Combination Shots in Pool: How to Aim and Make Combos
A combination (combo) is a shot where the cue ball hits one object ball into another, and the second ball goes in. In 9-Ball it's a winning shot when the 9 is the ball that drops. Pros make them look easy. Here's how to aim them and when to go for it.
How to aim a combination
- Aim the second ball first. Find the spot on the second ball (the one you want to pocket) that the first ball needs to hit. That's like a normal ghost-ball aim.
- Then aim the first ball at that spot. Picture a "ghost" first ball touching the second ball at the right spot, and hit the first ball so it rolls into that position.
- Shoot at a medium speed with a center-ball hit, and stay down.
Combinations magnify your error: a small miss on the first ball becomes a big miss on the second. Keep them short when you can.
Dead combinations
When two balls are touching or very close and lined up with a pocket, the combo is "dead": almost any hit on the first ball sends the second one in. These are worth knowing at a glance. See our dead combination trick shot.
Throw on combos
When two balls touch, friction pulls the second ball slightly in the direction the first ball is moving. That's called throw. On frozen combos, you can use it to make balls that don't look lined up. Learn it with the throw shot.
When to go for a combo
- Go for it when the balls are close, the angle is small, and a miss leaves your opponent safe.
- Skip it when the balls are far apart, the angle is wide, or a miss hands over the game.
- In 9-Ball, a combo on the 9 with the lowest ball is often the highest-percentage way to win a rack. It won the 2026 US Open: Francisco Sánchez Ruiz's clutch 3-9 combination started his comeback in the final (see the 2026 US Open recap).
Rules
- 9-Ball and 10-Ball: you must hit the lowest-numbered ball first. Then any ball that goes in counts. A combo on the 9 wins (in 10-Ball the 10 must be called).
- 8-Ball: you must hit one of your own group first. Most tournament rules allow combinations with your opponent's balls as long as you hit your own first and call the ball that goes in. See the 8-Ball rules.
Practice combos with a set of practice balls, starting with frozen balls and moving them apart an inch at a time.