Grady's Grad School

By Grady Mathews

Three-Rail Shots

One of the most enjoyable facets of o­ne-pocket can be the many clever multiple rail shots that come up.  Bank pool ability and three-cushion knowledge are very helpful when executing these beautiful shots.

Here are some examples of interesting and effective three-rail shots. "Bugs" used to execute these like they were hangers.

In the first diagram, note that I could o­ne-rail the 11 ball and send the cue ball down to the end rail, but there are three reasons why I don't like this shot: (1) It's too tentative, (2) If I make it, I don't have much of a shot, and (3) Using a high-ball instead of a center-ball hit, I dramatically lessen my chances of making the bank. What works better here is a three-rail shot o­n the 11 ball using low, left-hand english and a medium speed. The cue ball should go over to Side Rail "P" and end up behind the 1, 7, and 12 balls.

In Diagram #2, the cue ball is closer to the rail.  I still like three-railing the 11 ball, but I'll use a just above-center-ball hit and medium right-hand english.  I want the cue ball to travel four rails and end up at Point "X." 

To make sure I don't get a kiss o­n this shot, I play to overcut the 11 ball a little. This makes the 11 ball travel slower and the cue ball faster so the cue ball is out of the kiss area before the object ball gets there.

Diagram #3 illustrates a very creative shot invented by Jack Clooney. The shooter needs all of the balls, and there is a kiss o­n the o­ne-rail bank o­n the 1 ball.

Jack always played the score at o­ne-pocket better than anyone else in the world. So the last thing he wanted to do was knock balls up table. His shot was to three-rail the 1 ball using high, right-hand english.

The cue ball traveled two rails and ended up at Point "X." As it happened, he pocketed the 1 ball and then ran the three remaining balls to win the game.

Watch, practice, and ask questions, and before too long, you'll be coming up with your own multiple-rail shots.