WWYD End Game

[dmcparland]

This end game situation came up in a match I had yesterday.

You are leading 7-5 in ball count and your pocket is on the right with the cue ball in it. The corner of the pocket does not block the 1 ball. WWYD?

 

[cincy_kid]

When you only need 1 ball, you want to keep as many balls out of play as you can.

In this case all balls are out of play. The one is in the side and the other 2 balls are tied up. You may first think, I will shoot in the 1 ball because I am only putting 1 ball in play. But if you do that, if your opponent is smart, they are going to break those 2 balls up, possibly snookering you from one of the balls they push near their hole and now all 3 balls are in play for them.

Whereas if you soft roll into the 6 just to make the 9 get to the rail, the 2 balls are still close to each other kind of tied up and the only way they can get 3 balls in play now is to shoot in the one ball in the side. But now it's your shot and you should have at minimum a defensive play to put the 1 ball back out of play.

That was my thought process anyway, curious to hear others.

 

[NH Steve]

When you only need 1 ball, you want to keep as many balls out of play as you can.

In this case all balls are out of play. The one is in the side and the other 2 balls are tied up. You may first think, I will shoot in the 1 ball because I am only putting 1 ball in play. But if you do that, if your opponent is smart, they are going to break those 2 balls up, possibly snookering you from one of the balls they push near their hole and now all 3 balls are in play for them.

Whereas if you soft roll into the 6 just to make the 9 get to the rail, the 2 balls are still close to each other kind of tied up and the only way they can get 3 balls in play now is to shoot in the one ball in the side. But now it's your shot and you should have at minimum a defensive play to put the 1 ball back out of play.

That was my thought process anyway, curious to hear others.

I like it -- nudge the 6 ball and leave the cue ball there.

If you do pocket the one, you would have to bring the cue ball all the way back down to the foot of the table, on your opponent's side to prevent a shot on the one or the move behind those two balls. It's just too easy to leave some kind of bank on the one and/or the possibility of taking advantage of those two balls as blockers.

 

[Renegade_56]

If the 6 and 9 are touching the 6 will barely move at all if you just roll up on it, all kinetic energy will pass through to the 9 ball and it will separate. It's the best I see here as well.

 

[J.R.]

First, with the score 7 to 5 in my favor, I would keep the 1-ball out of play.

Second, I would roll the cue ball into the 6-ball and move the 9-ball to my side of the table while keeping the 6-ball and cue ball as close together as possible on my opponent's long rail (where they currently are located before my shot).

*Note: It appears that the 6 and 9-balls are frozen together. This should allow me to use less speed on shooting the cue ball (more control) into the 6-ball and getting the 9-ball to my side of the table. It is important that the 9-ball does not stop in an area that would allow my opponent to shoot a two-rail bank to his pocket.

*Note: I find no risk in my shot selection. After my shot, and depending upon where the 9-ball stops, my opponent will need to defend a more difficult lay-out in contrast to me just bunting the 6-ball and 9-ball, close to each other, to his long rail.

 

[beatle]

shoot the one in and go up table. a ball hanging like that favors him as he gets to chose when to get it in play and leave you safe someplace.
it will be on the spot and straight in for you if he wants to tick around on those two tied up balls.

plus if you break apart those two balls and leave him there he shoots in the 1 ball and comes down table and now you dont have a decent shot and he has all three balls open.

 

[dmcparland]

Thanks for all of the replies and there is small gap between the six and nine.

My end game is the weakest part of my game and it is interesting to see the responses about rolling on the six. When I was at the table I barely even considered it because I didn't want to be the one to break those balls apart once I decided that I looked for other shots and never reconsidered it.

Like beatle mentioned I felt getting that one in play was my best move. I tried the shot below. Thinking if I spun into the long rail with the right speed I'd get the one ball on the spot and leaving him in a very tough spot.



I hit it very poorly and ended up selling out all three balls.



I am going to have to review the end game section of Mr. Wirth's book and search for some end game WWYD on here.

 

[beatle]

you dont want to go into those two balls. you need to leave him no shot on the one and long on the two balls. this way he gets to make the first mistake and at best may get one ball before you.

