Position Play in Pool: How to Control the Cue Ball for the Next Shot
Making a ball is half the shot. The other half is where the cue ball stops. Good players aren't making harder shots than you; they're leaving themselves easier ones. That is position play.
Think one shot ahead
Before you shoot, decide where you want the cue ball to stop, and which way you will shoot the next ball from there. Pick a target area about the size of a dinner plate, not an exact spot.
Stay on the right side of the ball
For every next shot, there is a "right side": the angle that lets the cue ball naturally roll toward the ball after that. Getting dead straight on the next ball is often a mistake, because a straight-in shot leaves you no angle to move the cue ball.
Know your three tools
- Stun: the cue ball leaves the object ball at 90 degrees (the tangent line). The most predictable shot in pool.
- Follow: topspin bends the cue ball forward of the tangent line.
- Draw: backspin bends it backward of the tangent line. See how to draw the cue ball.
Speed matters as much as spin. Most position errors are speed errors, not direction errors. A training cue ball with dots helps you see the spin you actually put on the ball.
Use the rails
When the next ball is far away, send the cue ball off one or two rails rather than straight across the table. Rails give you a longer path with more room for speed error.
Keep it simple
- Use the least spin that works. Center ball with the right speed is the most reliable.
- Avoid crossing the "scratch line" toward a pocket.
- Clear trouble balls early, while you still have options.
Drills
- Three-ball position: place three balls, ball in hand, and run them in order. Before each shot, put a coin where you want the cue ball. Count how often you land within a hand's width.
- Stop, follow, draw on one shot: same straight-in shot, three different cue ball landing spots.
Then learn the patterns that tie it together: 8-Ball patterns and 9-Ball strategy. A good book on position play is also worth its weight in chalk.