which ball to call when you miss the rack?

michael4

michael4

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
This is probably a silly question, but I missed the rack after pocketing ball # 15, now the CB is near midtable, and I want to continue the run. I called the "left corner ball in the left corner pocket", but of course the other corner ball was the one to go in. :(

assuming I want to pocket something, what ball should I have called, and any special english/location I should use to get the best odds?
 
michael4 said:
This is probably a silly question, but I missed the rack after pocketing ball # 15, now the CB is near midtable, and I want to continue the run. I called the "left corner ball in the left corner pocket", but of course the other corner ball was the one to go in. :(

assuming I want to pocket something, what ball should I have called, and any special english/location I should use to get the best odds?
Click to expand...

Michael:

None of the above. You should play a safety here. Depending on how accurate you can strike the cue ball, you can opt for a top/follow on the cue ball dead-center hit on one of the two balls in the top row (having the cue ball freeze solid to it and a few balls leak out from the back row -- you have to be deadly accurate in your cue ball delivery), or else you can do a "nick" safety on one of the corner balls and spin the cue ball back to the side of the rack to shield from the balls that leak out from the rack to the opposite corner.

I'm assuming this is a match, by the way. If you're not in a match, and are just trying to run balls, and want to go for a "hail mary" shot to try to continue your run, from where you describe the cue ball to be (mid-table), your best bet is to try to bank one of the corner balls into one of the head-end corner pockets. That is, cut the left-corner ball with some speed (and a bit of draw), and it will bank length-of-the-table down to the head-end left-corner pocket. Notice that you are cutting that corner ball (but as full as you can, without nicking the row in front of it), and that ball "plays off of" the other four balls in that last row, banks off the foot rail, and goes length-of-the-table down to the same-side head-end corner pocket.

Again, you don't want to play that in a match, but it's a good "hail mary" shot to try to continue a run in e.g. practice or a 14.1 challenge.

Hope that helps,
-Sean
 
As you have assumed that your top priority is keeping the run going, I must reckon that you are playing alone here.

Banking one of the corner balls into the top corner on the same side of the table is probably your best chance here. Hit the corner ball as full as you can and give it enough pace to reach.

Don't play a shot here if you have an opponent.
 
I'd love to practice that shot though i think setting it up time and time again could be painful.
 
thanks everyone, yes I'm playing alone in the house and trying to keep a run going
 
sjm said:
As you have assumed that your top priority is keeping the run going, I must reckon that you are playing alone here.

Banking one of the corner balls into the top corner on the same side of the table is probably your best chance here. Hit the corner ball as full as you can and give it enough pace to reach.

Don't play a shot here if you have an opponent.
Click to expand...

Good succinct way to describe it, Stu -- you did a better job than I did.

The only tip that I can add for this shot, is to add a bit of draw to the cue ball, otherwise the object ball tends to bank wide (it will hit one diamond above the head-end corner pocket). Applying a bit of draw to the cue ball (along with some pace) shortens up the bank a bit -- just enough -- that this actually has a high percentage of going. Not enough of a percentage that you'd use this in a match (that would be suicide, naturally), but enough that it's a playable shot in a "keep the run going at all costs" practice or challenge turn at the table.

-Sean
 
sfleinen said:
Good succinct way to describe it, Stu -- you did a better job than I did.

The only tip that I can add for this shot, is to add a bit of draw to the cue ball, otherwise the object ball tends to bank wide (it will hit one diamond above the head-end corner pocket). Applying a bit of draw to the cue ball (along with some pace) shortens up the bank a bit -- just enough -- that this actually has a high percentage of going. Not enough of a percentage that you'd use this in a match (that would be suicide, naturally), but enough that it's a playable shot in a "keep the run going at all costs" practice or challenge turn at the table.

-Sean
Click to expand...

I've seen people here who said they would practice that shot until they could make it consistently and shoot it in a match, but I consider that akin to playing Russian Roulette with a fully loaded revolver! You only need be off a minuscule amount to sit for, possibly quite a while:wink: Straight Pool reinforces the idea that pool is, indeed, a game of millimeters. There are a lot of safety options in this situation in a match.
 
Pushout said:
I've seen people here who said they would practice that shot until they could make it consistently and shoot it in a match, but I consider that akin to playing Russian Roulette with a fully loaded revolver! You only need be off a minuscule amount to sit for, possibly quite a while:wink: Straight Pool reinforces the idea that pool is, indeed, a game of millimeters. There are a lot of safety options in this situation in a match.
Click to expand...

There is another shot I have seen if you end up on the left side of the rack slightly up table. If you hit the second object ball on the right side it will come toward the side pocket you are standing at. Hit the cueball around 3 o'clock...It's about 20% make, maybe less, but it's a shot:-). If you end up on the right side of the rack you hit the object ball on the left.....Remember to call the side pocket you're standing at:-)
 
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Isn't there another shot here.... remote chance at best but...

Come off the bottom rail first with running english into the bottom row of the rack at a certain point to bank the corner ball into the opposite side pocket?
 
ShootingRazbone said:
Isn't there another shot here.... remote chance at best but...

Come off the bottom rail first with running english into the bottom row of the rack at a certain point to bank the corner ball into the opposite side pocket?
Click to expand...

You mean the "headball two rails into the side pocket" kick-bank? The problem is that in the scenario that the OP describes, the head ball is missing. (The 15th ball was pocketed legally, but the cue ball completely missed the rack, and the cue ball is now in the center of the table.)

Normally, that kick into the last ball in the last row is a feasible shot, but not if the head ball is missing. ;)

-Sean
 
sfleinen said:
You mean the "headball two rails into the side pocket" kick-bank? The problem is that in the scenario that the OP describes, the head ball is missing. (The 15th ball was pocketed legally, but the cue ball completely missed the rack, and the cue ball is now in the center of the table.)

Normally, that kick into the last ball in the last row is a feasible shot, but not if the head ball is missing. ;)

-Sean
Click to expand...

Actually, I think he may be talking about one of the last row corner balls being banked into the cross side pocket. This would be one of these "run saving" break shots that Capelle describes in his book.

Since the CB is mid table, he is thinking he could kick into it? Would be tough! :eek:
 
This information is very constructive for correct planning. I like your work for providing information to the other.
 
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