Artefactos elaborados por el Equipo de Desarrollo

As mentioned, the most common safety option involves a light touch on the cue ball.

Your intent is to move the cue ball a very short distance, while at the same time moving the object ball a short distance. Figure 8.1 shows a one-set shot. To accom-plish this shot, begin by hitting the cue ball slightly below center with a touch of left english. You’re attempting to drive the object ball forward, past the 9-ball, and send the cue ball behind the 9-ball. This is an excellent shot to practice because it gives you a feel for moving the cue ball only a short distance. This sort of light touch is a skill

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Figure 8.1 This safety requires a light touch on the cue ball, a key skill in safety play.

you won’t use on most of your regular shots, but it’s invaluable to be able to do it when needed, and the need arises most often in safety situations.

In figure 8.2 we have a similar shot in a Nine Ball game. To execute this shot, send the 2-ball down the table and squeeze the cue ball between the 6-ball and the 3-6-ball. Once you learn this shot, it’s easy to execute and offers excellent results.

Let’s say you’re playing a game of Eight Ball and your opponent has just scratched.

You have cue ball in hand. As you’ll notice in figure 8.3, your 3-ball and 6-ball are tied up. It’s virtually impossible to break them up with the other balls on the oppo-site side of the table, and neither one has a clear path to a pocket. You’re best off executing the safety as shown. You’ll open the 6-ball and 3-ball, while placing your cue ball between the 6-ball and the cushion, giving your opponent a very difficult kick shot. Should he or she foul again, you’ll have cue ball in hand with a much easier chance of running the table.

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Figure 8.2 The use of the soft safety in a Nine Ball game.

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Figure 8.3 An Eight Ball safety play that puts the balls in better position for your next turn at the table.

Another type of safety shot that comes up quite often is shown in figure 8.4.

In this situation, the incom-ing player has cue ball in hand, but there’s no open shot at the 1-ball to make it in any pocket because the 6-ball is blocking its path.

Rather than try to bank the ball or take a high-risk shot, a safety is your best bet. To accomplish this shot, you’ll need to stop the cue ball dead after it makes contact with the object ball, sending the 1-ball down table. The closer you leave your cue ball to the 6-ball, the better off you’ll be.

The possibilities are endless for stopping the cue ball with cue ball in hand and trying to freeze it on a ball or stop it behind a row of balls. Look at figure 8.5, which shows another Eight Ball situation. Your opponent has just missed, and you have no open shot at the 1-, 2-, 3-, 5-, or 6-ball. Rather than take a flyer, simply shoot on the left side of the 6-ball with a touch of follow, using either straight high ball or a bit of left english. This sends the cue ball into the short rail and back into the 3–5 cluster. Hit the cue ball hard enough to barely glance off the 6-ball and open the 3–5 cluster just slightly, while leaving the cue ball behind these balls.

Figure 8.4 Stopping the cue ball while sending the object ball down table.

Figure 8.5 Sending the cue ball into a cluster.

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Figure 8.6 Stopping the cue ball behind blocking balls with a below-center hit.

In figure 8.6, you’ll be send-ing the 3-ball down table, but you have to hit it pretty firm to get it there. At the same time, you’re trying not to let the cue ball travel too far once you hit the 3-ball. To control this, use a below-center shot with a thick (three-quarter) hit on the 3-ball. You’ll need to take as much speed as possible off the cue ball to park it behind the 5 and 6 balls. This is a shot that comes up frequently, especially in Nine Ball.

In figure 8.7, you came up a little short for your position on the 9-ball. You’re left with a decision. Should you take the flyer bank or play safe? Taking the bank probably isn’t advis-able for a couple of reasons.

First, if you don’t know condi-tions of the table, it could play short or long on you. Plus, you must know where your cue ball is going and how to get it out of the way. Finally, if you miss the bank, chances are you’ll sell out, leaving your opponent an easy shot for the win. Better to play safe by cutting the 9-ball on the left side. Hit it very thin and send the cue ball two or three rails down table. If, for example, to drive the cue ball at least three rails on its way to the other end of the table. This gives your opponent a very difficult shot, even to execute a safety of his or her own.

Being able to hit an object ball very thin is vital to great

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Figure 8.7 Opting for the safety leaves your opponent with the tough shot.

safety play, and definitely worth the practice time invested. There will be plenty of times when you’re presented with a shot situation involving a length-of-the-table thin cut on a ball. You’re better off trying to overcut the ball than to undercut it. The overcut shot will send your object ball to the long rail and then back into the short rail, leaving your opponent virtu-ally the same shot. An undercut shot will hit the short rail first, bounce out in front of the pocket, and leave an easier shot for your opponent.

In figure 8.8 your opponent has left you an extremely tough shot on the 9-ball. Attempt to cut the ball in, but use a thin cut with a middle-ball hit (or a touch below center because it will have become middle ball by the time you get all the way down the table to the 9-ball). If you make the shot, great—you’ve won. If you don’t, the cue ball has traveled back down table, leaving your opponent with an even tougher option.