Masse Shots
Masse shots are ones where the cue ball is loaded up with lots of spin, deviates from its obvious straight line path and curves on its own without hitting a rail or an object ball. This includes pique shots which are very similar to masse shots, but the cue ball come backs against the directional stroke.
Masse-Jump shots are where the cue ball jumps over an obstruction and makes a curve around the object balls or other props on the table.
The Impossible Dream
This shot was done by Andy Segal from TSM 2013, and golly it's a beauty. The cue ball masse's down the rail hits the cluster balls and keeps on spinning to make the other object ball in the opposite corner pocket. Also too, the other cluster ball is made in the corner pocket afterwards. This shot is my number one favorite masse shot, and this was my first time doing it on a 9 foot. Should I mention I used silicone for this?
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Tim's Escape *
Tim Chin added in a shot for the book program for the World Championship competition which I made withe ease. Since this shot is so easily makeable, I decided to add another blocker ball for greater difficulty. The results were amazing, so maybe Tim should update this shot for future book tournaments, don't you think?
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Speed Masse *
Back in 2007, Andy Segal pulled of this shot for ESPN Trick Shot Magic that he created and Speed shots are his style because he can still make the shots in tournaments even when he didn't have time to practice. For my version, I added a third ball to make it more difficult. So nothing to say more except when massing, give the balls enough stroke to hit the butt stick and zip into the corner before the cue ball.
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Silicone Ball *
The object of this shot is to make the cue ball go between the blocker ball and go right through it to pocket the combo. It was close though, and as long as it went through, you're good to go. This one also was done with the help of silicone spray. What silicone does is it creates less friction and puts more spin on the cue ball when massing it. Another favorite on my list, and I hope you agree with me. :)
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The Original Running Masse *
The original Running Masse is the first of many shots from this family, and it was created by Bruce Barthelette for the WCOTS 2007. Roll the cue ball to the short rail, and then masse it around the row of balls to make the 9 ball. Keep in mind, the jump stick is there for support in case I hit it too long. It's a pretty looking shot, so click there to watch the beauty of it.
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Around The Wall *
Andy used this shot for the 2010 Finals of Trick Shot Magic against Jamey Gray. It can also be seen on YouTube for 2012 ESPN TSM where "Cool Hand Luke" makes it, but Jamey misses both times. This shot is a classic here, and another one to scratch off my list of oldie trick shots.
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Upside Down Masse *
Andy Segal created this shot a few days before he was selected for the 2003 ESPN TSM tournament in Baltimore, Maryland. It was his first tournament and this shot helped him with getting pass Stefano Pelinga and Charles Darling where they both failed to make the shot. So here a video of the same shot, but I added another rack for the cue ball to hop over and for greater dificulty. Can you do this shot?
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Bogdan's Masse
This shot was invented by the great Bogdan Wolkowski and was used in 2009 ESPN TSM by Andy Segal. The purpose of this shot is to masse the cue ball out of the cluster and go pass the glass bottle with 4mm amount of space to make the 8 in the corner. Watch the cue ball closely because the cue ball zips pretty fast on these kind of shots.
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Motion Resistance Masse *
This is like a running masse shot, but this one is mostly a partner shot created by both Jamey Gray and Bruce Barthelette. Bruce shoots the cue ball down the table and then Jamey applies draw to it as it rockets down in order to curve it around the rack and pocket the 8. In my version, I do all the work where I roll the cue ball down, and I come back to the other side to masse the cue ball around the rack. Maybe I should add one where I have to apply draw instead of masse just to prove it can be done by one person.
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Running Masse #2 *
For the grand finale, I present you a Florian Kohler shot designed by no other than Florian. He used this shot for the 2010 TSM tournament against Andy Segal and made it with ease. For my version, I have four extra balls to pocket into the side pocket while the cue ball is rolling, but I still kept the bridge there as an obstacle and line for how far the cue ball needs to be from the corner before pocketing the 9 ball. I love this shot, and this is another one that goes onto my favorite list. :)
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