Offensive & Defensive Strategy

A safety intentionally leaves your opponent with no makeable shot while still meeting the legal-shot rules (contact your ball, drive one to a rail). Great safeties tuck the cue ball behind one of your own balls or freeze it to a rail with the object ball at distance.

Every offensive shot has a make percentage and a leave. Ask yourself: if I miss, does my opponent get a straight-in run? If yes, and the make is under 70%, a safety is usually better. Track this after each match — a session's worth of honest self-review is worth a month of drills.