TopSpin Which type of shot is this?

[Lee Vilenski]

Hendry, O'Sullivan.... Even Peter Ebdon would.

[ADR147]

Hendry, O'Sullivan.... Even Peter Ebdon would.

but we would all have fallen asleep waiting for ebdon to do it!

[trevs1]

In the match of 1982 when Alex Higgins took a break of 69 against Jimmy White, he plays a topspin shot for blue getting position for reds in the black area
I am really surprised as to how that shot can be played
Most of you might be knowing but still you can see it in this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dViH2UERKBs
I am talking about the shot starting at time 2:44

Can someone please explain em what type of shot is that and how it can be played?
Thanks

If you imagine the cueball as a clock face, he's striking it at about 8/9 o'clock.

This is not low enough to cause an INSTANT 'screw' or 'reversing' reaction like in a conventional deep screw shot. Instead, what it does is slightly stun the cueball, forcing it onto the cushion above the centre pocket.

The extreme off centre striking he has applied to the white then takes effect on the cushion to cause a huge amount of angle, back towards the reds.

He might have played the shot this way because he possibly felt that playing the shot with deep screw would have pushed the white toward the centre pocket, who knows?

Set the shot up for yourself and try it with different amounts of high/low striking, but always striking extreme left of centre.

You'll see how it's done.

It was this kind of crazy shot selection (along with numerous other issues)that made Higgins the legend he became.

[snookaman]

In the match of 1982 when Alex Higgins took a break of 69 against Jimmy White, he plays a topspin shot for blue getting position for reds in the black area
I am really surprised as to how that shot can be played
Most of you might be knowing but still you can see it in this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dViH2UERKBs
I am talking about the shot starting at time 2:44

Can someone please explain em what type of shot is that and how it can be played?
Thanks

This is a 3/4 ball, screw shot. The cue ball goes 10 degree forward.
If this is a 3/4 ball, stun, the cue ball will travel at 45 degree forward.
If this is a 3/4 ball, deep screw, the cue ball will go further back, about 45 degree backward.

Ref: Page 60, SNOOKER (ep Sport) by Ted Lowe; A&C Black London; 4th ed, 1988.

[dannyd0g]

its deep screw with left hand side - it should not really be played!!!

Not by anyone except Alex, only he or possibly Peter Ebdon would have ever played it like that.

Although Alex was known for his outrageous and spectacularly brilliant shots, i think that is one of his most famous, considering the situation in the match - that he needed to pot everything to stay in the match for a place in the final.

[inevermissblue]

Hi every1!
I'm not replying directly to the last thread although i think this is rellevant. Has anybody seen Stephen Hendry's Brown to Blue postional shot that he sometimes plays when a frame is safe? Its truely awesome!!! He leaves a half ball brown to yellow pocket with right hand side. Due to the pace of the shot this side spin is cancelled out (delayed) as it hits the first cushion, until the cueball grips. Then just as it hits the second cushion it produces the remaining effects of reverse side to glide the cueball perfectly to the blue. If anyone can find footage of this it would be great. I'm not sure that we should all go rushing down to the local Snooker clubs to try this out though. As i'm sure that this can only be achieved on standard number 10 cloth. Great shot all the same.

[stegorjus]

Did you notice how slow the cloth was? Other than this particular shot, which wildly over-ran, every shot looked like it was going to run and run but just pulled up in time.
I wonder if Alex could have played screw and right to cushion just below left middle. The side possibly reversing from that angle and behaving like left to bring the cue-ball level with the lowest red for a half ball pot... Or have I hit the vino a little early?

edit. I can't believe no-one picked up on this. The side would, of course, still be right and so come off the cushion almost square.

[millwall32]

If you look at it carefully you can see he's hitting it with bottom and left hand side.
I agree with everyone else that the amazing thing is not so much the shot as the fact that he even saw it.