Pool Practice for Wing Shots

Master Shot Types Before Pool Practice Drills

Most pool players learn to pocket balls first and then jump straight into drills or their favorite game. The problem is that many drills combine several different shot types, making it difficult complete the drill without an extensive knowledge base to draw on. A more effective approach is to first master the individual shot types and learn the cue ball paths each one naturally produces. By building your skills one shot type at a time, you'll develop better ball-pocketing, cue ball control and a deeper understanding of position play.

Master Cue Ball Control by Shot Types

One of the most valuable shot types is what I call the wing shot. A wing shot sends the cue ball naturally toward the opposite long rail after contact with the object ball, creating position routes that simply aren't often available from the other four shot types. Once you recognize a wing shot, you'll begin to see predictable cue ball paths all over the table. Instead of memorizing individual shots, you'll start recognizing patterns that repeat in every game you play.

The goal isn't to memorize dozens of position routes—it's to understand why they work. Experiment with different speeds, spins, and cut angles to discover how the cue ball reacts. As your experience grows, you'll learn to choose the best route instinctively instead of relying on guesswork. Understanding shot types gives you a structured way to practice, helping you improve faster while building the confidence to control the cue ball in real-game situations.

https://youtu.be/_toBR3Ti6nU?si=dgdg5wUCVoeVwA3F

Watch the complete Wing Shots video including dozens of cue ball position route examples.

Read Wing Shots Video Transcript

Most pool players first learn how to aim and pocket balls, and then they move on to their favorite game or drills. But if that's you, I think you're missing a step. You see, many drills require more than one shot type and playing position in multiple ways. So you end up overreaching without even knowing it. In my Control the Rock video, I described five shot types: a frozen ball, a rail shot, a cut shot, a bounce shot, and a wing shot.

By the end of this video, you will know what makes a wing shot unique, how to practice them, and everything that is possible from a wing shot. Don't skip ahead because along the way, there's several pool tips that you don't want to miss. In my opinion, you'll learn faster and develop a broader skill set by first learning what each shot type most easily affords and then progressing to the limits of that shot type. All the while, improving your aim and pocketing of that shot. Okay, so what is a wing shot?

Well, these are the five shot types that I invented, and I go over this in more detail in my video called Control the Rock. But basically there's balls that are frozen to the rail, rail shots, and cut shots. And then, anytime there's a ball along the rail, if your cue ball is on this side of the shot line, then your cue ball's gonna go to the rail and bounce off the rail. So that's a bounce shot. But if your cue ball is on this side of the shot line, then your cue ball is gonna go to the opposite long rail.

So that is the wing shot. So we divide up our training among these five shot types because we can identify these shot types no matter where the object ball is located in any quadrant on the table. And then the other reason why we divide them in these five types is because the positional routes that the cue ball takes from each of these shots is different. Which brings me to the first pool tip. I always tell my students, I cannot teach you how to play pool.

Huh? What? What are you talking about? No. What I can do is I can teach you how to teach yourself to play pool.

I can show you what to practice and why. But you have to go to the table and don't be afraid to experiment and then repeat the things that work. That's how you're going to learn. I've got an overhead camera looking down in this wing shot. We'll take a look at that close up in just a moment.

First, remember that from the Control the Rock video? Outside angles are when the cue ball is closer to straight in, and so the object ball has most of the energy after the collision. Inside angles is when there is a sharper angle, and so the cue ball retains most of the energy after the collision. So let's use my ghost aimer. We're going to take a closer look at those angles.

So I'm going to place the arrow on the ghost aimer so it points through the object ball at the pocket. Then we can see the angles 30 and 60 degrees on the GoSteamer. We're looking for 33 and 45 because a rolling cue ball that's anywhere from to 33 degrees will leave the collision with the object ball with less energy. Over 33 degrees, a rolling cue ball leaves the collision with more energy. For a sliding cue ball, it's 45.

So when the cue ball's sliding from 0 to 45, the cue ball will leave the collision with less energy. Over 45, the cue ball will leave the collision with more energy. When playing, we don't get to measure the angle of the cutshot with a compass or a ghost aimer before we shoot. Rather, understanding the physics of spheres helps you calibrate your speed control when you're practicing. We don't need to measure the angle of the shot to the two decimal points in order for it to be useful, as we'll see a little bit later.

