Kill it or go Up & Down?

How to Kill it.
How to go Up & Down.
Which would you do?

[@tomburns890]

Your new cloth looks nice. And I love drag spin shots. Cheers

[@RichardsWorld]

I'm an expert at the drag shot. They even call me the drag king.

[@MetalCave420]

Your video's are great! Keep'em rolling! Im learning as much as i can!

[@user-zu8nz8mg3z]

Thanks Al. It's always better to know than to guess what's going to happen and still forget what's what's over and over again.Can only focus with right intentions and proven results.Its like carving a piece of wood to make a horse,take away everything that doesn't look like a horse just don't over cut it and have a plan along with some patients.❤

[@BigAlsBilliards]

Yes exactly. Better to know the plan and to have one that you know works. .

[@nvpoolshooter]

Been watching your channel for a long time. Finally subbed. Fun to see what other pool vloggers are doing. As for this shot, I had the best success dragging it with a ton of low inside. Still, left a cut on the 8 that a beginner is gonna struggle with. Up and down was dodgy on my 9 foot table.

[@BigAlsBilliards]

Exactly. A lot of people think the up & down is easy, but it's not.

[@valentenicoletti3622]

Thanks big Al

[@johnb1997]

ALAN HOPKINS called this a " Slide Stroke" which is what older pool players call it too.

[@BigAlsBilliards]

I might not by e old enough. 😁

[@seamusmcfadden994]

Hey Al. Great videos as always. Weird question, but when you get a chance, could u provide a link to the type of ear piece / mic u are using? I recently did an on line lesson, and I bought a big headphone / telemarketer type thing. I was told there were smaller ones like yours. Thanks.

[@BigAlsBilliards]

Soundcore Life Note 3. They are a couple years old now.

[@HillbillyIslandLife]

Table looks good.......

[@theallknowingburrito6000]

Ive got a question. I normally use top inside on shots like those and Im able to hit both short rails and come back on the same side as the object ball. Am I still correct in using that english or am I miscueing and getting lucky with the cue ball? Thanks in advance.

[@BigAlsBilliards]

If you watched vid thru the end, I did show how to do the up & down shot, playing inside spin. But, I also added some bottom and explained why. 😁

[@edwinrodriguez1639]

Top inside spin but not as hard but with follow throw slightly harder than lag speed let's the cue come inside the kitchen for a cut shot easier than what's shown here ......also depends how hard u hut the lag

[@edwinrodriguez1639]

But still great advice

[@FR-ze5sp]

Killing the shot is the most difficult option in that case, any ok player should be able to play a low left to have a decent shot on the 8 or go up m& down, thanks.

[@BigAlsBilliards]

With no blocker balls on table, there's a few Options to get shape, yes. I prefer the up & down I demonstrated. With blocker balls, one needs to know how to play the kill or the drag kill.

[@poolhalljunky]

I would pocket speed inside as much as possible or play a banana shot. Or run into 8. Easy. Lots of ways. And if you wanted to go around the table if the angle is there you use bottom running, not top running.

[@BigAlsBilliards]

Tried bottom running several times. Usually brings it to back right corner, but if it just misses pocket, hitting short rail first, it does make it back for 8. It's risky though. I like the stun inside shot to go up and down. Crashing 8 is very difficult with that 55-60° cut, nor would I want to crash it, especially if there was Blockers on table. Kill shot is easy, and leaves a shot.

[@poolhalljunky]

@@BigAlsBilliards yeah, without a proper view of the layout, I'm not sure exactly what I'd do. I was just spit balling some remedies.

[@poolhalljunky]

@@BigAlsBilliards and bottom running..is just what I call it, it's just basically a inside or outside long draw shot on a hanger ball in the pocket will get the ball rolling unlike using a forced top spin which will spin the ball and stop it close to the hanger...

[@tobyreese5706]

Just stop the Q when it hits the ball,gives you a perfect shot on the 8.lol

[@BigAlsBilliards]

That's basically what the "kill shot" does. It stops it as much as possible on a cut shot like this.

