I place the cue ball just behind the head string, 1 diamond out from the long rail. I aim for the center of the back edge of the first rack. This is important because if you hit it off center, the rack will want to twist and you'll probably miss a ball. Follow is what gets the cue ball to come off the second rack and down to the corner pocket, so be sure to stroke it pretty good. Too hard though, and the cue ball has a tendency of jumping a lot.