Shot Scenario

[Billy Jackets]

Your pocket is bottom right {The 10 ball is in it} Opponent scratched and spotted the eight ball, you need both balls. Where do you place the cue ball, and why. English used , whats the next shot, etc
This shot comes up in a hundred different ways , this is just one of them.
It's not a once in a lifetime shot, which 99% of us would never remember in a game anyway. http://pad.chalkysticks.com/9a55f.png
I see even some well known players, play this incorrectly in my opinion, we will have to see what the consensus is.

 

[androd]

Place the CB 2/3 inches left of center, roll shot at the 8ball hope to make or get behind the 9ball or both.

 

[Bob Jewett]

Place the CB 2/3 inches left of center, roll shot at the 8ball hope to make or get behind the 9ball or both.

If I'm trying to get behind the nine, I would probably take a fuller shot and use a little left english. An alternative is to play for the 3-cushion shot on the nine.

But I don't understand how I could have ball in hand and need all the balls on the table. The problem is still interesting.

 

[youngstown]

Maybe we?re spotting the opponent ?the last two?

 

[youngstown]

I guess I?d spot the cue ball slightly right of head spot so I can hit the object thin to barely drop it in while bringing the cab around 3/4 rails for the other.

 

[Billy Jackets]

If I'm trying to get behind the nine, I would probably take a fuller shot and use a little left english. An alternative is to play for the 3-cushion shot on the nine.

But I don't understand how I could have ball in hand and need all the balls on the table. The problem is still interesting.

There can be any number of balls on the table, depends on where they are whether it's still the way to play the shot, I put 2 so there was less confusion.

 

[Jakie]

Play the ball in the pocket first (long rail,ball,short rail,opposite long rail to shot on the spotted ball. This is a routine shot that comes up a lot in straight pool.
.A tad of running english is helpful.

 

[Billy Jackets]

This was the positioning that gave me the best results, just above center cueball and all you need to think about is speed.https://pad.chalkysticks.com/e1275.png This way , you place the cueball in as close as possible to exactly the same place, every time.
The 8 should never end up on his side of the table and the cueball scratching 2 rails is really low percentage. I'm sure there will be people who think this is silly, just get down and shoot and spin whitey around the table and it will all be good.
I like to control what I am doing as often as possible, guessing at how much spin to put on the ball and placing it in a different spot every time the situation comes up , just seems like wasted opportunity to me, especially if you are playing for something meaningful.
For 5 a game , you can play whack a mole. For something serious, you might want to put your thinking cap on.

 

[Island Drive]

I guess I?d spot the cue ball slightly right of head spot so I can hit the object thin to barely drop it in while bringing the cab around 3/4 rails for the other.

I like back cutting the ball, land the cue ball on the long rail close to the 9. The key to this shot is obj. ball speed....I want the 8 ball to lay up at the hole. Setting the cue ball how far right of center????.... would be determined by play conditions.

 

[NH Steve]

I like back cutting the ball, land the cue ball on the long rail close to the 9. The key to this shot is obj. ball speed....I want the 8 ball to lay up at the hole. Setting the cue ball how far right of center????.... would be determined by play conditions.

That sounds good to me too -- and also looks like what Billy Jackets came up with too. One thing I believe is if you set it up this way, you want to make sure NOT to accidentally put outside english on your shot, because doing that brings you into the two rail scratch in my experience

 

[beatle]

spot shots are the easiest long shot on the table and you should be able to make them like its nothing and get the cue ball almost any place as well.
if you cant then make it and play the 3 cushion shot which is relatively easy and leave little if you misjudge it.

no way should you have to shoot a spot shot at a crazy angle to play safe with it and increase your chances of missing it dramatically.

if you play that way you will always be the sucker that loses in the pool room.

 

[Scrzbill]

I think back cutting the ball makes the most sense. Most people shoot that shot at different times anyway. My theory on these two shots would be to play the eight ball the way I normally shoot scratch shots and then play a three railer on the one. That’s a small area behind the one and then it’s on the rail. Tough out that is past my pay scale.

 

[Mkbtank]

Play the ball in the pocket first (long rail,ball,short rail,opposite long rail to shot on the spotted ball. This is a routine shot that comes up a lot in straight pool.
.A tad of running english is helpful.

