The Perfect Lag: Stop It on the Head Rail

Trick shot #13 of 15Difficulty: ★☆☆Teaches: Speed control, the most important skill in pool

Shoot the ball to the far rail and back so it stops as close to the head rail as possible. It decides who breaks, and it is the best speed drill there is.

White dashes: cue ball path. Yellow dashes: object ball path.

Setup

1. Two players each put a ball behind the head string, one on each side of the table.
2. Both shoot at the same time, straight up to the foot rail and back.

How to shoot it

1. Use a smooth, level stroke with a center hit. No spin.
2. Pick a spot on the foot rail straight ahead, and think about the speed for the whole trip, not just the hit. The ball should come back and die just short of the head rail.

Why it works

A center-ball roll loses speed at a steady rate, so the right speed is all feel. That feel carries over to every position shot you play.

Common mistakes

• Hitting a side rail. In a lag, touching a side rail usually loses.
• Decelerating. A short, jerky stroke makes speed hard to repeat; use a smooth follow-through even at slow speed.

In a real game

Most tournament matches start with a lag for the break. Win it and you shoot first. Practice ten lags before every session.