Why Is This A Hard Shot For Me?

Blackjack said:
Mike

Like I have told you many times in the past, most of your problems are not "shotmaking issues" as much as they are "position/pattern issues". The first thing I noticed is that your 7 ball is down there and your cue ball is up above the side pocket. Basically you messed up on the position and you will pay for it with the more difficult shot.

Try to notice which side of the pocket you are missing the shot on. If you are missing on the outside consistently, aim to pocket the ball on the inside of the pocket - if you are missing it on the inside, aim for the outside of the pocket.

f_overcut1m_b70b3c2.jpg


The space between the two arrows on either side of the pocket is your margin of error for this shot.

Also pay attention to the contact point on the ball. In the diagram below, I have drawn a red line from the center of the pocket, through the center of the 7 ball and out to the rail. I have also drawn a line from the cue ball to the point where the red line goes through the 7 ball... where these two line intersect, that is your contact point. Notice that you need to have the cue ball hit that contact point at the angle in which is it illustrated... if you hit the 7 ball too full on either side of that contact point - you will miss.

f_overcut2m_634a975.jpg


The natural angle of this shot is also diagrammed. I have also shown what is called "angle in" and "angle out". This is something that is extremely important with determining the path of the cue ball. I illustrate a "natural pattern" on this shot, and the direction of the ball is determined by the "angle out". When you have identified the contact point and the angle out, then you can control the cue ball by using inside our outside english, low right, high right - whatever. Just make sure that the contact point and the angle out remain the same.

These shots are not very difficult if you learn how to determine the contact point - and the direction the cue ball will take after contact.
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well, a couple of things need to be clarified.

#1 - in this situation i didnt miss position on the 7-Ball. a buddy stopped by (he's not very good), we were shooting around, playing some 9-Ball, and left me with this three ball layout.

#2 - i dont think thats the natural angle that you have diagrammed there Blackjack? it looks like a 90 degree angle to me, which is the result of hitting a stun shot. have i missed something here? IIRC, i felt the natural angle would just about hit the 9-Ball, and i wasnt taking any chances at getting hooked by the 9-Ball.

oh, and Fred, i overcut this shot.

DCP
 
Jude Rosenstock said:
If I have this shot, I'm going one rail with inside english.
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That is the way to play this shot all day long......or you could get better shape on the 7.
 
DrCue'sProtege said:
well, a couple of things need to be clarified.

#1 - in this situation i didnt miss position on the 7-Ball. a buddy stopped by (he's not very good), we were shooting around, playing some 9-Ball, and left me with this three ball layout.

#2 - i dont think thats the natural angle that you have diagrammed there Blackjack? it looks like a 90 degree angle to me, which is the result of hitting a stun shot. have i missed something here? IIRC, i felt the natural angle would just about hit the 9-Ball, and i wasnt taking any chances at getting hooked by the 9-Ball.

oh, and Fred, i overcut this shot.

DCP
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Mike

1) Natural angle/90 degree angle doesn't matter of you can't get the balls in the hole.

2) IMO, there is NO WAY to get hooked by the 9 and make the 7 ball at the same time unless you try to do it intentionally.

3) If you are hooking yourself with 3 balls left on the table, something is TERRIBLY wrong with your position play.

4) This is what I call a "gimme" runout. You have a clear shot on the 7 and natural position to the 8.

I'm not bragging - this is the truth - I can runout those 3 balls opposite handed - I could shoot that shot on the 7 ball 100,000 times I'll never once come close to that 9 ball. I'll get out every time. So should you.

Learn about angle in and angle out. Watch some tapes of Efren and watch how he controls the speed of the shot, the speed of the cue ball, and the speed of his cue. Pay attention to where the great players send their cue ball, and where they don't send their cue ball. Letting runouts such as this occupy space in your head (rent free) is a waste of time and brain cells.
 
Matt_24 said:
That is the way to play this shot all day long......or you could get better shape on the 7.
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inside english is the way to play this shot? thats a somewhat difficult shot, if you can make it consistently my hats off to you.

and as far as getting hooked by the 9-Ball, i can see how it would happen easily. you come off the rail, bump into the 9-Ball and knock it uptable, and wala, snookered.

DCP
 
DrCue'sProtege said:
...

oh, and Fred, i overcut this shot.

DCP
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Haven't Bob Jewett said before, when you use low or high english, you need to hit the OB fuller? Perhaps, that explain why you overcut it.

But I will stick at my own explanation. You just didn't see the correct angle. My theory is, when you are standing behind the CB, you will think that the CB is closer to the rail. That way, you will think that the angle is wider. When you shoot, you will overcut it. Pretty easy explanation.
 
DrCue'sProtege said:
oh, and Fred, i overcut this shot.

DCP
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Do you always overcut this shot?

If you mirrored the position of the balls (i.e., the 7-ball would be shot in the upper right pocket) would you overcut that or undercut it?

I think if I recall correctly, you've asked about this same shot before, except you diagrammed it by shooting the ball in the upper left pocket.

Fred
 
DrCue'sProtege said:
inside english is the way to play this shot? thats a somewhat difficult shot, if you can make it consistently my hats off to you.

and as far as getting hooked by the 9-Ball, i can see how it would happen easily. you come off the rail, bump into the 9-Ball and knock it uptable, and wala, snookered.

DCP
Click to expand...

I love inside english. You should too.
 
Jude Rosenstock said:
Okay, I'm going to start off by saying that tables play differently so what I see happening in this diagram isn't always going to be consistent with what others see.


In the poolroom I play out of, this shot simply isn't possible. You cannot kill the speed of the cueball with that path but that has to do with the fact that the rails at my poolroom are a little bouncier than most other rooms I've been to. If a player needed to take this shot, I would imagine them under-cutting the ball in an attempt to keep the cueball from running away.

If I have this shot, I'm going one rail with inside english.
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First, Blackjack is right. You got bad shape on the 7 ball. You should be much further past the side pocket. That's issue number one.

Issue number two is that you are taking the wrong shot. Why try and go two rails around the 9 ball when, by your own admission, you usually screw up outs and position and just about anything you attempt on a table?!?! Knowing you, you'll likely hit the 9 on the way to the short rail and end up having to give the 8 ball a long-table, back door cut into the top right corner.

Jude is right about the shot to take. With this shape, play high inside english and go one rail back downtable towards the 8.

However, Jude is wrong about one thing though. The two rail shot is possible in almost any poolhall, even Amsterdam.
 
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