COLUMNIST San Francisco Billiard Academy www.sfbilliards.com
Bob Jewett
San Francisco Billiard Academy is a BCA Certified Master Academy. The academy offers: Private Instruction Basics Clinic Eight Ball Clinic Nine Ball Clinic Introduction to Billiard Instruction BCA Recognized Instructor Course BCA Certified Instructor Course
Three Little Safeties
BY: BOB JEWETT
While watching the Jeff Gregory benefit 9-ball tournament at the California Billiard Club last weekend, I saw an amazing safety played by the eventual winner, Rafael Martinez. He is the sort of player you can learn a lot from just by guessing what he’ll do and then seeing what he plays instead. The particular shot that surprised me was a two-cushion kick to hit a ball near the rail and quite well hidden by a close ball. Most players would hit the shot firmly, hoping to get the hit and then get some distance between the cue ball and the object ball. What Rafael did instead was turn the speed down to minimum so the cue ball just got the hit and sent the object ball to the cushion and the cue ball rolled behind the blocker for a re-hook. Sometimes finesse will win the battle. Here are three shots where just the right soft speed will win the game for you. Five or ten minutes of practice on each one will prepare you for when they come up in games. Shot 1 is similar to the one Rafael played, but shorter and only one cushion. You need to hit about half the one ball and just hard enough to get the one to the cushion behind the nine. If the nine ball is sitting a little farther from the cushion, you may want to hit the one a little fuller and drive it between the rail and the nine. A key to shots like this -- and most shots -- is to visualize what you want to happen. With practice, it will happen. The second shot is from a game of 8-ball. You could play to knock the one ball half way to the eight and leave the direct shot blocked, but that gives your opponent too much room. When playing soft safes, try to squeeze out the last millimeter of advantage. The best shot is to hit the one ball as thinly as possible, take the cue ball to the cushion, and come off and freeze to the one ball. Done perfectly, this will even cut off the one- and three-cushion kick shots to the eight. In shot three from a game of 9-ball, you were probably hoping to get a combo on the nine but instead ended up with a likely sell out. If you hit the four thinly and send the cue ball to the other end of the table, the four will be left near the nine for a combo or carom. Instead, pull out your famous half-masse shot. Well, maybe it’s not famous now, but it could be. The shot doesn’t require much power, but it does need practice in advance. You don’t need a lot of curve, so a 45-degree elevation will be enough if you hit the four thinly. Use equal amounts of right side spin and draw. The hard part is getting the thin hit because the cue ball tends to
10 The Break - September 2011
curve a little even before hitting the object ball -- keep aiming for a thinner and thinner hit until you are just wiggling the four. Shot perfectly, the cue ball will come off the side rail and freeze to both the nine ball and the cushion. At that point, you’re famous at least in that room for 15 minutes. When facing safes, consider the low-speed finesse option. Often it will provide the best chance for a good returned safety.
www.TheBreakMagazine.com