This month's Artistic shot is from the Bank/Kick Discipline and has a Degree of Difficulty (DOD) of 7.

This is another shot that has recently appeared on ESPN's Trick Shot Magic.This bank shot is also the opening shot from the movie "The Hustler" where Fast Eddie hustles the bar tender. To set this shot up, place object ball D one half diamond segment to the right of A pocket and frozen to the rail.

Next, place the cue ball in a straight line and frozen to D ball per diagram graphic. The other two object balls are one diamond from the cushion that object ball D is frozen to. The objective of this shot is to shoot the cue ball into D ball.The cue ball and D ball will come out from between the two other object balls, seperate and D ball pockets in D pocket. The cue ball goes to the right and avoids D ball travel line. The two solo balls must not be disturbed by any means. A scratch is allowed and the cue ball and D ball may make additional contacts after initial hit. Here are a few helpful hints on how to execute this great shot. Instead of aiming straight at the D balland just using high right English for the bank, I begin by aiming straight in line with D balls vertical axis and then pivot the butt of my cue to the left. The amount of pivot is so the center of my cue shaft is aimed between one quarter and three eights in from the rightside of D ball, in other words I'm cutting the D ball to the left slightly. The elevation of my cue is between 10 to 15 degrees. Remeber, this will be high right English. I also use an open V bridge. Be sure to get your bridge hand out of the way both balls will quickly come back at your hand. When you master this one, you will definitely impree your friends.

This month's Artistic shot is from the Jump Discipline and has a Degree of Difficulty (DOD) of 6.

Maybe you have seen this shot performed on ESPN's Trick Shot Magic recently. This is one of the easier jump shots. Object ball letter coincides with corresponding pocket letter. To set this shot up place A ball centered between pocket points. Now place row of blocking balls curved as per diagram, with one end of row starting at first diamond left of pocket C and other end of row at first diamond from pocket C on the foot rail. The maximum spacing between the blocking balls is one inch.

Next you place the cue ball anywhere between the curved row of balls and pocket C. Now you are ready to execute the shot. The objective of this shot is to shoot the cue ball with a jump stroke into the foot cushion. The cue ball will rebound back jumping over the blocking balls and travel down table to make A ball as pocket letter designated. Here are some special notes. The cue ball may touch an extra cushion on it's way to pocket A ball. The blocking balls must not be touched by any means in the shot process. A scratch is allowed. Here are some helpful hints on executing the shot. Don't elevate the butt of your cue too high for this shot. You only need to be between 20 to 30 degrees on this shot. You must use a stable, elevated open V bridge for this shot. When you place your cue ball align it so that when it jumps over the blocking balls it jumps over the edges of two balls instead of having to jump over a full ball. This will make the shot much easier. When you aim into the foot cushion make sure your tip is centered through the vertical axis of the cue ball. You definitely don't want any English on this shot.

Have fun with this one.

This month's Artistic shot is from the Follow Discipline and has a Degree of Difficulty(DOD) 7.

This shot has also appeared on ESPN's Trick Shot Magic.To set this shot up place F ball centered between the pocket points. Next place E ball one half of a ball to the left of pocket E and one half of an inch out from cushion # 3, the long rail. The cue ball is in hand anywhere behind the X line.The objective of this shot to shoot the cue ball to E ball, carom to cushion #3, then rebound and curve back to F ball. You make both object balls as pocket letter designated. A scratch is allowed and you may contact an extra cushion by F ball.

Here are a few helpful hints on how to execute this shot. I place my cue ball centered from pocket A to E ball, not as diagrammed. Keep your cue level to the plane of the table. You don't need as much high,(follow) on the cue ball as you think you do. Stroke at a moderate speed and not with a lot of power. Based on a 13 mm tip, I use about two-thirds of a tip of left English. Don't forget to follow through. Have fun with this one.

Here is another great Artistic Pool Shot / Challenge.

This shot is from the draw discipline and has a Degree of Difficalty (DOD of 7). Object ball letters coincide with corresponding pocket letters. To set this shot up position F ball per grid one diamond segment off of the foot cushion and one diamond segment off of the #4, (long rail),cushion. The A ball is centered between the pocket points.The cue ball is in hand, ON THE FOOT STRING, behind line X.

