - but there is a good, better, best. I think the 1 in the side breaking out the 3 is best, mainly because the 2 is in front of a pocket.

(And besides - if you'd rather get into a safety battle, then you should change your handle from runoutjj to 3fouljj !!) j/k

I've always used the 30 degree rule as a starting point in aiming these follow shot breakouts, but big thanks to Neil for showing another way to line up the shot. Can't wait to try it!
 
A couple of things, JJ.

First, if you hit the 3 rail first, the cue ball will go almost straight uptable, RH english or not, because it comes off the tangent line with the 3 ball. You'd have to hit the 3 first with some RH english to go toward the side rail where the 8 is. Even that is not so great because bad things can happen. You could use too much english and hit off the left side of the 8 and scratch; you could scratch in the upper corner; and you aren't going to snooker the opponent anyhow with this shot.

I agree there isn't a right or wrong in this discussion - but there is a good, better, best. I think the 1 in the side breaking out the 3 is best, mainly because the 2 is in front of a pocket.

(And besides - if you'd rather get into a safety battle, then you should change your handle from runoutjj to 3fouljj !!) j/k

I've always used the 30 degree rule as a starting point in aiming these follow shot breakouts, but big thanks to Neil for showing another way to line up the shot. Can't wait to try it!



I wish i could actually show you the angle of the safety on the 3ball. If you look at the diagram to where i said the cue ball should be (right past the side in line with the 4 ball) then the path of the cue ball (after hitting the 3 rail first) will go towards the corner pocket where the 8 ball is. Possibly hitting the end rail and coming to rest up against the 8 which would be the icing on the cake.

If you really what to get technical about cueing the cue with the english required to get to where im talkng about its a little bit above center and right (which is right follow) and a little bit before the 3 on the rail. I shoot this shot when it comes up and i almost always get the results i just mentioned. Sorry if you dont see that happening but it is possible. If you hit this shot all the time you learn HOW to hit it with control.
 
Here's a better diagram that might explain it better- you are aiming the center of the cb (the dotted one is your cb) to the point where the yellow line contacts the one. Then you manuever the cb around to where it is also in position to make the one while doing that.

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Neil this system is documented in the book: MODERN POOL by Ralph Eckert. In the book he also has a system for controlling draw by a similar method. Those 2 systems are well worth the price of the book. Modern Pool is one of my favorite books of all time.
 
> I might consider the same side-pocket break out attempt,in a slightly different way.

I might be crazy here,but it might work best if you came in on the high side of the 9,and moved the 9 with the cue ball going RAIL FIRST,using left spin,with enough speed to come out like this.


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You'd want to use a touch of high left here,and make sure that if you do err a little,that the middle of the 9 is better than not clipping it at all.

I'd hit this good and firm too,making sure to get the cue ball back towards the middle of the table because the last thing you want to have happen is to accomplish the breakout,and be dead straight with no chance of getting back up table on the 3. In my example,I'd be playing position for a possible 3-rail "swing" route up table to a spot at about B.

I kind of like the idea of shooting the one in the upper-right corner on the diagram and taking a 1-2 rail draw route to the same spot on the 9 I mentioned,like Aaron suggests. Tommy D.
 
I do agree that the runout isn't that bad. If that 3/9 comes apart decent and you come up with a shot on the 2 you should be in good shape. Although I'm still not a fan of shooting the 1 in the side and coming straight down for the breakout. The odds of contacting the cluster may be higher that way, but the odds of ending up jacked up over a ball or frozen to the rail are way higher, and it does you no good to get the 3 out if you end up straight in on the 2-ball and jacked straight up in the air. If those balls were a foot off the rail, however, I would shoot it that way every time.

But I still think I prefer playing the safety with my BIH and breaking out the 3/9 at the same time. There's no runout here unless the 3/9 comes apart, and if you don't get them separated, you're going to have to play a safety off of the 3. The "wait and see what happens, you can always play a safety later" approach works in a lot of racks, but look at the positions of the other balls. There's not much to hide behind other than the 4, and even if you get there (which is just as touchy as the safety behind the 8, IMO), you're leaving your opp an easy 1-rail kick with the 9-ball possibly in play on a kick-combo or kick-carom.

I like my odds of getting out here, but I like my odds even better with my opponent (assuming it's not Efren) kicking two rails at the 1-ball with 1 foul under his belt and possible 1-9 combo for me if he misses.

Aaron
 
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Neil-nice shot.

Here's a better diagram that might explain it better- you are aiming the center of the cb (the dotted one is your cb) to the point where the yellow line contacts the one. Then you manuever the cb around to where it is also in position to make the one while doing that.

CueTable Help


Neil-thanks for sharing another nice toolbox item.

Got lucky once combining safe/'roll the 9'with this method. Handy when you don't want to leave CB and 9ball close to each other in the likely case of a miss. In this case-force follow-other speeds and ball apart distances are worth practicing (a little) for yucks.

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I'm sort of undecided between 'keep em coming, Neil' and 'shssssh'.
 
i would make the 1 in the side break out the 3-9 an if i get a good roll i would run out

or i would play the 1 into the 9 an tuck the CB behind the 8 either way
 
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