Here's a quick physics lesson. Have you ever done this? That miss could have been caused by improper aim or maybe a defect in your stroke. But the real cause is more likely to be throw that you didn't account for. Here's a wing shot captured in super slow motion.

But wait a minute, there's two object balls. What's going on? Well, if we go back here and take a look. This is two shots laid over the top of each other. The object ball is in the identical location, and the cue ball strikes the object ball in exactly the same spot.

When we let the object balls roll, we can see that the object ball that gets to the pocket first was struck harder, and it strikes the rail and rattles, but the other ball misses the point and goes in the pocket. When the cue ball is struck with a soft to medium speed, friction throws the object ball towards the cue ball's direction just a bit. But when struck hard, the contact time is shorter, meaning there's less friction and less throw. So the same contact point at higher speed will cut the ball a little bit more, causing the miss. Which brings me to pool tip number two.

Whether you're practicing aiming, practicing cue ball control, practicing a drill, the result of every single shot is a measure of the quality of your shot execution. It's really easy to examine only the result of a shot. I missed, therefore I didn't aim correctly. No. Did you stay down?

Did you pause before your final stroke? Was your stance balanced? Was your vision center over the cue stick? Was your backstroke rushed? Was your grip loose?

Players who put process over the results advance faster and farther. We just saw throw up close. Here's a close-up look at how side spin affects your aim point. I placed the cue ball and object ball on these donuts and pocketed the ball in the center of the pocket with left side spin, center, and right side spin. This is the moment of cue ball contact.

You can see that the eight ball is in the same location for each shot. My aim was maybe 1/8 of an inch to the right with left side spin, and about 1/8 of an inch left with right side spin. So when we practice, there are three variables. Throw, which changes with the speed of the shot, side spin, and pocket location. whether the object ball enters the center, the left, or the right side of the pocket.

As a side note, this is why aiming systems are a waste of time. You will learn over time how to automatically adjust for all three of these variables by practicing positional routes from each of the shot types like we are going to do right now. First, I have to give a quick mention to cue ball control principles that I'll probably be mentioning during this demonstration. A slow backstroke is a requirement for maximum efficiency, accuracy, and control. Vary your bridge length and your grip location appropriate to shot speed.

Shooting at the bottom of the cue ball slows it down after object ball contact, and draw and follow, curve the cue ball after object ball contact before it begins straight line travel. For the rest of this video, I will be demonstrating shots at the table. I've got a wing shot object ball position marked, as well as cue ball positions for thick, outside, and inside angles. Your experimentation is gonna be a spectrum of increasing complexity over time as you practice. And that spectrum involves contacting increasing numbers of rails and playing position to different quadrants on the pool table.

We'll start with zero rails. First is what I call holding the cue ball. The stop shot is the ultimate hold. The cue ball goes nowhere, but you have to be straight in for that. For angles up to 10 degrees or so, a few techniques help keep the cue ball from traveling much.

We've already mentioned cheating the pocket. Remember that backspin slows the cue ball down. Side spin allows a fuller hit, so the cue ball retains less energy. And finally, a dead weight stroke means using the minimal amount of Q-tip speed to get the object ball comfortably to the pocket. Increase the cut angle with each technique as you practice to become familiar with what is possible.

The next step is zero rails position, which will solidify your feel for roll, slide, and spin, and manipulating the tangent line. These demonstrations are from the outside angle cue ball spot. We want the cue ball to travel toward, but not touch, the opposite side rail. The green arrow is the shot line, the yellow arrow is the 90 degree tangent line. First, my Q-tip is just below center.

Why didn't the cue ball follow the tangent line? The slow-motion video shows the cue ball sliding at first, but beginning to roll before object-ball contact due to the slow shot speed. Next, my Q-tip is just above center. Slow motion shows the cue ball rolling right after leaving the Q-tip, and it perfectly follows the 30-degree path of a rolling cue ball. The low center ends with the cue ball behind the 90-degree path.

Notice the cue ball curves for a few inches before it starts traveling straight. Draw with side spin doesn't travel nearly as far at the same speed due to the fuller hit. And finally, at a 45 degree angle, it's nearly impossible to not hit the opposite side rail, even with side spin. These are just a few examples. Experiment with Q-tip position and speed of stroke to see how well you can control the cue ball along all three paths without striking the opposite side rail.