 

[jrhendy]

I was in the booth when you shot this. The idea was good if it worked, but it had to be perfect speed, and you hit it too hard. It was probably a good shot to shoot if you needed all three balls. Freddie The Beard was yelling at you from pool heaven. ‘Never shoot a shot you might lose the game on when you only need one ball’.

 

[NH Steve]

I was in the booth when you shot this. The idea was good if it worked, but it had to be perfect speed, and you hit it too hard. It was probably a good shot to shoot if you needed all three balls. Freddie The Beard was yelling at you from pool heaven. ‘Never shoot a shot you might lose the game on when you only need one ball’.

Or Ronnie Allen -- "shoot like a lion when you're behind, shoot like a lamb when you're ahead"

Although modern players seem to tend to pressure, pressure and more pressure their opponents.

I agree with you John, that would have been a great shot if the speed was just right.

 

[cincy_kid]

I was in the booth when you shot this. The idea was good if it worked, but it had to be perfect speed, and you hit it too hard. It was probably a good shot to shoot if you needed all three balls. Freddie The Beard was yelling at you from pool heaven. ‘Never shoot a shot you might lose the game on when you only need one ball’.

100% agree.

 

[cincy_kid]

Thanks for all of the replies and there is small gap between the six and nine.

My end game is the weakest part of my game and it is interesting to see the responses about rolling on the six. When I was at the table I barely even considered it because I didn't want to be the one to break those balls apart once I decided that I looked for other shots and never reconsidered it.

Like beatle mentioned I felt getting that one in play was my best move. I tried the shot below. Thinking if I spun into the long rail with the right speed I'd get the one ball on the spot and leaving him in a very tough spot.

View attachment 437757

I hit it very poorly and ended up selling out all three balls.

View attachment 437758

I am going to have to review the end game section of Mr. Wirth's book and search for some end game WWYD on here.

If you haven't seen it yet, in our new Instructional Archives forum, we have a link with videos of end game situations that may be helpful to you as well. Here they are:

Online video links to end game situations

We have a major snow storm up here all day and still going on, so I got the idea of browsing One Pocket matches online looking for examples of a certain amount of extended end game play. Mostly these pick up with 3 or 4 balls left on the table and at least a few exchanges of shots and safeties...

onepocket.org

 

[androd]

Ole gopher me would have kicked at the 9ball 6ball combo, if I screwed up completely the 1ball is still safe.

 

[dmcparland]

If you haven't seen it yet, in our new Instructional Archives forum, we have a link with videos of end game situations that may be helpful to you as well. Here they are:

Online video links to end game situations

We have a major snow storm up here all day and still going on, so I got the idea of browsing One Pocket matches online looking for examples of a certain amount of extended end game play. Mostly these pick up with 3 or 4 balls left on the table and at least a few exchanges of shots and safeties...

onepocket.org

This is great. Thank you I am going to check this out tonight!

 

[baby huey]

Tiki both balls over to your side.

 

[vapros]

I will kick off the long rail - 9 ball or 6 ball, take your choice. Put one in action and leave Jojo up against the other one. Be sure to get a rail. Give the guy a chance to make an error.

This is an excellent puzzle. Thanks -

 

[Tennessee Joe6]

I want t break up the 6 and 9 balls. If you leave him on the foot side of the table he can shoot both balls toward his pocket. The 6 ball 2 rails and the 9 ball 3 rails. So my shot will be shoot easy in to the 6.

 

[Dennis "Whitey" Young]

I like rolling head on up on the 6 with just enough speed to get the 1 to the rail.
Whitey

 

[Renegade_56]

I like rolling head on up on the 6 with just enough speed to get the 1 to the rail.
Whitey

it's the 9, but yeah, I like that too

 

[Dennis "Whitey" Young]

Thanks, dmcpartland, for the wwyd!
It reminds of the LA Times chess puzzles that only had a few pieces remaining and mate in two.
I read through the comments, and you got some excellent advice from your fellow members. I see you are a new member, welcome!
Whitey