Tip Of The Week
Number: 13
Jim Tellier April 2011
TOPIC: Keep
the Cue Ball Off The Rail
CATEGORY: Intermediate
INTRODUCTION:
You
already know that, to more easily get position for your next shot, you want to
have an angle not a straight-in shot. But once you start to get
comfortable with that, you will probably find that somehow or another, the cue
ball ends up on the rail (even though you did manage to get that angle!). How
to avoid that?
TECHNIQUE:
Of
course, every shot is different. But the best approach to getting the success
rate up in this case is pretty simple: try to shoot each shot in such a
way that your cue ball will end up in the center of the table.
Now, thats not going to be perfect advice for every shot object ball on the
rail at the other end of the table you dont want to face that from
center table! But, on average, the idea is to think of the center of the
table as like a home position. Try this for a while, and see if it makes a
difference for you! Some players do this as a way to free their mind from
having to worry about specific ball position, and instead put more mental
energy into making the shot at hand. Again, its not a cure-all approach, but
can be useful in the early stages of a game especially since there are so
many targets to choose from.
But,
use caution. Dont make this your prime directive! Think first about:
Whether or not you
need to play a safety (this shot OR next shot)
What happens if
you miss, and leave the CB in the center of the table?
If you have a
possible run-out, or does your opponent have an easier table?
When is the
cocktail waitress coming back? --- NO! just kidding!! J
Its
especially important to try and stay away from the rail if your next shot is
going to require draw. The rule of thumb is: the minimum distance that
works best for draw shots is 5 away from the rail. This is because you want
to keep the cue level for maximum draw. But even this wont give you
the same potential as if the CB was in the middle of the table.