The objective of this shot is to shoot the cue ball to F ball and draw back to A ball. You must make both object balls as pocket letter designated. The cue ball may contact an extra cushion before making A ball. A scratch is also allowed.

Here are some helpful hints on executing this shot. Don't raise the butt of your cue to get draw. Keep your cue as level to the plane of the table as possible, i.e. lower your bridge hand. Pay close attention to how low you are cueing the cue ball by getting the tip extremly close to the cue ball. Don't use excessive power.

Make sure your warm-up strokes are smooth and don't forget to follow through on your execution stroke.

This month's Artistic Shot is from the Trick and / or Fancy Discipline and has a Degree of Difficulty (DOD) of 10.

Here is a great proposition shot that could win you a few beers. Let's take a look at the set up. The object ball is frozen to the cushion at the center diamond. The cue ball is placed on the head spot. The objective of this skill shot is to cut the object ball into pocket C or F, your choice.

Here are a few helpful hints to aid you to successfully execute this great shill shot. Use the same cue to shoot this shot each time. I use almost maximum left English along the cue balls horizontal axis. Try to keep your cue as level to the plane of the table as possible to minimize curve. I use a medium speed on this shot and let the English do the work of making the object ball. I start my aiming by applying the English to the cue ball and aiming the center of my shaft at the same point on the object ball. You will have to vary your aim because of the amount of deflection your cue has. The cue ball must hit the cushion first, just missing the object ball and the spin will cause the ball to hug the cushion and be pocketed. Be sure to get the correct odds when you shoot this shot. If you can make it in three attempts ask for five tray's.

Good luck with this one.

This month's Artistic Pool Shot is from the Follow Discipline and has a Degree of Difficulty (DOD) of 9.

This follow shot requires great accuracy in the amount of ball hit on object ball one.

Let's look at the set up. Object ball 1 and 2 are set up frozen to the cushion at the diamond segments shown. The C ball is one diamond from pocket C and approximately one eigth of an inch off of the rail. The cue ball is in hand behind the X line. The object of this shot is to shoot the cue ball into object ball one. Object ball 1 will contact object ball 2 clearing both balls. The cue ball will then travel along the cushion pocketing the C ball.

Here are a couple of hints to help you execute this shot. I place my cue ball between one third and one half of a diamond away from the long tail. I aim at object ball one 3/4 th's full as if I were cutting the ball to the right. I use as much follow as I can on the cue ball with a medium hard stroke. Getting the correct hit on the first ball to clear the second is the key. You should be able to adjust hit and speed for the direction of the cue ball. You also may need to adjust how far the cue is off the rail.

It is a tricky shot, but I'm sure you will get it with pratice.

Have fun with this shot.

This month's Artistic Pool Shot is from the Draw Discipline and has a Degree of Difficulty (DOD) of 7. This is another new shot that has been added to the forty original. Let's look at the set-up.

The C ball is on the center line of the table and one diamond up from the short rail. A ball is centered between the pocket points at A pocket, hanging. The cue ball is in hand behind the X line. The objective of this shot is to shoot the cue ball to C ball making it in pocket C. The cue ball then draws back to the long rail and then makes A ball as diagramed. Here are a few helpful hints to help you master this shot.

I place my cue ball as shown in the diagram. You will be cutting the C ball to the right about 5 degrees. You should use low right English on the cue ball. Keep your cue as level to the table as possible and don't forget to follow though. The length on my bridge on this shot would be about 7 inches. Also, my cue tip would be very close to the cue ball and my right arm at 90 degrees. If you can already draw the cue ball, you should have no problem making this shot 1 out of 3 times. Have fun with this one.

This month's Artistic Shot is from the Trick and Fancy Discipline and has a Degree of Difficulty (DOD) of 8.

This is one of the new shots added to the original program. Let's look at the set up. Place E ball 1/8 of an inch out from the long rail and centered at pocket E. The F ball is now frozen to the E ball and the centers are aligned to pocket F to adjust for throw. The C ball is placed in front of C pocket. The cue ball placement is in hand or as the diagram suggests. The objective of this shot is to shoot the cue ball to E ball. The cue ball will then travel four cushions as the diagram indicates, towards pocket C. All balls are made as pocket letter designates. Here are a few helpful hints to help you execute this shot. I use top left English on this shot. I vary the hit on the E ball until I get the proper carom angle into the first cushion. I then vary the amount of English to hit the proper spot on the second cushion. It shouldn't take no more than a few attempts before you make the proper adjustments.

