Spot Shots

This is kind of a spill-over thread spawned from my frustration of my play this weekend. I had 2 spot shots in my set. one of them with 3 balls on the table, we both need 2. I made the spot shot and then also made the ball in his pocket but then missed the cheese ball.

The other one I just had to make it but he had a ball near his hole and I totally dogged it missed the shot, dug his out luckily but I could have won the game / set /match if I just make the spot shot.

I know I need to just take hours and shoot the spot shot over and over which I have not done but is there anything special you guys do on spot shots?

Do you guys draw the rock to the side long rail or does your CB hit the foot rail first after contact with the object ball? That may depend on where the other balls are on the table but generally speaking if you have 1 ball on the table and you have a spot shot, do you draw it or go to the bottom rail after contact?

I have lost many of games due to these buggers...I plan on setting them up and practicing them the next time I get out to play...

cincy_kid said:

Do you guys draw the rock to the side long rail or does your CB hit the foot rail first after contact with the object ball? That may depend on where the other balls are on the table but generally speaking if you have 1 ball on the table and you have a spot shot, do you draw it or go to the bottom rail after contact?

I have lost many of games due to these buggers...I plan on setting them up and practicing them the next time I get out to play...

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With one ball on table, I just drag the CB, I make a good % of these, if not I get safe.

androd said:

With one ball on table, I just drag the CB, I make a good % of these, if not I get safe.

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drag the CB to the side long rail Rod?

If so, that's how I generally shoot them as well with 1 ball on the table but when you add a a ball by their howl or in their quadrant, sometimes it changes.

Spot Shots

Here is an interesting comment about spot shots that was espoused by BrLongarm (Joe) in New Orleans. He suggested that if there is no ball by your opponents pocket, and with BIH, not to shoot from the standard spot. He suggests putting the cue in the center of the table and having a steeper cut on the spot shot in order to not sell out a bank if missed. So the cue comes back up table on the same side as the OB (again if missed). I have not put this into practice but I did see the logic in it and thought it was interesting.

Mkbtank said:

Here is an interesting comment about spot shots that was espoused by BrLongarm (Joe) in New Orleans. He suggested that if there is no ball by your opponents pocket, and with BIH, not to shoot from the standard spot. He suggests putting the cue in the center of the table and having a steeper cut on the spot shot in order to not sell out a bank if missed. So the cue comes back up table on the same side as the OB (again if missed). I have not put this into practice but I did see the logic in it and thought it was interesting.

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I often do that if the situation warrants it.

With 1 ball remaining or with other balls out of play, I just put the CB in the head spot area and cut the spot shot in... If I miss, it's generally left where he has to deal with it..

Oops, I'm late...

My favorite practice.
Spotshot from bih. Cue has to return to kitchen. Spot up another ball. From where cueball lies shoot into opposite corner pocket. Bring cueball back to kitchen.
Learn all kinds of paths for whitey.Practice builds confidance.

I played quite a bit this weekend. No matter where the cue ball was for a spot shot, I resorted to what I learned as a kid and actually lining up my spot to cut the ball in with my cue (think ghost ball) and made 90-95% of the balls on the spot.

Sometimes the Keep It Simple Stupid method actually works for me!

Spot Shots

Cincy Kid,

I have found some real improvement in my game recently by simply practicing certain shots. It is amazing how easy it is to think you know about a shot until you start shooting it over and over again, exclusively, for a period of time. This method has totally changed how I practice.

You say you need to take hours. I disagree. If you actually commit yourself to practicing the spot shot, I think it will not take hours for some real improvement to take place.

Personally, I spend time on them in almost EVERY practice session I have in my basement. Here are some things I believe I have learned.

1) If I totally commit to the shot and shoot it at a firm speed with a center but high cue ball, I am now a HEAVY favorite to pocket the ball...SO if I need one, I shoot the shot to knock the dust out of my pocket...ok maybe not that hard, but I don't baby it, and I know have a much better make percentage. At least for me, EVEN WITH A LOT OF PRACTICE, I find the shot MUCH harder if I roll it, and even harder still, if I am trying to lag it to the pocket. It is so hard (to me) that I almost never do it now. However, it used to be that I almost always was lagging the shot, and in my view, consequently, my make percentage was low.

2) The overlooked (overlooked at least by me until I started practicing the shot and playing very good players) danger in lagging the shot is this: To lag this shot without balls as blockers will very often leave a bank that a good player will make. If you are able to lag it so soft so as to not leave a bank, you are placing a lot of trust in the table and the shot becomes much harder to make.

3) Developing some familiarity with drawing the cue ball on the shot has some pretty obvious advantages. However, IF you opt to draw the cue ball, and if you over cut the shot, it is VERY easy to scratch.

kollegedave

kollegedave said:

Cincy Kid,

I have found some real improvement in my game recently by simply practicing certain shots. It is amazing how easy it is to think you know about a shot until you start shooting it over and over again, exclusively, for a period of time. This method has totally changed how I practice.

You say you need to take hours. I disagree. If you actually commit yourself to practicing the spot shot, I think it will not take hours for some real improvement to take place.

