You pot the red, but do not obtain ideal position on a colour - what are your options?

Obviously it is imperative to lay a decent safety shot, placing your opponent in the most awkward position possible.

In Fig 1, a red has been potted but the white has run out of position into the baulk area. The brown is available to the left centre and provides just enough angle to get back to the reds, but should you miss there is a good chance of leaving a good scoring opportunity for your opponent. You may feel safety is the best option - what is available?

You could attempt the snooker by rolling in behind the brown ball, but should you misjudge the exact weight of shot, will leave an easy safety shot or worse still a potting opportunity. In addition, a decent player may find it relatively easy to escape from the snooker off one cushion and nestle into the red on the top cushion behind the black, knowing that should they miss the red, little damage may have been done and nothing would be left on for you to attack.

The more attacking option may be to lay what is known as a Chinese Snooker onto the yellow ball on the top cushion. Although this provides a direct line of sight for your opponent to play onto a red ball, the fact that it is awkward cueing makes the shot extremely difficult.

With the reds positioned as they are, playing safe whilst bridging awkwardly over the yellow ball on the cushion would be a hard shot to control.. Especially when your opponent knows that any miscalculation will leave you with a choice of reds to begin your break.

In Figure 2, a red has been potted but the white has finished in 'no mans land' between the pink and close to the blue. The typical safety shot may involve you clipping off the blue on either side, but in this instance you may decide that the Chinese snooker in front of the blue creates more problems for your opponent.

The 'spider' will be needed by your oponent to play over the blue and down the table towards a red ball. Any attempt to 'clip off' a red would be hard to execute and any attempt at a pot equally hard. You may even force your opponent into treating the position like a traditional snooker, playing off the side cushion in an attempt to reach safety.

'When you have to leave the table, make your opponents task as difficult as possible'.

Frank Callan Suite - 282 Ribbleton Lane, Ribbleton, Preston, Lancashire, England - PR1 5EB - tel. + 44 (0) 1772 702211 - info@fcsnooker.co.uk

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