'nother shooting problem

[Skin]

Here's another shooting problem that brings up a situation that appears in various forms fairly regularly. When to shoot the dead ball during the run, especially when you are far away from any balls that go to your hole?

You need five and he needs two. The 7-3 is frozen and the 3 is dead to the center of pocket A. There is no scratch from where the cb is right now unless you butcher it.

Pocket A's shot. You can't get out without making that 3. What is your pattern? Assume the angles are there to do what you want, within reason, so we don't have to argue about that this time.

Skin < thinks this may be a no-brainer, but then again...

[CUETABLE]http://pool.bz/P/?@3AYtM3BVDO3CDFv4DWkK4EaLB4FNmK3GBaj4HLBK4IGKN4JQoK3KUXK3LReK3MOsK4NIPK4OTiJ2PasJ3QcQs@[/CUETABLE]

 

[Jimmy B]

Here's another shooting problem that brings up a situation that appears in various forms fairly regularly. When to shoot the dead ball during the run, especially when you are far away from any balls that go to your hole?

You need five and he needs two. The 7-3 is frozen and the 3 is dead to the center of pocket A. There is no scratch from where the cb is right now unless you butcher it.

Pocket A's shot. You can't get out without making that 3. What is your pattern? Assume the angles are there to do what you want, within reason, so we don't have to argue about that this time.

Skin < thinks this may be a no-brainer, but then again...

[CUETABLE]http://pool.bz/P/?@3AYtM3BVDO3CDFv4DWkK4EaLB4FNmK3GBaj4HLBK4IGKN4JQoK3KUXK3LReK3MOsK4NIPK4OTiJ2PasJ3QcQs@[/CUETABLE]

Very easy for me. I shoot it right NOW

 

[androd]

I would shoot the 2 ball first and take natural position on the combo then I'd have the combo and either the 1, 9 or 7 balls next, depending on where the CB stopped after making the 2 ball.
Rod.

 

[wincardona]

I would shoot the 2 ball first and take natural position on the combo then I'd have the combo and either the 1, 9 or 7 balls next, depending on where the CB stopped after making the 2 ball.
Rod.

I agree, if the 2 ball is as easy a shot as the 1 ball I shoot the 2 ball. Shooting the combo now you run the risk of losing the cue ball and also you may create position problems for the 7 ball. Plus if the combo is headed to the center of the pocket you can possibly throw it off enough to miss it.

For some the 1 ball may be an easier shot than the 2 ball, considering the slight angle the shot carries the 1 ball isn't a bad shot either, but the 2 ball is a shot that doesn't have to be hit hard and it's a natural angle for the position needed to run out easily. Plus as Rodney points out after pocketing the 2 ball you will have more options for position from the combo.

Billy I.

 

[sappo]

i like the 1,2,9,3 and 7. keith

 

[bstroud]

Depends on the table to a certain extent.

On my Diamond pro with 4" pockets I would definitely shoot the 2 ball and play position on the combo.

On a normal table I would probably shoot the 1 ball.

I would never shoot at the combo from here. Way too many thinks could go wrong. Position is unpredictable.

Bill Stroud

 

[lll]

im with rod.
that was my thought before i read his post

 

[Frank Almanza]

I agree with most here that the shot on the 2 is the way to go. Natural position to get to the combo. Once there you can control the cue ball to do as you want. Not shooting the one first and leaving it there will give you more options once you get on the combination.

Like Mr Stroud said shooting the combo first leaves a lot of things up to chance.

 

[philwelch]

Very easy for me. I shoot it right NOW

If you shoot the combo from there you"re gonna throw the 3 to the left of the pocket unless you cut the combo. That wouldn't make much sense. You either shoot the 1 then 2 or the 2 and get shape on the combo. Preferably getting on the right side of it so you drift slightly to the left to pocket the nine.

It looks fairly simple but you've gotta make that opening shot.

 

[Jimmy B]

I agree with most here that the shot on the 2 is the way to go. Natural position to get to the combo. Once there you can control the cue ball to do as you want. Not shooting the one first and leaving it there will give you more options once you get on the combination.

Like Mr Stroud said shooting the combo first leaves a lot of things up to chance.