Nick the 10 is inside the pocket. Just to show what your hole is.

 

[Billy Jackets]

I have found that when positioned along that line bisecting the first diamonds, with just above center and no side spin the cue ball tracks up to the head rail at an angle that takes the 2 rail scratch almost out of the picture and still allows a shot at any balls along or near the rail near the cushion.
If you shoot it and it does something different , move it until you get the same result every time.

I think back cutting the ball makes the most sense. Most people shoot that shot at different times anyway. My theory on these two shots would be to play the eight ball the way I normally shoot scratch shots and then play a three railer on the one. That’s a small area behind the one and then it’s on the rail. Tough out that is past my pay scale.

I hope you will shoot it 10 or 20 times the way I said, no side spin! and see if you still feel the same way Thats part of why I started shooting it this way, all I had to worry about was the cb speed.
I got out from here all the time, and I know I didn't play as well as you.

 

[Scrzbill]

I have found that when positioned along that line bisecting the first diamonds, with just above center and no side spin the cue ball tracks up to the head rail at an angle that takes the 2 rail scratch almost out of the picture and still allows a shot at any balls along or near the rail near the cushion.
If you shoot it and it does something different , move it until you get the same result every time.

I hope you will shoot it 10 or 20 times the way I said, no side spin! and see if you still feel the same way Thats part of why I started shooting it this way, all I had to worry about was the cb speed.
I got out from here all the time, and I know I didn't play as well as you.

If you don’t play better than me then I had better ask you to bet it up.

 

[Skin]

spot shots are the easiest long shot on the table and you should be able to make them like its nothing and get the cue ball almost any place as well.
if you cant then make it and play the 3 cushion shot which is relatively easy and leave little if you misjudge it.

no way should you have to shoot a spot shot at a crazy angle to play safe with it and increase your chances of missing it dramatically.

if you play that way you will always be the sucker that loses in the pool room.

Same way I think.

The spot shot is the single most important shot in pool, in my opinion. You don't see it much anymore with the rotation games rules changes, but it comes up often enough in 1p that it merits being practiced.

50 years ago you'd see guys all the time practicing it in order to make it a cinch when it came up in 9 ball because it often was the cheese shot. It also is an excellent shot for tweaking alignment and grooving the stroke. You should be able to get the cb where you need to off of it if you work with it in practice. We used to practice it by closing our eyes before the final back stroke. CB on the head string at the first diamond from the rail / half-ball hit.

 

[Island Drive]

Play the ball in the pocket first (long rail,ball,short rail,opposite long rail to shot on the spotted ball. This is a routine shot that comes up a lot in straight pool.
.A tad of running english is helpful.

Also, if you do pocket the 8 ball, the 3 railer on the 9 ain't a given, but it will leave you with great cue ball position....much easier to make than shooting the 9 frozen to the rail if you do come around 4 rails. Hummmmmmmm

 

[J.R.]

This was the positioning that gave me the best results, just above center cueball and all you need to think about is speed.https://pad.chalkysticks.com/e1275.png This way , you place the cueball in as close as possible to exactly the same place, every time.
The 8 should never end up on his side of the table and the cueball scratching 2 rails is really low percentage. I'm sure there will be people who think this is silly, just get down and shoot and spin whitey around the table and it will all be good.
I like to control what I am doing as often as possible, guessing at how much spin to put on the ball and placing it in a different spot every time the situation comes up , just seems like wasted opportunity to me, especially if you are playing for something meaningful.
For 5 a game , you can play whack a mole. For something serious, you might want to put your thinking cap on.

I just practiced that shot. It is a shot I would not have played before. Thank you for that shot and the reasoning behind it.

 

[Billy Jackets]

I just practiced that shot. It is a shot I would not have played before. Thank you for that shot and the reasoning behind it.

Thanks, I would venture to say you are the only one who even tried it, otherwise I am sure some other people would have also liked it, for what it is.

 

[Scrzbill]

I tried the shot about twenty times. For some reason I could not make the eight but my position on the second ball was about 90%. I went ahead and shot the second shot and made it most of the time. I really like back cutting these shots so I don’t understand why I didn’t make it ONCE.