Cue Sport Group

Archive for the ‘Trick Shots’ Category

This legend pool player became utterly popular for being the first ever showman in the world of billiards. He is the only billiard player capable of performing numerous trick shots that never fail to awe-struck everyone in the audience.

He had his first world title in 1919 and by 1937, he was able to win 14 more world titles. He continued to entertain audiences during his every match until his last days when he suffered from a heart attack in 1950.

Photo via poolroom.com

Whatever kind of game you are playing in pool, the break shot is considered one of the most important shots to learn. Just like in 9-ball, the more racks you can perform after a successful break shot can lead to more chance of you winning as well.

Remember that to be able to make the successful break shot, you must be aware of your goals of why you are doing it. It is for you to at least pocket one to two balls, spread the rest of the balls around the table and have the cue ball situated near the center.

Most pool players commit the mistake of having the perception that in doing the break shot, it is an out of control break, but rather a controlled break. Just take it easy on the hit and never aim at hitting it too hard. Always bear in mind this note: it is more essential to achieve a full hit than just simply hit the ball tough.

Photo via deviantart.com

The idea with trick shot practice requires you to set up the balls and do the shot over and over again until you nail the techniques, the right stroke and every necessary detail to get it done. When you miss a shot, don’t just give up. Study why it happened and what went wrong to modify the next shot until you master it. That is not easy, of course. It would consume lots of time and effort just to make a single trick shot accurately performed. And there’s more than one trick shot in the bank.

A trick shot player needs patience, precision and the willingness to learn unlike recreational ones that just play regular games and leave everything to chance. Recreational players don’t usually take time to learn how the shot goes and the effect of one ball to another.

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Don’t get surprised if you have seen several cue sticks when you attend a trick shot tournament. These equipments are used mainly to complete a difficult shot with its unique characteristics and components. If you already read the previous articles about the cues for pool and jump shot, then masse cues would not be unfamiliar to you. Among the trick shots, masse shot seems a bit more complex and thus its cue is quite hard to find.

Masse cues are rarely mass produced unlike other cues. One prominent mass cue manufacturer is Crown Cues. To distinguish this special cue amongst others, it is shorter than the regular playing cues but longer than the jump cues. Aside from the length, masse cues are heavier and stiffer than the others. Having a typical weight of 24-25 ounces, it would aid a player to make a good stroke for a masse shot. Of course, being fancy with the shot would not be feasible if you lack practice.

First of all, some quick tips:
- Never take the shot if you’re off balance. You will certainly miss that shot.
- Never shoot behind your back. This is nothing but a cool way of missing a shot.
- Never try too hard to reach to get a shot. If you’re not comfortable with your position, choose a different position or use the rake
So, how do you use the rake then?
1. Place the head of the rake exactly where you would have put your bridge hand if you could use it.
2. Pull the rake 2-3 inches away from your cue ball. If the rake is too close, it will hit the top of the cue ball when you take your shot.
3. Place your pool stick on top of the rake. Find the comfortable angle you want to take.
4. Place the handle (or butt) of the rake on the table and hold it there with your free hand. Most people totally screw this up and try to hold the rake with one hand and shoot with their cue with the other hand. The only time that the handle of the rake should be off of the table is when there is no place to set it down, due to ball placement.
5. Bend down and take the shot from your chin.
6. Aim to strike the cue ball as close to center as you can, this is a bad time to worry about using english or making a draw shot. Finish lining up your shot, take your shot, grab the rake off of the table, and watch your object ball drop in to the pocket!

This article is the final part of the trick shot subcategory discussion. The player’s technique and control are the keys in the Stroke trick shot. The set-up for this kind of shot is indeed challenging and one must be very careful with his moves because the cue ball is really in close contact with the target ball. In ESPN’s Trick Shot Magic, a Stroke trick shot known as the Hundred Dollar Bill shot was used to break a tie.

To impress you more, the Jump trick shot shows some interesting moves like jumping on obstacles then getting the target ball. The One Handed Jump surprised lots of audience once executed. Last but the not the least is the Masse trick shot that is considered to be the most complex of all. It would require difficult spins that follows unusual paths. The Rocket Masse makes some unbelievable moves for this one.

Let me continue the discussion about the trick shot subcategories. If you already read the previous article about the Draw shot, the reverse is true for the Follow trick shot. Topspins are produced after a hit above the cue ball’s centre so that it would continue moving on its original path after contact with a target ball. The Hug the Rail shot is a good example of follow trick shot.

For the bank and kick trick shots, rails play an important role. The difference between the two shots lies on the ball that is needed to make contact with these rails. For the bank shot, the target ball should hit a rail before dunking while on kick shot it is the cue ball that would perform this task before getting the target. The movie entitled The Hustler illustrated this kind of trick shot.

For the Prop/ Novelty/ Special Arts subcategory, the billiard balls are not necessarily got by the cue ball in one shot. But the speed during this type of competition is important and the number of balls dunked with the shortest time is the goal. Like the title itself, props or accessories are also used to give complexity to the game. Some players use bridges or racks for this one. This general amusement game could also require the utilization of only one free hand for a shot. This game is quite interesting, right?

Backspins are the key on the Draw subcategory where the cue ball needs to be shot below its centre. When this kind of shot was done, the cue ball would tend to go towards the direction of the shooter after contact with the target ball. If you’ve been watching television commercials, Jimmy Moore usually show off this kind of shot.

Professional trick shot artists mastered several tricks as a requirement for every tournament. With unlikely set-ups that require awesome execution, these artistic pool players routinely practices the eight trick shot subcategories that include trick and fancy, prop/novelty/special arts, draw, follow, bank/kick, stroke, jump, and masse. The next articles would give you an overview regarding each necessary shot and thus, allowing you to focus on learning them through trainings.

The first on the list is Trick and Fancy where the billiard balls are set on the table at different locations but with one cue ball shot, these target balls should dunk into the pockets. The Just Showing Off shot is a good example for this one. You better check out some videos on the internet as your guide.

If you are an avid fan or just a spectator of the recent happening in the world of billiards or pool, here is your chance to meet the game masters up close and in action. On March 18 – 21, catch the 2010 Masters Artistic Pool Championship at Valley Forge Convention Center in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.

Witness the amazing shots of the top players in trick shot tournaments as they reveal once again their respective skills on the table. As guided by The Artistic Pool and Trick Shot Association, this event is a must-see for those interested in learning the trick shots or even those that find this kind of competition highly entertaining.