Have fun with this one.
Keep Stroking!

This month's Artistic Shot is from the Trick & Fancy Discipline and has a Degree of Difficulty (DOD) of 7.

You may remember this shot because it was performed in the Miller Lite Beer Commerical. Hall of Famer Steve Mizerak made this shot and himself very famous. Let's look at the set up.

The B ball is placed between 1/2 to 3/4's of a ball to the right of the top point of pocket Eand frozen to the rail. The E1 ball is frozen to the B ball and tilted very slightly to the left of straight with the B ball. The E2 balls left edge is placed as far to the left of E pocket as possible but still able to be made in pocket E. E2 balls edge that is lined up with the long rail is about 1/8th of an inch away from the long rail. The D ball is now frozen to the E2 ball and tilted very slightly to the left of straight with E2 ball. The A ball is frozen to the D ball and lined up with the A pockets point on the long rail to allow for throw. The C ball is placed by pocket C centered between the pocket points. The cue ball I place 1 3/4 diamonds to the right of pocket E and about one ball away from the long rail. With the set up complete, it is now time to execute the shot.

I cue the cue ball with top left english and hit E1 ball about one third full on the right side. All balls go in as pocket letter designated. The cue ball travels atleast three rails as the diagram indicates and pockets C ball. This shot is not that hard and is one you can master and truly impress your friends.

Last month’s article concluded the 40 artistic shots used since 2000. Our Artistic Program has now been revised to include 16 new shots for a total of 56 shots. Two new shots have been included to the eight different disciplines. This month’s artistic shot is from the Prop/Novelty/Special Arts Discipline and has a Degree of Difficulty (D.O.D.) of 7.

The set up is quite easy but the execution is much harder. All of the A balls are frozen to the rail as diagramed. A4 is one diamond segment from pocket E. A1 is on the headstring line. A2 is one ball’s width from A1 and A3 is one ball’s width from A2.

The objective of this shot is to shoot the balls in the following order, A4, A1, A2, A3, right to left in the diagram. All of the balls must go into pocket A in order, A1, A2, A3, A4.

A special note: The balls may contact each other as they are rolling. As far as helpful hits go, practice hitting A4 at the slowest speed possible so that it just drops into pocket A. Elevate your cue about five degrees to shoot A1, A2 and A3. It will help you not miscue. Chalk the tip well before shooting the shot and rotate the cue slightly while shooting the last three balls to prevent miscuing. It is recommended that balls in numerical sequence are used. SPEED KILLS so hit A4 extremely soft. Good Luck.

This month's Artistic Pool Shot is from the Masse discipline and has a Degree of Difficulty (DOD) of 11, the highest. Again I want to remind everyone, do not attempt this shot unless you get the owners permission. Let's look at the set-up.

The C ball is centered between the pocket points. The chalk cube is 2 1/2 segments to the right of the head cushion and 1 1/2 segments in from the long rail, per diagram. The cue ball is in hand in the starting zone. Placement may be anywhere in the seven square area.

The objective of this shot is to shoot the cue ball with a vertical masse toward the long rail. The cue ball should curve around the chalk cube and follow path to make the C ball as pocket letter designate. If the chalk cube is touched you get a penalty and no score for that attempt. The cue ball is allowed to touch the long rail and a scratch is allowed. Here are a few helpful hints, so you can possibly work on perfecting this amazing shot. Most people don't own a masse cue, so I suggest using a 21-ounce cue. My cue is elevated between 80 to 85 degrees depending on cloth and equipment. I use a medium hard stroke with my cue tilted back towards myself. Looking at the cue ball as a clock I cue the cue ball at 4 o'clock, as if I were shooting the cue ball straight across the table, that would be 6 o'clock.

I have made this shot in competition once it was at the 2003 Masters Artistic Pool competition at the Super Billiards Expo where I finished 8th out of 24 of the finest International stars.

Best of luck on this one.

This month's Artistic pool shot is from the Prop / Novelty / Special Arts discipline and has a special scoring. Let's look at the set-up. Seven object balls are used for this discipline. As shown by the diagram you will notice there is a holding area for the other object balls.

