Last week I showed you how to run the object ball down the rail when both balls are frozen against it. This week I’m going to show you how to run the ball down the rail when your balls are much closer to the pocket AND you need to get your cue ball down to the other end of the table to get shape. There are two different ways to accomplish this. You can do it by aiming low or you can do it by aiming high.

Lets start with aiming low. To get shape on a ball at the opposite end of the table, you’ll want to aim low. But you’re not simply hitting the ball directly low, because that won’t get the ball to the other side of the table. What you want to do is aim low, but aim for the crack between the cue ball and the object ball. This aiming technique, when combined with some inside English, will help to not only sink your object ball it will also get good shape on the ball.

The other way to get good shape on the ball is to aim high. As before, it’s not enough to hit directly high or else you’ll scratch. Instead, use high right English and stay perfectly parallel. Do not cut in either direction. The right hand English is going to force it to deflect left which will make it compress into the rail. This will help you make the shot and get good shape on the ball. You can hit the cue ball as hard or soft as you want, the only difference that will make is how far the ball travels down the table after you make your ball.