Shooting Straight-In Shots

We’ve all been faced with the dreaded long, straight-in shot: cue ball in front a corner pocket, the object ball at center-table, and the shot aligned absolutely straight to the diagonally opposite corner pocket. Any slight error off of the contact point on the object ball will just about guarantee a miss to the corner.

Solution: Extend the point of aim. Instead of aiming the cue ball at the center of the object ball, ignore the object ball and aim and shoot the cue ball straight to the corner pocket. Keep the cue stick as level as possible and a vertical center hit (i.e., no side-spin). When practicing this shot, stay down after contact and ensure that the cue stick is pointing at the corner pocket at the finish of the stroke.

By: Mark Powell, PBIA Master Instructor.