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© Copyright 2002, Jim Loy
Here's a tough situation; both of you are shooting the eight ball,
and you have a tough cut. Some of the pros say that if you have to miss the
shot, miss it too thin (the light green line here), rather than too thick (red
line). The reason is that after the cue ball has gone back up table, you
haven't sold the farm when you miss.
The problem is, how do you miss thin? Should you actually try to miss? Maybe. I guess what these pros mean is try to miss it too thin by about an inch or so, and it might go in. You're sorta trying to make the shot. But you are trying really hard not to hit it too thick. And don't even think of calling a safe here, even if you don't plan to make the eight. Call the eight here, just in case you get an attack of epilepsy and make it.
I think plenty of pros would concentrate on shooting this eight ball into the center of the pocket, and if they hit it too thick, then too bad.
Another consideration here is that you probably want to choose a ball speed which will not leave the eight ball hanging in that pocket (maybe the middle of the end rail is about right), and you want the cue ball to go a ways back up table.