End game: best places to leave one ball?

[NH Steve]

Okay, it's end game time. What are the best places to leave your opponent, and how do you "work a sequence of shots" (if necessary) to put them there? Obviously, the best leave is in your pocket, or hanging in the jaws :) , but I'm taking about the next best -- the places that are most likely to get you a decent shot on your return trip to the table after your opponent has done what they can to turn the tables on you.

Here is one spot, for example, that is tough because it is tough to kick away or knock directly away with a fullish hit, and tough to accurately cross over to your own side without giving up a return bank:

http://CueTable.com/P/?@3AbBp2PQvh3qWrLYour_pocket_is_here&ZZ2rHOF&ZZ@

[vapros]

Steve, I believe that finding the best place to leave the last ball has to include where you will leave the cue ball, also. Very few places are always good ones, if the cue ball is running loose. And almost any place can be very good if you leave the cue ball where you want it.

The layout in your diagram is a good one, but the guy is certainly not in a serious trap. He will hit it rail-first, and leave the one ball somewhere near the center of the foot rail (or nearer his side) and the cue ball in the same area where it is now, after going two rails. And that will be a good leave, too.

[NH Steve]

Steve, I believe that finding the best place to leave the last ball has to include where you will leave the cue ball, also. Very few places are always good ones, if the cue ball is running loose. And almost any place can be very good if you leave the cue ball where you want it.

The layout in your diagram is a good one, but the guy is certainly not in a serious trap. He will hit it rail-first, and leave the one ball somewhere near the center of the foot rail (or nearer his side) and the cue ball in the same area where it is now, after going two rails. And that will be a good leave, too.Of course, both object ball and cue ball -- I just didn't have room in the title :)

Regarding "being in a trap" -- well there aren't too many traps with only one ball on the table -- are there? If there are, I want to know about them! You can't count hanging in your pocket, because I already precluded that in my opening post. What I am looking for is your opinion on the best places to leave your opponent for the purpose of developing a possible shot for yourself. Akward spots are about all I know of -- one of which I tried to illustrate in the opening post. Do you have other "favorite places" to leave the cue ball & a single obect ball?

I know another place that players talk about is very close to your own side pocket:

http://CueTable.com/P/?@2AYYI3PEOg3qYOUYour_pocket_is_here&ZZ@

[Deeman]

I like the last object ball on the head end of the table just in front of the corner pocket on your side of the table with the cue ball married to the center of the head short rail. If you leave it far enough out, you give up a possible bank or kick but with the cue ball on the head rail, they will sell out more often than not.

DeeMan

[NH Steve]

I like the last object ball on the head end of the table just in front of the corner pocket on your side of the table with the cue ball married to the center of the head short rail. If you leave it far enough out, you give up a possible bank or kick but with the cue ball on the head rail, they will sell out more often than not.

DeeMan
You mean similar to what I show in the opening diagram, but with the cue ball more towards the center of the end rail? If you leave the cue ball too far over, you risk leaving a cross-over bank if you leave the object ball a few too many inches up the rail from your pocket, or maybe even a spin bank if the object ball is off the side rail a little too much...

[Deeman]

You mean similar to what I show in the opening diagram, but with the cue ball more towards the center of the end rail? If you leave the cue ball too far over, you risk leaving a cross-over bank if you leave the object ball a few too many inches up the rail from your pocket, or maybe even a spin bank if the object ball is off the side rail a little too much...


Well, yes, except that the object ball is on the other end, not near your own hole. As I said, it does leave a kick but if not executed perfectly, leaves you some good options and often a game winning bank. I am a big fan of distance and eliminating cueing options late in the game. True, Efren is gonna beat you from here but he's gonna beat most folks from any position! With most of the balls on the table, this kick ain't so tough but be at 7-7 and the whole world changes. :)