Shots From Master Play - Force Follow Hold For Shape

By Glenn Bond

Watch the recreational players (ball-bangers, peanut gallery, beginners) in your own pool room or bar and you will see this month’s Shot from Master Play numerous times every night. How is it that these amateurs do this with ease, and yet so many mid-range competitors never even attempt this force-follow hold shot?

Well, to be fair to all involved, the bangers are not trying to do this shot for the same reason we are. In fact, they are always trying to do just the opposite. When beginners shoot the long shot near a pocket with a full hit and a lot of top (follow) english, they are attempting to have the follow take them back to the end of the table from where they are shooting. Good players know to use some backspin on the way towards the object ball to decrease the topspin on the cueball at the moment it collides with the object ball. Why?

As shown in the accompanying diagram, when the object ball is hit full in the face (almost straight), the energy of the cueball is transferred to the object ball, thereby decreasing the speed of the cueball. This alone is not enough to keep the cueball from coming back to the shooter’s end of the table. However, retaining the topspin that it already had, the cueball follows away from the shooter after hitting the object ball and after hitting the rail, causing it to hold near the pocket. We can use this to our advantage!

If you want the cueball to come back to your end of the table, do not strike it firm, with follow, hitting the object ball full in the face. However, if you want the cueball to remain near the pocket where the object ball was made, do all of this. It is easy to execute, commonly reproduceable, and as predictable as shooting a length of the table stop shot for the average player. Some tips for having the cueball remain in position for shooting the ball marked “X” into pocket “1” (as diagrammed):

• Do not cut the ball too much. With a less full hit, the cueball retains too much of its linear speed into the rail, not allowing the follow to affect it immediately after hitting that rail. Obviously, you don’t want to hit this shot completely straight, else the cueball will follow the object ball into the pocket.
• Be sure to hit high english. This is what holds the cueball near the rail.
• Although on newer cloth, you may hit medium speed on this shot and it will work, on older cloth feel free to strike it pretty firm. There is little danger of hitting it too hard.

I suppose for some this month’s Shot from Master Play is actually two shots. One is the hold for shape along the same rail with top english shot. The other is to not use top english if you want the cueball to come back down table toward you. Enjoy this Master’s position play shot!

Don’t be afraid of this pro shot- it’s easy to do!

All copyrights are owned by Glenn Bond. No duplication is allowed without his permission.