The Masse Shot
The masse shot is an intense swerve usually played with a near upright strike. One can only use the masse shot when faced with extreme situations when playing pool. An example of such a situation is when one has been put in snooker. This shot is most useful when the distance between the snookering ball and the cue ball is short or in-between the ball. This is known as object ball and snookering ball. The masse shot is among a small number of shots that needs extreme downward hitting upon the cue ball. The cue is usually held very near the vertical and then it is brought down quickly with follow through, often very little.
The hand used for gripping is often brought down on the cue to achieve control and comfort as the hand used for bridging is raised upon three fingers so that a groove can be formed to suit the cue. As one would imagine, this discipline is not easy to master and one will have to do much practice to deal with the different levels of spin that are required for one to achieve their objectives. The pace with which and how one hits the cue ball determines the spinning of the cue ball. If a player hits it down on the cue ball’s back, the ball will first go frontward and will come backwards as the effects of the backspin take place. Striking the front part of the cue ball will in the first place drive it backwards until the effects of the spin take place and carry the cue ball to the front with intense topspin.
If one strikes of the shots to either the right or left centre of the vertical position, the reaction of the cue ball will be consistent with the spin of the side that one has imparted. People rarely require the ‘Masse’ shot, but they can win matches if they play it in the correct manner. One should try it out but they should be warned that it is not an easy part of the game in which one can perform well.