I love Mr. Strouds thinking on all pool scenarios. I just worry so much about my weak stroke ie my opening shot. To me this is not like a real combo. This is a dead wired ball. I just hit the first hit ball like I was cutting it in and it will go in and I should have a shot. With that cue ball way down there against the rail, I will rattle the one ball a good 20% of the time on tight tables and blow the game. I may not run all five, but I don't blow. If I played like these great players here I would shoot the one and then the two..

 

[Rod]

I agree with Rod and others. Shooting the two is the best way to run out. Now you have balls above and below your pocket, a perfect situation. Anything can happen shooting the combo first, including a scratch off the 5 ball.

Rod

 

[SJDinPHX]

Looks like a consensus on this one Skin...No knowledgable player is going to shoot the combo first...It would throw off at least a few inches...I will try to get shape on it, after I try and cinch the duece...Just guard against a possible scratch in the side..the rest should come fairly easy...

 

[Cowboy Dennis]

Here's another shooting problem that brings up a situation that appears in various forms fairly regularly. When to shoot the dead ball during the run, especially when you are far away from any balls that go to your hole?

You need five and he needs two. The 7-3 is frozen and the 3 is dead to the center of pocket A. There is no scratch from where the cb is right now unless you butcher it.

I'd shoot the 1,2 and get on the combo.

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[Dudley]

I'd shoot the 1,2 and get on the combo.

I'm with you Dennis on this one. I would also prefer to shoot the 1 first then the 2.

Dud

 

[SJDinPHX]

I'd shoot the 1,2 and get on the combo.

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Thats because you never played on 4" Diamond pockets, you doorknob... (they can spit out balls almost as quickly as a snooker table, on long, close to the rail shots..

 

[Frank Almanza]

Shooting the one first from such a distance you will have to hit it firm enough to stop the cue ball and into a smaller pocket than the two ball. The two ball from where it sits has a larger opening and needs much less speed allowing for a slight miss hit and still go in.
The one will need to hit the heart of the pocket with all that speed and with no allowance for a slight miss hit. This becomes an even bigger factor with tighter pockets.

 

[bstroud]

Dick is right about that.

I have never spent much time on 4" pockets and I have to say that it is hard to play the natural game I am used to.

You have to bear down on every shot. That coupled with the Simmonis cloth and the Aramith balls has presented a real challenge for me returning to the game after a 20 year layoff.

Having said that, I am starting to have some real success with lots of runs of 10 or 12. The biggest problem seems to be the balls. The cut angle and the billiard angle just seems to be different than what I was used to.

Does anyone else have this problem? It seems you need to over cut everything because if you touch a rail going in the ball jaws. To say it is driving me CRAZY is an understatement. Every time it looks like a 100 ball run a ball hangs. It just seems unfair.

I don't understand why anyone would want to play on this equipment except maybe Artie.

Bill Stroud

 

[Cowboy Dennis]

Thats because you never played on 4" Diamond pockets, you doorknob... (they can spit out balls almost as quickly as a snooker table, on long, close to the rail shots..

Some Diamonds with larger pockets spit out balls that are well-struck, that's why I don't like them. On a Diamond like that or an extremely tight GC or Anniversary I would shoot the 2 first, I ain't no idiot.

RBL

 

[Cowboy Dennis]

I don't understand why anyone would want to play on this equipment except maybe Artie.

Bill Stroud

Which equipment Bill? Diamond tables or tight pocketed tables?

Dennis

 

[bstroud]

Dennis,

Mostly 4" pockets.

The new Diamond pro I have has the new rail configuration that Glenn Hancock said would play more like a Gold Crown. It doesn't.

The rails seem to give the cue ball more speed and the cue ball never rebounds exactly like I expect.

The main problem I am having is the Aramith balls. The seem to stick together like glue. When you hit one with the cue ball going slow the object ball moves and then rolls back to freeze to the cue ball. What is that?

I have never seen Centennials do that.

It seems like the balls flatten more at the moment of contact and change the angle to the pocket so you need to over cut everything.

To break up a cluster you need to hit the balls perfect or you get stuck to a ball.

The more straight in you are the harder you have to hit the cue ball to get position. It's really weird.

It also seems easier to miscue when the cue ball is on the rail. The cue ball just acts strange. I bounces off object balls instead of taking a more natural angle.

I guess if I had grown up playing with mud balls (which I did) I would have similar problem with the Centennials.

The solution seems to be shoot a 1000 balls a day until things seem normal.

Don't seem to have as many problems on a Gold Crown.

Bill Stroud