Personally, I spend time on them in almost EVERY practice session I have in my basement. Here are some things I believe I have learned.

1) If I totally commit to the shot and shoot it at a firm speed with a center but high cue ball, I am now a HEAVY favorite to pocket the ball...SO if I need one, I shoot the shot to knock the dust out of my pocket...ok maybe not that hard, but I don't baby it, and I know have a much better make percentage. At least for me, EVEN WITH A LOT OF PRACTICE, I find the shot MUCH harder if I roll it, and even harder still, if I am trying to lag it to the pocket. It is so hard (to me) that I almost never do it now. However, it used to be that I almost always was lagging the shot, and in my view, consequently, my make percentage was low.

2) The overlooked (overlooked at least by me until I started practicing the shot and playing very good players) danger in lagging the shot is this: To lag this shot without balls as blockers will very often leave a bank that a good player will make. If you are able to lag it so soft so as to not leave a bank, you are placing a lot of trust in the table and the shot becomes much harder to make.

3) Developing some familiarity with drawing the cue ball on the shot has some pretty obvious advantages. However, IF you opt to draw the cue ball, and if you over cut the shot, it is VERY easy to scratch.

kollegedave

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Thanks for the reply Dave! If I had a table at home I would surely practice more so I am limited on play time and usually when I have the chance to play, I get in action pretty quick as IO get bored with practice (even though I know I should do it)...

Good point about rolling the ball. I find myself rolling balls more often than stroking them when playing 1p. I know there are some shots you have to stroke to hit it well (like a spot shot) but a lot of the time I am bunting or rolling balls.

PS - you going to the derby again in Jan?

cincy_kid said:

If I had a table at home I would surely practice more

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See, there's the thing. You're trying to do things in the wrong order. Try this:

1. Play better

2. Make big scores

3. Buy a table and build a room addition to put it in

4. Practice.

spot shot might be the most important shot in one pocket. so learn to make it almost every time and be able to put the cueball most any place on the table for position.
only one left i draw cueball to the side rail. easier to make it and leaves it safe most times if you do miss.

practice putting one up cold and making it from either side of the table.

cincy_kid said:

Thanks for the reply Dave! If I had a table at home I would surely practice more so I am limited on play time and usually when I have the chance to play, I get in action pretty quick as IO get bored with practice (even though I know I should do it)...

Good point about rolling the ball. I find myself rolling balls more often than stroking them when playing 1p. I know there are some shots you have to stroke to hit it well (like a spot shot) but a lot of the time I am bunting or rolling balls.

PS - you going to the derby again in Jan?

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Yep, I will be there with bells on. :heh

LSJohn said:

See, there's the thing. You're trying to do things in the wrong order. Try this:

1. Play better

2. Make big scores

3. Buy a table and build a room addition to put it in

4. Practice.

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John, your posts are great.

beatle said:

spot shot might be the most important shot in one pocket. so learn to make it almost every time and be able to put the cueball most any place on the table for position.
only one left i draw cueball to the side rail. easier to make it and leaves it safe most times if you do miss.

practice putting one up cold and making it from either side of the table.

Click to expand...

Beatle,

Interesting you describe making the spot shot this way. I find when I only have to make the shot and not worry about where the CB goes, I hit the draw shot and maybe get a little outside English on the CB.

It feels like I am undercutting it a bit, and throwing the OB to the hole. I don't really understand why it seems easier to make this way. Perhaps you can expound on this?

This kinda goes against how I try to play otherwise, I generally try to eliminate English if I can for accuracy.

kollegedave said:

John, your posts are great.

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You must have a very low giggle threshold, like me.

You can use outside English so the object ball doesn't throw. This way your shot will be more consistent with the different playing condition of the balls.
With dirty balls the cueball may push it off line as it clings or hods onto it for longer.

Years back when balls were never cleaned in the poolroom. Most cut shots we used outside so they didn't throw. Mostly applies to fuller hits on the object ball.

darmoose said:

Beatle,

Interesting you describe making the spot shot this way. I find when I only have to make the shot and not worry about where the CB goes, I hit the draw shot and maybe get a little outside English on the CB.

It feels like I am undercutting it a bit, and throwing the OB to the hole. I don't really understand why it seems easier to make this way. Perhaps you can expound on this?

This kinda goes against how I try to play otherwise, I generally try to eliminate English if I can for accuracy.

Click to expand...

If you take a cut shot, a spot shot for example, there is is one exact spot you hit to split the pocket at a rolling controllable speed, little faster than a lag. As you increase your cue ball speed, the contact point changes, meaning you hit the shot with a little less cut (fuller) and the ball collision forces the cut angle to split the pocket. If you apply the same increased speed and put draw on the cue ball, you can then hit the object ball just a little bit fuller. There are two speeds the cue ball has, forward speed and spinning speed. Both these principles cause the shot to cut MORE when you hit the same spot on the obj. ball. So if the lag cut shot has point A as your contact point to ''split the pocket'', as you add cue ball speed and spin speed...the contact of your object ball changes to a more fuller hit, thus the term....forcing the angle.