A piece of chalk is placed on the foot spot. Each object ball starts in the hand of the shooter and ends up in the target zone, before struck with the cue ball. The objective of this shot is to roll the object ball by hand to the target zone and place cue ball (if not already in position). When C ball is rolling in target zone, shoot the cue ball to make the object ball in pocket C. Take another object ball from the holding area and repeat until all seven object balls have been shot. Here are some special notes. A scratch is allowed (no penalty). No abort rolls are allowed. If the chalk is touched with the object ball, no score on that roll. Scoring potential:

Wing shots made: 7=12 pts, 6=11 pts, 5=9pts, 4=7 pts. 3=5 pts,2=3 pts, 1=1 pt..

Here are a few helpful hints to help you execute this highly skilled shot. Take time to practice having the object ball and cue ball in your left hand and rolling the object ball to the target zone. Do not attempt to roll the object ball extremely fast, roll it slowly. My preference is to roll the object ball to the top left portion of the target zone, not to the center of the target zone as shown in the diagram. The reason I prefer rolling it to the top left portion is because I'm able to obtain a fuller hit on the object ball. Here's the best tip of all, Place an object ball in the target zone where you would like to make the cue ball hit the object ball each time. Now ghost up that object ball by placing the cue ball behind the object ball in line to pocket C. Now, stand at the head of the table facing the shot so that you can get a picture of how much object ball you would be aiming at. You now have a great reference of how to vary your contact point by where the object ball is in the target zone on each shot.

There are two individuals that excel at wing shots, Tom "Dr. Cue" Rossman and Earl "The Pearl" Strickland. I believe Dr. Cue was the first person to make all 7 balls in our Professional Artistic Competitions. Best of Luck to all of you.

This month's Artistic Pool Shot is from the jump discipline and has a Degree of Difficulty (DOD) of 11, the hardest. This jump shot is designed for a 9 foot table.

Let's look at the setup, it's quite easy. The cue ball is in hand anywhere behind the X line as the diagram suggests. The A object ball is also behind the X line. The cue ball and A ball are in a straight line to pocket A. The objective of this shot is to shoot the cue ball with a jump stroke into the top of the A ball. The cue ball will then travel in front of A ball so it will pocket first at pocket A. Then the A ball will follow the cue ball into pocket A.

Here are a few helpful hints to help you successfully execute this highly skilled shot. The spacing between the cue ball and A ball is critical. I start out at 9 inches which is 4 object balls. The A ball and cue ball must be perfectly straight into the A pocket. I make sure it is straight by placing an object ball at pocket A the way the ball will come through the full opening of the pocket. I use a jump cue and my elevation is at about 30 degrees. I'll use a medium hard stroke to execute this shot. While being elevated at 30 degrees you will hit the cue ball dead center. If you shoot to hard the cue ball will jump over A ball. If you shoot to soft the A ball will go in first. If your aim is off the slightest you will miss the shot.

I've played in 3 of the World Tour stops where we all had to shoot this shot and I've only made it once out of the 3 times. The time I made it was for the Artistic Masters in March of 2004.

I got luck and made it on my first attempt for 11 huge points.

Best of luck to everyone on this highly skilled shot. Next month's Artistic shot will be from the Masse Discipline and have a DOD of 11.

This month's Artistic Pool shot is from the Stroke Discipline and has a Degree of Difficulty (DOD) of 10. This skill shot requires a great stroke. Let's take a look at the set up. The C ball is placed between the pocket points and the back edge is at the slate cut. The cue ball is no more than 1/2 a balls width from the center of the 1-1 diamond grid square by pocket F. The D object ball is 1/2 an inch or less from the cue ball. The rack should be straight and in the normal or standard position for racking. The cue ball and D ball are lined up to the D pocket allowing for the throw effect. The objective of this shot is to shoot the cue ball into D ball with "Fouette" or extremely rapid stroke movement. D ball must be pocketed in D pocket. The cue ball will curve around the rack to the long rail, then travel two more rails to make C ball as pocket letter designated. The rack may not be touched by any means until C ball is made.

Here are a few helpful hints to help you execute this shot. Elevate your cue to about 30 degrees and use an elevated bridge. My aiming area is one diamond to the left of pocket A.

I cue the cue ball at 10 O'clock position. I use a medium hard stroke and cue to the outside edge of the cue ball. If the cue ball hits the rack, aim a little more to the right. If the cue ball comes up short, aim a bit more to the left. Best of Luck with this shot.