Okay, I'm done with all the technicalities. I'm going to demonstrate now about 40 cue ball paths from this one shot where the cue ball is contacting one or more rails. I'm not going to get too deep into the precise cue-tip position on every shot. That's not the point here. The point is you need to take this information and experiment.

My job is to demonstrate what is possible and give you some bit of explanation of the physics involved. Your job is to experiment. Don't be afraid to experiment. It's the best way to learn. In that way, you're going to discover what for you is a high percentage shot versus something that's more difficult.

And that's how you're going to learn what you need to work on. Your other job is to have fun. And this is just one wing shot. During your practice, you will extrapolate the principles that I demonstrate to other cue ball angles, other object ball positions, and then, of course, putting the cue ball at different distances from the object ball. Now, I could organize these shots either by the number of rails contacted, the cue ball destination quadrant, or tangent line deviation.

I think tangent line deviation is best because you'll see the cue ball path at different speeds from similar Q-tip positions. So the four paths are the 90-degree tangent line, forward of the 90-degree tangent line, a slight draw that's coming back from the 90-degree tangent line, and then extreme draw. We'll start with the 90-degree tangent line. Don't be afraid to use the back arrow on your keyboard to replay shots as needed. First, the cue ball follows the 90-degree tangent line with the center ball hit.

You may have seen a tiny bit of contact-induced spin on that shot. Next, a slightly below center hit brings the cue ball above the 90-degree tangent line. You can definitely see some contact-induced spin on this one. Next is the same shot with some outside English applied and you can see a difference in the rebound angle. The first three were struck with speed to send the cue ball to the rail and off.

Now try adding a little bit more speed to bring the cue ball back to center table. Next is a stun stroke that's center ball with more speed. You can definitely see the contact induced spin changing the rebound angle off the rail. This is a stun stroke with a little bit of outside spin and enough speed to come back across table. Next, let's hit the stun shot with enough speed to bring the cue ball all the way back across and contact the second rail.

And that's just contact induced spin only. And then this one I'm adding a little bit of outside spin. You can see it's spinning more and it came up just a bit higher and spun to the left off the second rail. And then I add a lot of side spin at about the same speed. Look at the reaction of the cue ball.

That outside spin is reverse English due to the entry angle of the cue ball into the rail. So you're not going to see the cue ball come up much higher. So here I'm striking the cue ball just a bit lower, and it's still a reverse English angle off of that rail. Next, watch the back spin curve the cue ball as I hit it a little bit lower, but in the center, and that contact induced spin is enough to bring the cue ball up a little bit. And then the same shot with the left spin, because the cue ball entry angle into the rail is almost perpendicular, that left spin really brings the cue ball up higher.

Let's move on to the forward shots. This is just above center with no side spin. We want to contact at least the side rail. Compare the cue ball's path to this shot with inside spin. I think that I hit this one a little bit lower on the cue ball.

And for comparison, here's the same shot without the side spin. Watch the cue ball curve when I hit it a little bit higher, but with some speed. It follows the 90-degree tangent line before the top spin curves the cue ball. When I try to do the same thing with inside spin, the thinner hit leads to a scratch. But if I add some speed with the same hit, the cue ball stays on that tangent line just a little longer and avoids the scratch.

If you have to hit it softer, lower your Q-tip so it's more of a stun shot and get that cue ball to the side rail and avoid the scratch. Using the same hit but more speed, we can bring the cue ball around three rails, but keep it down on this end of the table. Raise your Q-tip up with more speed to strike the side rail lower and bring the cue ball around on a little bit longer path. With no side spin and a lot of topspin, you can get the cue ball to take a longer path, but the travel distance won't be as long without that side spin. Let's add some side spin with that higher Q-tip position.

We can get the cue ball to go longer around the table, but still short of that corner pocket. And finally, with more side spin than top spin, that running English can get that cue ball to the long side of that corner pocket. And now the draw shots. Watch the cue ball curve here. That's at least one Q-tip below center and just hard enough to get to the opposite side rail.

Let's address the cue ball not quite so low and maybe a little bit of outside spin and just a speed to come a diamond or so off the rail. And with lots of spin, it's possible to really turn that cue ball off the rail up table, yet keep it on that opposite side of the table. And then the same shot with just a little bit more speed. We can come past center table, but the cue ball comes on a little bit shallower angle. And then a little more speed and a touch less spin, we can bring the cue ball across table and up table with only touching one rail.

