How do you play this shot?

[BillB]

Here is the table layout:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/3763652...in/photostream

I overlayed how I'd try to play it, but are there better options? Thanks.

[CueInAction]

Have you got a video link of the shot? Looks like it might be a stun off the first (pottable) red onto the one just above, the cue ball should do the rest

[BillB]

Have you got a video link of the shot? Looks like it might be a stun off the first (pottable) red onto the one just above, the cue ball should do the rest

I do have the video, which I will post in a while. I first wanted to get the players' and coaches' objective assessment on how they would approach that situation.

So I take it you'd approach the shot roughly the same way I diagrammed it?

[Samcheung001]

A stun shot may cannon the red above affecting path to get to the blue. I prefer a deep screw with right side spin, bounce the left cusion and get to the right of the blue.

[Stevie]

One little tip I figured out with an awkward positional shot is to always try to play position in a way where the cueball is heading towards the next object ball along the line of the next shot.... because its easier to get the angle of the white right than it is the pace of the white, this way if the shot is over-hit or under-hit, you still have a shot, whereas if you play position across the line of the next shot you need to be perfect, within a couple of centimetres.
So on your shot I would do as Samcheung001 suggests, a screw shot off the left cushion would give you a better chance of at least having a shot on the blue.
Hope that makes sense...

[nrage]

A stun shot may cannon the red above affecting path to get to the blue. I prefer a deep screw with right side spin, bounce the left cusion and get to the right of the blue.

I reckon stun would definitely cannon the red above. Stun angle is 90 degrees to the path the object takes which clearly runs straight into the red.

You would need to use a lot of screw to avoid that cannon, but that much screw coupled with the power required to get you above the blue would likely have the cue ball screwing back into the cushion, meaning you'd need the reverse side you mention. This is a difficult shot played like this.

I think playing it plain ball, relying on the cannon, and using the cannon to send the white up to the blue is the easiest option - but judging the power is the tricky part and you might end up on a baulk colour - but that's how I'd play it because if I tried to add reverse side I'd miss the pot.

Edit: I assumed we had to play the pot here, I wouldn't if faced with this in a competitive match. I'd play safe. If I was practicing tho I'd take it on.

[pottr]

The only way it would be possible to take that exact line would be to jack' the butt up in the air, strike down on the white causing the white to jump into the object ball and bounce over the ball nearest to it.

I would guage that shot as a 1/100 to get ideal position.

To get to where you would like to be, you could either screw using the cushion with right hand side or play a difficult run through. The run through is difficult because it's hard to judge the pace and the screw shot is difficult because you have a very small window to land the white in from the cushion.

I would ignore playing for the blue and play the deep screw with reverse side to get onto the baulk colours. Massive margin for error providing you pot the red. You would land on any one of the baulk colours or even a blue to the black corner pockets.

[Qubit]

I would ignore playing for the blue and play the deep screw with reverse side to get onto the baulk colours. Massive margin for error providing you pot the red. You would land on any one of the baulk colours or even a blue to the black corner pockets.

This for me, when I first looked at the shot my first thought was; I wouldn't be looking to finish on the blue to the middle, baulk colours much easier.

[Stevie]

One little tip I figured out with an awkward positional shot is to always try to play position in a way where the cueball is heading towards the next object ball along the line of the next shot.... because its easier to get the angle of the white right than it is the pace of the white, this way if the shot is over-hit or under-hit, you still have a shot, whereas if you play position across the line of the next shot you need to be perfect, within a couple of centimetres.
So on your shot I would do as Samcheung001 suggests, a screw shot off the left cushion would give you a better chance of at least having a shot on the blue.
Hope that makes sense...

I meant a screw shot off the reds here, you're guaranteed to come off the top half of the bottom left cushion........

[CueInAction]

I would have thought that by screwing off the first red, the white would be drawn back at a wider angle towards the cushion as the spin would first grip the cloth after colliding with the second red. The reason I suggested a stun shot was that the object ball is slightly in front of the red we plan to cannon off which seems more consistent with the cue ball coming off at closer to perpendicular.

[vmax4steve]

Play a safety off the red near the pink using right hand side and put the cue ball on the baulk cushion behind the yellow.
All top colours are now open with your opponent in trouble.

Or do what pottr says if you're good enough.

[pottr]

The cannon can NOT be avoided without jumping the balls and that shot is near impossible.

No amount of screw will prevent the cannon.

[Terry Davidson]

I think I would play the pot with deep screw with no side to minimize the cannon and get on the blue or one of the baulk colours. Playing with deep screw and extreme right-hand side makes the pot a lot more difficult but if you can get back to the side cushion it would guarantee you had some kind of position as long as you used enough power and hit deep enough to avoid the middle jaws.

Another option would be a soft screw for blue into the green pocket or if the position is missed or you don't like the shot then you have the option of playing a safety with a bunch of reds now in the open.

It would really depend on how skillful you are with deep screw and also the speed of the table

Terry

[damienlch]

Top spin to push the cue ball through the pack to split it or might even jump over it... Land on the black or blue with some luck.

Now you know why my high break is only 50 odd points...

[wes]

I'd play a safety shot, Hey-Ho!
Wes.