Next month's Artistic Shot is from the Jump Discipline and has a DOD of 11, extremely difficult.

This month’s Artistic Pool Shot is from the Bank/Kick Discipline and has a Degree of Difficulty (DOD) of 10.

This great shot was a favorite of Jack Breit, known as “Jersey Red”, one of the greatest one pocket players that has ever lived.

This shot may look easy but it is one of the most difficult in our 40 shot program. Let’s look at the set-up.

The D Ball is frozen to the head cushion and one diamond segment from A pocket. The cue ball is in had anywhere behind the X line.

The objective of this shot is to shoot the cue ball to the extreme right edge of D Ball causing the D Ball to bank away from the head cushion. The cue ball then hits the long rail and rebounds back to hit the moving D Ball approximately at “ghost” position noted in the diagram. The D Ball is pocketed as pocket letter designated.

Here are some helpful hints to assist you in the execution of this shot. I place the forward edge of my cue ball about one quarter of an inch behind the X line, and one and one quarter balls away from the head cushion. I aim to hit D Ball very thin using a medium soft stroke. I cue the cue ball with high and a touch of left English. If the D Ball is beating the cue ball back to the “ghost” position you are not hitting the D Ball thin enough. Don’t hit the shot hard. A scratch is allowed on this shot.

Good luck with this one! Next month’s artistic pool shot is from the stroke discipline and has a DOD of 10.

This month's Artistic Pool Shot is from the Follow Discipline and has a Degree of difficulty (DOD) of 8.

The reason this is called the Machine Gun Shot is because when the cue ball hits the line of object balls it makes a rat a tat sound of a machine gun. I have a video tape I sell which shows the legendary Ralph Greenleaf shooting this shot. There is about fifteen minutes of Greenleaf on this particular tape, along with many other legends of this great sport. Anyone interested in purchasing this 70 plus minute tape can contact me at my above listed number.

Let's look at the set-up.

The # 1 object ball and the # 2 object ball are both frozen to the foot rail and have three quarters of a ball's width between them. Use the first diamond on the foot rail from pocket C as a reference point for placement. The row of ten ball is one ball's width, plus 2mm out from the foot cushion with the first two balls in the row (farther from pocket F) angled slightly wider from the cushion and the last ball in row (next to F ball) is approximately one quarter inch wider from the foot cushion.

All of the balls in the row are frozen. The F ball is centered between the pocket points of F pocket. The cue ball is in hand anywhere in the box zone. The objective of this shot is to shoot the cue ball to clear # 1 object ball then carom to clear # 2 object ball, and then carom back to enter the opening at the row of ten balls. The cue ball must hit at least four object balls and travel to F ball. F ball is made in designated letter pocket. If the cue ball does not touch four balls, the attempt is complete, but no score for that attempt. A cue ball scratch is allowed. Here are a few helpful hints so you can execute this shot. Keep your cue as level as possible. The center of my cue ball is placed one and one quarter diamonds up from pocket C. The cue ball is now placed 1/2 of a ball closer to the long rail than object ball # 2, as diagramed. Cue the cue ball with high right English and aim to hit object ball # 1 85 to 90 percent full. You will favor the left side of the object ball. I use a medium hard stroke when I shoot this shot.

Follow through. This shot will definitely impress your friends if you can make it in one out of three attempts.

Next month's Artistic Pool Shot is from the Bank / Kick Discipline and has a DOD of 10.

This month's Artistic Pool Shot is from the Draw Discipline. This is one of the most difficult shots that we have in our 40 shot professional program. This skill shot is rated an 11, the highest Degree of Difficulty,(DOD).

Cowboy Jimmy Moore stroked this shot with great authority using his pheonominal "slip stroke". If you never got a chance to see him give an Exhibition you missed out seeing one of the greatest. Hustlers avoided going through Albuquerque New Mexico because they didn't want to get into a money game with him. I had the privilege of interviewing him in the mid 1990's, at the senior center he went to each day and I have the stories on audio cassette. It was truly an honor meeting and getting to know this legend and Billiard Congress of America Hall of Famer.