Whereas with the same speed but less side spin, the cue ball comes directly across the table and contacts 2 rails. And then the extension of shot 28, more speed. Don't try to draw the cue ball too much. Just let the spin. Bring the cue ball up table 2 rails.

And now the big stroke shots. Watch the cue ball curve. That's maximum draw and side spin. Here's a tricky one. If you need the cue ball to go 2 rails back and forth across table, but not go too far up table, you've got to hit it really hard.

Withdraw so the cue ball stays on the tangent line and then pulls back above. And then the extension of that shot is to add some side spin. Then you can pull the cue ball all the way up table and I can get position on that nine ball up on the head rail. Cueing all the way at the bottom of the cue ball with a soft stroke, it is possible to pull the cue ball above the side pocket. You can pull the cue ball up a little bit farther by using outside English for a fuller hit, but you can't hit it too hard or the cue ball won't curve soon enough to beat the scratch.

And those are wing shots. At the start of this video, I mentioned that you'll learn how to practice your wing shots. Well, in one sense, you just did. Experiment. It's free.

Aside from that, don't wait for someone to tell you what to shoot. As you practice, you're going to learn where your weaknesses are. Invent a challenge to practice those weaknesses. For example, let's say you're having trouble with your wing shots and bringing the cue ball across table to a specific part of the rail. Well, take some object balls, put them on the diamonds or wherever you like, Now shoot this wing shot and challenge yourself to bring the cue ball across table and back and strike this object ball, then come back and hit this one, then hit this one, and then hit this one.

There's a nice challenge drill for you. It's really going to get you in tune with your Q-tip position and your spins in order to control the cue ball. Let's say you're having trouble doing the same thing with spin shots or draw shots and bringing the cue ball up table, playing for a position for a ball that's over here. Well, do the same thing. Put some object balls along this rail, shoot the wing shot, challenge yourself to bring the cue ball to each of these positions by having your cue ball come up here and hit one of those balls.

There's a good challenge drill. Another one that's real powerful is, let's say you're playing position to a ball that's on the bottom rail. Set up obstacle balls. So if I have an obstacle ball, a couple obstacle balls here, I'm going to need to go across table and spin down to get position on that ball. Set up a drill where you do that.

Perhaps your obstacle balls are here. Well, now I need to let the cue ball go down on this angle and then bring it straight back across to get position on this ball. So you can come up with all kinds of scenarios where you can challenge yourself. Probably the biggest one is learning to compensate for throw and spin when you're shooting your wing shots. You know, maybe you rattle the ball too much by hitting the facing when you're going in.

So what you can do there perhaps is set up a row of wing shots. Now your challenge is to give yourself a parallel angle and pocket each one in a row without missing. You could even add one closer to the rail. That's still a wing shot when your cue ball's here. So now your challenge is to make each one of these balls and send the cue ball over here so it contacts the rail and just comes off in a row.

And then you can do that drill from a close distance. Then back the cue ball up. When you're successful there, back the cue ball up farther. There you go. So you don't need to pull a drill from a book.

Challenge yourself based on what your weaknesses are and create a drill to practice that. I think this experimentation phase of practice is really important work to put in before you begin to challenge yourself with drills that require multiple types of shots and position routes per drill. Let's review what we went through in this video. We talked about shot types, and this one's about the wing shot. We talked about inside and outside angles, and it's important to differentiate those.

because it affects the speed of the cue ball. We talked about the three aim point variables, throw, side spin, which includes deflection, and whether you're aiming at the left center or right of the pocket. We then talked about hold shots, where the cue ball doesn't touch a rail. And then I gave 36 examples of using your rail on different positional routes. Ones that begin along the 90 degree tangent line, shots where the cue ball goes forward, shots where it comes back with a draw stroke, and then extreme draw stroke shots.

My next shot type video will cover one of the four remaining shot types. Cut shots, bounce shots, rail shots, and frozen other rail shots. Leave a comment in the comment section which one you want to see first. I hope you got a lot out of this wing shots video and that it gives you a lot of ideas of ways to practice and get better at pool. Let me know what your favorite part of the video is and anything that you have to add in the comment section.

If you're interested in more on that, if you haven't seen my video yet, I'll put a link to it somewhere. My how to practice video explains different types of practice and different types of drills. Play it straight and see you next time on Shots Up on Pool. Bye.