Banking the back ball on the spot

[iusedtoberich]

I always go for this shot, but most of the other players in my room play a safe by hitting the head ball and leaving the cue on the bottom rail. I'm an intermediate player, so I don't know a ton. Is there something wrong with going for the bank? It usually works out well enough for me.

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[OldHasBeen]

I always go for this shot, but most of the other players in my room play a safe by hitting the head ball and leaving the cue on the bottom rail. I'm an intermediate player, so I don't know a ton. Is there something wrong with going for the bank? It usually works out well enough for me.

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Your shot is a very LOW percentage shot. Too many things can (and eventually WILL) go wrong.
Notice how close your coming to scratching?

Percentages play a huge part in shot selection for good One Pocket!

TY & GL

[One Pocket Ghost]

I always go for this shot, but most of the other players in my room play a safe by hitting the head ball and leaving the cue on the bottom rail. I'm an intermediate player, so I don't know a ton. Is there something wrong with going for the bank? It usually works out well enough for me.

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IUTBR, Although many people (way too many) always want to give absolute definitive answers to yes or no, right or wrong questions (questions about life choices as well as pool choices) the truth is that sometimes there is a definitive answer regarding right or wrong, and sometimes there isn't - With this shot-question of yours there is not a definitive yes or no answer.

That said, I currently give, and have given a lot of one pocket lessons, and I have discussed this shot situation many times with students. There are three shot choices available here, two of them are offensive and aggressive and the third is a simple, solid defensive safety/(the shot that you said the players in your room always play). Your choice of shots in this spot is one of the two offensive/aggressive shots, and depending on who's shooting it, I think it's a good shot. Choosing to shoot this shot, in this spot, is all about the eyes...As long as you have good enough eyes to consistently get close to getting the approximately 1/3 ball hit that you need to either make the bank or put it by your pocket, it's a very good shot choice, and will put your opponent in trouble....And with 2:30 outside english and pocket speed there isn't a natural scratch angle - it's a good 'leave' angle. If however, you don't have the 'eyes' for this shot, (I wish I still had my 25 year old eyes) then it's the wrong shot for you - because if you hit it way too thin or hit the front ball first, as OHB said, a lot of bad, ugly, wallet-emptying things can happen to you.

[Shorty]

Sonny taught me this shot...and its the same as the one under Great Shots on this board...he had me hit it with low outside...pushing both balls toward the hole...the back ball off the bank and the front ball with the good follow through. To me your version of the shot is just too risky...too many ways to screw it up or scratch. Sonny could just about make one or both of them 75+ percent of the time. Regardless of the outcome...it just plain makes sense to push two balls toward your hole rather than to push one and turn the cue ball loose.

Just a "shorty's" view of it...

Shorty

[titanic jerry]

If You Are Shooting The Shot At All It Means Your Opponent Made The Last Ball In Your Pocket And Scratched Or Jumped The Cue Ball Off The Table. The Score Is Now You Need One And He Needs Both Balls.

The Only Logical Move Here Is To Bank The Back Ball One Rail Into Or Near Your Pocket. The Proper English And Speed Sends The Cue Ball Around The Corner Pocket Back To The Kitchen Hopefully On The Side Rail Near The Pocket..

You Make The Bank You Win Case Closed. You Leave It By Your Pocket He Is In A Real Trap. If He Trys To Make The Front Ball In His Pocket And Misses You Are Almost Guaranteed Having A Winning Makeable Shot. From Where He Is It Would Take A Miracle To Use The Front Ball For A Safety So His Best Option Is To Knock The Ball Away From Your Hole.

My Best Guess Is If He Does That You Have A Two Rail Bank Into Your Pocket For The Win.

Let's Get Real The Shot To Practice Is The Back Ball Bank And When You Have It Down It Is The Best Percentage Move.

Titanic Jerry

[hemicudas]

If You Are Shooting The Shot At All It Means Your Opponent Made The Last Ball In Your Pocket And Scratched Or Jumped The Cue Ball Off The Table. The Score Is Now You Need One And He Needs Both Balls.

The Only Logical Move Here Is To Bank The Back Ball One Rail Into Or Near Your Pocket. The Proper English And Speed Sends The Cue Ball Around The Corner Pocket Back To The Kitchen Hopefully On The Side Rail Near The Pocket..

You Make The Bank You Win Case Closed. You Leave It By Your Pocket He Is In A Real Trap. If He Trys To Make The Front Ball In His Pocket And Misses You Are Almost Guaranteed Having A Winning Makeable Shot. From Where He Is It Would Take A Miracle To Use The Front Ball For A Safety So His Best Option Is To Knock The Ball Away From Your Hole.

My Best Guess Is If He Does That You Have A Two Rail Bank Into Your Pocket For The Win.

Let's Get Real The Shot To Practice Is The Back Ball Bank And When You Have It Down It Is The Best Percentage Move.

Titanic Jerry
AMEN and AMEN, Jerry. I totally concur.

[gulfportdoc]

Choosing to shoot this shot, in this spot, is all about the eyes...As long as you have good enough eyes to consistently get close to getting the approximately 1/2 ball hit that you need to either make the bank or put it by your pocket, it's a very good shot choice, and will put your opponent in trouble.....

OPG, I surely agree with you about the eyes (and also the stones), but the shot takes a much thinner than half-ball hit; unless it's spotted slightly more towards your pocket. Spotted correctly, I'm not sure that a half-ball hit is even possible without contacting the front ball.

Doc

[jrhendy]

If you need one & your opponent needs both, you need to put one of the balls down table & play safe. If I needed more than one, I would go for the bank on the back ball. It might be the best shot you get.

[titanic jerry]

Sorry John but I can't visualize your concept here. You are saying if you needed both balls you would bank the back ball because it might be the best shot you are going to get. If you need both balls you will never do anything but watch the guy who needs one take his shot. You are not at the table. So it comes down to.......bank or do not bank the back ball. I suppose it is just like why Baskin & Robbins has 31 flavors there are multiple ideas on how to play that shot. I would say it would be hard for any accomplished one pocket player to not be agressive at that point of the game. So like we used to really have shooting spot shots down for when the guy made the 9 and scratched you had to know the shot. I remember back in the 50's and 60's
in the bay area with Cochrans in S.F., the Rathole in Oakland, ther Hayward Bowl all them old players banked the back ball and they made the bank 30% of the time. But mainly they won the game banking the back ball.

Hope to see you at The Jointed Cue Saturday


Titanic Jerry