How The Executioner Chicago Wipe Out Actually Works
The Executioner Chicago Wipe Out is a multi-ball trick shot originally popularized in the trick shot community. It's essentially a layout where you clear the table using a series of combination shots that build off each other. The name comes from the broader "Executioner" family of shots that involve precise kick and masse-based angles. Here's how I set it up. You typically start with an object ball positioned near the head string, a cue ball behind the head rail, and then a cluster of balls spread across the table in what looks like chaos but is actually very deliberate positioning. The goal is to sink every ball on the table without moving to a second shot — meaning each strike has to carry through multiple contacts and banks. I've run this setup maybe a dozen times in my life, and the first three attempts I spent two hours just trying to get the initial combination right. The problem was always the same: the second ball in the chain wasn't coming to rest in the right spot because of English I was applying too early. Once I slowed down and stopped trying to force spin on the first hit, everything clicked. I started using mostly natural roll with just a touch of left-hand side on the cue ball, which gave me the consistency I needed.
The key thing beginners miss is that the layout looks simpler than it actually is. The balls need to be placed within a fraction of an inch of their ideal positions. If you're off by even a quarter inch on the anchor ball, the whole sequence falls apart. I use a piece of chalk to mark my initial placements and then measure from the rail with a tape measure — usually something like 12 and three-eighths inches from the head rail for the first object ball, but it varies depending on your table and how much you're willing to adjust.
Breaking Down the Shot Sequence
The shot itself starts with a kick from the cue ball off the head rail, hitting the first object ball at a very shallow angle. That first ball needs to travel across the table and carom into a second ball, which then drops into a pocket. The complication is that you're not just dealing with two balls — you've got at least five or six more arranged around the table that need to fall in a specific order. What makes the Chicago variation distinct from other Executioner layouts is the specific pocket selection and the way the later balls are positioned to allow the combo chain to continue. In some versions you're aiming for corner pockets, in others you're using the middle pockets to create those tricky bank routes. I found the corner pocket version to be more forgiving because the angles are slightly wider, but the middle pocket version looks significantly more impressive when it goes in. One issue I ran into that I don't think anyone really talks about is table condition. This shot works on a clean, new cloth at tournament speed, but on a slower or worn-down home table, the balls don't carry as far and the combinations fall apart. If you're practicing on an older table, you'll need to adjust your placement — usually moving the anchor balls a bit closer together by about two to three inches. It took me two sessions of trial and error on my home table before I figured out the right spacing. Don't bother trying to learn this on a restaurant pool table with a sagging rail.
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Practical Tips That Actually Help
First, practice the first combination in isolation until you can sink it ten times in a row. That's your foundation. If you can't hit it consistently on its own, the full shot won't happen. I usually spend about 20 to 30 minutes just on the opening combination before attempting anything else. Second, use a slightly softer stroke than you think you need. A hard hit throws off all the angles because the balls deflect more on contact. A controlled, medium-strength strike keeps everything on track. This is probably the single most important adjustment you'll make. Third, don't over-apply spin. The instinct is to put heavy English on the cue ball to manipulate its path, but that introduces unpredictability. Minimal spin, straight-ish hits, let the geometry do the work. I learned this the hard way after burning through three hours on a Saturday trying to muscle the cue ball into position with side spin that just made things worse.
The full sequence typically takes me about 45 minutes to run cleanly once I have the layout dialed in, and even then I only complete it maybe two or three times out of ten attempts. It's not something you just pick up and execute on demand. The success rate improves with practice, but even experienced trick shot performers don't nail this one every time.
Common Mistakes
The biggest mistake people make is setting up the shot and then immediately trying the full thing without isolating individual combinations. Break it down. Hit the first combo, then the second, then the third, until each piece is automatic. Then connect them. Another mistake is ignoring the spin that the first ball imparts on subsequent balls. When ball one hits ball two, it can introduce side spin that changes ball two's trajectory in ways you didn't calculate. Account for this by adjusting your initial placement slightly — usually by moving the target ball a fraction of an inch toward the side you're seeing unwanted deflection. If you're looking for video references, search for trick shot compilations from the early 2000s era — that's when shots like this were being documented more thoroughly. The execution isn't exactly straightforward to find in one clean tutorial, so you'll probably need to piece it together from different sources. But having seen it performed live, I can confirm the mechanics are exactly as described here, and the layout tolerances are tight but achievable with patience.