Let's look at the set-up. The F ball is in hand and anywhere in the circled zone. A solo ball is frozen to the cushion by B pocket as shown. The A ball is placed between the pocket points. The cue ball is placed anywhere in the boxed zone. The objective of this skill shot is to shoot the cue ball to F ball and carom draw to the long rail to the right of the solo ball. The cue ball then rebounds and draws in a circular motion to A ball. F ball and A ball are made as pocket letter designated. The cue ball may contact extra rail before pocketing A ball. The solo ball by B pocket may not be touched by the cue ball. A scratch is allowed. Here are some helpful hints to guide you. On a 9 foot table I place the F ball 4 to 4 1/2 balls away from the long rail. The line of centers between my cue ball and F ball is aimed about 1 1/8 diamonds from the left of F pocket. This is my starting point for the proper amount of hit on the F ball. You will want to use a very secure rail bridge. I cue the cue ball with almost extreme draw and a touch of left English. You will use a fast accelerating stroke at a power level of 7. If you don't follow through on your stroke you will probably never execute this shot. Keep your cue as level as possible. Be sure you grip the cue lightly.

My dear friend Mike Massey helped me with this shot, as he has helped many others. He said to pay attention to the set-up for the correct cut angle on the object ball. I will be at Mike's Induction Ceremony to the BCA Hall of Fame on April 7th at the Hilton in Las Vegas. Best of luck with this month's shot. Keep Stroking !

This months Artistic Pool Shot is from the Prop/Novelty/Special Arts Discipline.

This shot has a special scoring. This dynamic shot can be seen in the legendary trick shot tape by world-renowned trick shot artist Yoshikazu Kimura. Let's look at the set-up. You can start by placing the 11 ball by pocket D, the 12 ball by pocket C, and the 13 ball by pocket F. Place the 5 ball where the diagram shows 1st shot makes C.

Place the 4 ball at 2nd shot makes F. Place the 3 ball at 3rd shot makes D. The 3, 4 and 5 balls are considered the cue balls. They may be adjusted anywhere on the headstring line with the exception of the 4 ball. It must be placed on the head spot. The objective of this shot is to shoot the cue balls quickly per diagram designated order, without collisions, making as many object balls as possible at approximately the same time.

All three cue balls must be struck within 4 seconds. Three attempts are granted and taken until best score is determined. The best attempt score is recorded based on 5 points for the 5 cushion shot make, 4 points for the 4 cushion shot make, and 3 points for the 3 cushion shot make. Total, if all three shots are made on one attempt would be 12 points maximum. Attempt scores are not cumulative with other attempts. A special note: extra cushions by object balls are allowed as are scratches. I use the red 3 ball, purple 4 ball and orange 5 ball. Those "cue balls" make the same colored stripe ball. The 3 ball makes the 3 cushion shot, the 4 ball makes the 4 cushion shot, and the 5 ball makes the 5 cushion shot. The only helpful hint I can give you is to shoot each cue ball to test the cushions till you make each object ball. When you can make each shot you then can start by practicing the timing of each ball. Remember you only have 4 seconds to hit all 3 "cue balls". If you want to save yourself some stress and time buy Mr. Kimura's Trick Shot tape to see how a Master shoots this great shot. Good Luck!

This month's Artistic Shot is from the Trick and / or Fancy Discipline and has a Degree of Difficulty (DOD) of 10.

Here is a great proposition shot that could win you a few beers. Let's take a look at the set up. The object ball is frozen to the cushion at the center diamond. The cue ball is placed on the head spot. The objective of this skill shot is to cut the object ball into pocket C or pocket F, your choice. Here are a few helpful hints to aid you to successfully execute this great skill shot. Use the same cue to shoot this shot each time. I use almost maximum left English along the cue balls horizontal axis. Try to keep your cue as level to the plane of the table as possible to minimize curve. I use a minimum speed on this shot and let the English do the work of making the object ball. I start my aiming by applying the English to the cue ball and aiming the center of my shaft at the same point on the object ball. You will have to vary your aim because the amount of deflection your cue has.

The cue ball must hit the cushion first, just missing the object ball, and the spin will cause the ball to hug the cushion and be pocketed. Be sure to get the correct odds when you shoot this shot. If you make it in three attempts ask for five try's.

Good Luck ! Next month's Artistic Pool Shot will be from the Prop / Novelty and Special Arts Discipline and have a maximum scoring potential of 12 points. Keep Stroking !

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