[@wdiddy1]

Pros would go up and down

[@BigAlsBilliards]

Only if there were no Blockers. Otherwise, they would kill. Both ways are worth practicing.

[@eltonlocklear7659]

Would middle work?

[@BigAlsBilliards]

If you were within 2 ft, yes. Because the cb would be nicely sliding at contact still. But, from that distance, a little bottom is like a closer center ball shot. Make sense? I like to add some inside to control the line up & down.

[@nickbeat5141]

What kind of outcome did you have Hitting the shot a little softer

[@BigAlsBilliards]

@@nickbeat5141 To hold it? Super soft is very difficult, as you are at the mercy of the table. One little roll-out on the cue ball and you will miss the shot, and sell out. Going up & down will also not work at softer pace.

[@intercrew99]

why dont you just play bottom or stun or bottom left (outside) for 4 rails

[@BigAlsBilliards]

Essentially, I did play a stun as the last up and down option. Hitting below center from that distance is like playing center ball from a lot closer. I add some inside right to better control the path. But, if there were blocker balls present (as I said) then the kill shot becomes crucial. 😁

[@intercrew99]

@@BigAlsBilliards ok thanks. i'll have to set it up and try it.

[@ding-go]

Mmm, or you could just hit it very softly and leave the cue ball perfectly positioned 🫤

[@BigAlsBilliards]

Very unlikely. 1) it's about a 60° cut, only 2-3" off rail, and out of pocket. 2) pockets are smaller @ 4" 3) distance is about 5-6 ft 4) most tables roll out on super soft shots Try it 10 times very softly, see how many times you make it with position on 8. If you do it 8 out of 10, with exact set up, I'll eat my words. It would be different of ball was more in the pocket or pocket jaw. That's the whole purpose of the vid, as most beginners or intermediate players would try to hit it very soft, and would either miss shot or position nearly every time.

[@ding-go]

@@BigAlsBilliards thx for responding! You have great content btw. I'll take your challenge and suggest that I will have better position on more of my 10 shots than you. Of course we'll never know 😆 Keep up the good contend Al 👍🏼👍🏼

[@jasonreyes25]

Your follow through was at medium speed. That’s why the cue ball ended up mid table and you’re left with a bank shot. Shots with that angle and distance you’re suppose to hit it with slow speed and keep the cue ball there close to the 8 ball. You’re shot on the 8 ball was not the best either. Even pros can miss that shot.

[@BigAlsBilliards]

Speaking of Pros, they would NEVER slow roll that shot barely hard enough to make it. Because they would miss it 75% of the time. Takes are never perfectly level, especially the ones in bars and pool halls. When feathering a long shot like that, you will almost always get a slight roll out. And when the shot is nearly a 60° cut, you have no room for error. That's why I did this vid. To show how Pros would play this. A little extra weight on the shot with spin manipulation (I showed two kill shots) And I showed a good way to go up & down if blocker balls were not present. Pro's would play all 3. Ive seen them do it many times. What they would NEVER do is baby slow roll that shot from that distance.

[@jasonreyes25]

@@BigAlsBilliards it does take practice to slow roll from that distance. But with the angle you have it is possible. I’ve done it many times on 9ft tables. It is all about how comfortable and confident the player when feathering a shot. If there are no blocker balls the right way to do it is have the cue ball go around the table with two or three rails. Anyway, your vid is good and should help a lot of pool players.

[@BigAlsBilliards]

@@jasonreyes25 I agree, slow rolling is OK, when ball is straighter in Pocket. This shot is about 60° cut, and my pockets are only 4". Also, I do show several shots trying to go around table to come back, but demonstrate my favorite way to go up & down. Doesn't sound like you watched it all. Very difficult on this cut angle to and position of ob near rail to come around 2-4 rails. Even bottom outside often produces a 2 Rail scratch often. But, if you just miss the scratch, it does often come back via 4 rails. It's risky though. I also demonstrated a few other failed attempts at going up down or around table. Bottom inside 2 Rail return was by far the best and safest. 😁