Cue ball tight on cushion

[jonny66]

You still need to be able to play off the cushion, I'd say avoiding it is a different issue. At some point you are going to be cueing from tight on the cushion, even pros can't avoid it, your opponent will actively try and leave you there, so you need to learn how to do it.

[Ramon]

Good routine - thanks for posting it - still not been able to do it yet. Got down to the last couple of balls each side a few times and then could not avoid the cushion. Wondered if anyone had managed it?

yeah ............, who in the world would be able to manage this . wouw !!

The purpose of difficult routines is to learn to get better.
If you try sumthing you already able to manage, then you're not practising. you simply wasting your time.
Not to mention, mental side of it. You learn to deal with disappointments and you learn to have discipline (not getting off the table and sitting on the bar after 2 attempts).

Unfortunately, many players do choose for the easy way. which is understandable.
You clear the table and get a amazing feeling . I can do it and I'm good.


in case you try again, start with the closest ball to the cushion ( play the first shot with the rest ) and get rid of t other 3 , asap.
( this may be a good start ) .

@ace man , sorry my friend . this one was abit off the topic , it's your thread .

[itsnoteasy]

Haha, yes. Unfortunately, doesn't work like that. By that logic, pro players who rarely if ever end up tight on cushion should be horrible at those shots. But we know they're not.
I do pot my share of those. However, if there's pressure on and lots of reds around, I don't trust my technique enough on those shots. Like johnny66 mentioned, pink from tight on cushion is the worst...perhaps shots like that are too demanding technically for almost anyone.
Of course, guys who are worse than me practically live on cushion. But they're not frustrated by it, probably because they never gave it much thought.

Anyone, pros or amateur can miss a pink from tight off the Cush, it's a very very hard shot, and twice as hard if you are leaving a load on if you miss, of course the secret is not to end up there, which isn't easy either . I would never be to hard on myself for missing any shot from tight off a Cush, I would moan about the shot that left me on the Cush though

[ace man]

Hi Aceman, I know this is incredibly simple but just practice the normal line up, I really can't think of a better drill for this.

I do. Thankfully, I'm reasonably proficient so that I don't leave myself tight on cush during line up when reds are still on.
Colours clearance, brown to blue for example, now there's more danger...I play the shot too tentatively, hoping for a perfect angle on blue.

[ace man]

You still need to be able to play off the cushion, I'd say avoiding it is a different issue. At some point you are going to be cueing from tight on the cushion, even pros can't avoid it, your opponent will actively try and leave you there, so you need to learn how to do it.

I know jonny, I and do pot those horrible shots when I have to. But I'm a perfectionist by nature. For example, if during the visit I needed several shots off the cush or several extended rest shots, crazy cuts...etc...then I simply can't help but think that this was just one recovery after another. I am happier with a well executed 30 than a 50+ scored like this with very little control. Unless of course I'm in competition, then I really don't care how I score.

[throtts]

I do. Thankfully, I'm reasonably proficient so that I don't leave myself tight on cush during line up when reds are still on.
Colours clearance, brown to blue for example, now there's more danger...I play the shot too tentatively, hoping for a perfect angle on blue.

Do you opt for coming off the side rail on a 3/4 - 1/2 brown for the blue?. What about screwing off the brown to not use the side cushions..?..

[ace man]

Do you opt for coming off the side rail on a 3/4 - 1/2 brown for the blue?. What about screwing off the brown to not use the side cushions..?..

I do it both ways, but prefer using the side rail. With just a screw off the brown not using cushions I do sometimes end up too close to the blue, or I have to play the blue into the corner rather than middle.
More often than not I do get those angles right...however, I switched my club recently for a brand new one and now I play on virtually new cloth. Lovely to play on, wish it could always be like that, but it's been ages since I last tried new cloth, it's difficult to adjust to it.
Maybe this is why I've been struggling more than usual last few days with this leaving cue ball tight on cushion. With lack of control cue ball does tend to land in most awkward places.