I would have to disagree that it can be both.  If you slide the five in front of the eight, it would suggest that your ball did not impact the five properly in the 1-3-5-9 chain.  A hit where the five slides in front of the eight would have been an 8-10 twenty tears ago.  The five straight back is the only true solid 8.

Believe what you like.
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got revs?

Both are popular... today it is more of the 5 going stright back on flush shots. However, in my day 8's were left because the head pin after hitting the 2 pin would fly back into the 5 and move it before the ball got there and then the ball would push the 5 straigh back. But with todays more aggressive entry angles.. the head pin does not get in the way and the ball simply chops the 5 striaght back.
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Anytime you are dealing with a round ball and 10 round oblong pins 60 feet away, there can be some weird stuff that can happen. Solid 8's suck, no doubt about it, but thats an easy spare. Now, a crush flush 7/9 for a rightie, now thats a real killer.
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TPK

Could someone tell me where this Great Wall of China is???