Pick Solids
One Group is Easy - The Other
is Hard
You've just
broken the balls and pocketed one solid and two stripes. Although there are
now less stripes to shoot, don't let that influence your choice of groups.
It's the position of the balls that counts when deciding which group to play,
not the number of balls left on the table. Which group is the better choice?
The stripes will be extremely tough, if not impossible to run. The 9ball is clustered with the 6 and there is no break ball in the vicinity. The 12/14 cluster at the opposite end of the table also presents a major problem. Finally, your first shot on either the 11 or 13-ball is no bargain.
The solids look pretty inviting even though the 6-ball is presently tied up. A soft follow shot on the 2-ball into pocket #4 will give you an ideal angle to play the 5-ball into pocket #1, breaking the cluster in the process. You should then have a choice of two or three balls to play on your next shot.
When faced
with a relatively easy runout like this, don't make the mistake of playing
too defensively. The cluster should be broken immediately as described above.
This is a layout that says "Go". Don't play conservatively, for example, pocketing
a few balls first before breaking up the cluster. You might not get another
opportunity like the one you have right now. After you've pocketed a few balls
but failed to complete your run, your opponent will then have total control
of the game (see The Failed Runout).