Cue ball tight on the side cushion

[poolqjunkie]

I have been having problem with the kind of shots when the cue abll is tight on the side cushion and I need to hit across the table. e.g. Cue ball is parallel to the baulk line, tight on the cushion, and my object ball is in front of the baulk pocket, diagonally away from the cue ball. Do you find these type of shot more difficult than when the cue ball is tight on the bottom cushion?
I tend to over cut them all the time. I think it is because my body kind fo go off balance due to the fact that I have no where to place my bridge arm and the cushion is kind of at an angle to the cue ball so it is hard to find the center.
Could anyone please help me?

[inevermissblue]

What i do is point my index finger of my bridge hand down towards the floor so that only my knuckle is visible(the one that the cue slides along). This supports your bridge hand on the table giving you great stability. Do you know what i mean? :snooker: :snooker: :snooker:

[RocketRoy1983]

Very difficult shot poolqjunkie and needs practice perfecting.

[Wimm]

Focus on hitting the ball in the center, it's easy to put a trace of unwanted side on the cue ball in that situation.

[Jimbob The Dragon]

I have been having problem with the kind of shots when the cue abll is tight on the side cushion and I need to hit across the table. e.g. Cue ball is parallel to the baulk line, tight on the cushion, and my object ball is in front of the baulk pocket, diagonally away from the cue ball. Do you find these type of shot more difficult than when the cue ball is tight on the bottom cushion?
I tend to over cut them all the time. I think it is because my body kind fo go off balance due to the fact that I have no where to place my bridge arm and the cushion is kind of at an angle to the cue ball so it is hard to find the center.
Could anyone please help me?

Hi May sound a bit silly but ?
have you tried shorting your cueing arm when playing these shots
James

[noel]

Pooljunkie... this is a really good coaching question because it affects every player at some time or another... the better your opponent... the more often you have a tricky rail shot, often the length of the table.

inevermissblue makes a crucial point on the stability of the bridge and Wimm on the accuracy of centre-striking and RocketRoy wisely advises to practice properly, probably not just to be able to make rail shots but to build the confidence necessary to execute it without fear (fear shots are invariably missed).

To those comments I just have two points to add...

I find, as you mention, PJ, my ability to aim reliably varies with the diagonal position too and it's very frustrating... which means testing aim and result over and over until you find a pattern... like a grouping in target shooting... only then can you reset your sightings 1" or so to the left or to the right as necessary. Placing a chalk on the rail the opposite distance you miss by can be a good practice target to aim at.

The other point is to shorten your normal stroke and when striking the cueball be even more deliberate and careful than usual. Try striking the cueball at half speed to see if that aids accuracy and only when you are accurate should you add more power and follow-through.

These tips given to me by a former WC have helped me enormously and I always include shots with cueball centre baulk rail potting yellow off it's spot into the side pocket in my warmups.

Hope that may help you mate.


=o)

Noel

[poolqjunkie]

Thank you so much everyone. I will try all these suggestion. Really appreciate them.

I do find the shots with the cue ball tight on the bottom cushion easier than when it is tight on the side cushion at an angle. It almost feel like no matter how I stance the shot just does not feel right. When it is tight on the bottom cushion, it is difficult but I can actually feel that I am lined up.

Lately, I have tried to put a bit more weight into my legs on this type of shots, I think my body might be leaning a bit more to the side because I cannot really put my weight forward.

I have never tried to put my index finger down but it sounds liek a brilliant idea, I will definitely try that.

Noel, could you please explain a bit more about what you mean by putting a chalk to where the shot is missed? I am afriad I do nto quite understand that.

By the way, if I were to try sink the white in the pocket from this position I could do it with no problem, so I think it is a sighting problem for me. i am mostly overcutting.

Thank you very much everyone.

[noel]

Noel, could you please explain a bit more about what you mean by putting a chalk to where the shot is missed?

Well, PJ, place the cueball above the baulk line against the left side rail directly in a diagonal line for a straight pot of the brown off it's spot into the right corner. Try five shots. Aim as you normally would with no re-adjusting on all five shots. Note where the brown hits. If it is an aiming problem they should all strike at about the same place. If that miss location is, for example, 4" left of centre of the pocket... place a chalk 4" to the right of centre of the pocket and aim for that. See if that works.


=o)

Noel

[poolqjunkie]

When I try that brown ball, I could make them.
My problem is this: a red about 5 inches from the side cushion next to the black on the right hand side of the table(my right when facing the table from the baulk), the cue ball tight on the side cushion where the baulk line is, on the left hand side of the table. When I get down on this shot, it feels very uncomfortable, and I sometimes would miss it real bad as a 1/4 ball. I am not sure if it is a sighting problem.

[Phil]

interesting topic, interesting answers. one of the more difficult shots for me.