When planning position we sometimes get a little
lax by only considering the sequence of balls and not focusing on which
side of the ball to land on. Example: When playing the game of 9-Ball
and we have the seven, eight and nine left for the run out. When
shooting the seven, we have to arrive at a place from which to make the
eight and from there have an easy way to get on the nine. When we only
focus on arriving at a place to make the eight, we may be on the wrong
side of the ball, too straight in, etc., and suddenly faced with a very
tough situation when trying to get to the nine ball.
Pick Three
It's wonderful to be a good shot maker, but
planning a pattern and playing position are the two skills that will
result in your running out.
Pattern play is simply developing a plan on how you intend to run the
balls. Sometimes it is necessary to develop a new pattern after every
shot if you get out of line. But it is important to always have a
pattern. Practice by throwing three balls out at a time and keep
creating different patterns to run them until it becomes second nature
to your game.
Choose Your Path Wisely
When playing position we often have a choice of
paths for our cue ball to take to arrive at the desired spot for the
next shot. We can take the different routes by deciding to use one or
more cushions, follow, draw, etc. When one choice has the cue ball
arrive at the spot by taking a route that is on the same line that you
will be shooting after it gets there, that's often the path to choose.
In this situation, even if you end up a little short or a little long,
you will still have essentially the same shot and the same angle to your
next shot. When you attempt to arrive at your desired position by
crossing over the line that you will eventually be shooting on, a little
long or a little short could very well not leave you with any shot at
all. And, even if you still have a shot, chances increase that you could
end up on the wrong side of the ball for your next shot. So, choose you path wisely.
"Rule of Thumb"
A "Rule of Thumb" when you are confronted with making a decision as to whether or not you should go for it or play safe:
When the safety play is as tough or tougher to execute than pocketing
the ball, always give yourself a chance to win by attempting to pocket
the ball.
Avoid Multitasking
Don't complicate your safety shot by trying to
control both the cue ball and one or more object balls. Decide whether
you want to hide the cue ball or an object ball, pick one and focus on
it (unless you are great at multitasking). Assume you want to hide the cue ball. Basically, all you're doing is
playing position with it, hopefully hiding it behind other balls to
snooker your opponent. Focus all you attention on the cue ball and the
speed you need to accomplish your goal. If you are trying to also
control the speed of the object ball you played off, you may not get
either ball to where you want them to be. If your play is to hide an
object ball, focus all you attention on it, and not on the cue ball.
Your chances of success increase greatly if you pick only one of the balls to focus on.
When to Play Safe... 7 Guidelines
The most important thing to know about playing a safety is when to do it. A few guidelines are:
1) If making a tough shot won't get you into position to win, opt for the safety.
2) If the safety is as tough as making the shot (which could get you the win) opt for the shot.
3) If the shot is way tougher than the safety, take the safety.
4) If your opponent probably won't get out even if you miss, go for the shot.
5) If you are way ahead in the match, stay on the offensive.
6) If you are way behind in the match, go for it.
7) Always ask yourself, "Would I rather give up the table after missing a tough shot, or, would I
rather get ball in hand after snookering my opponent?"
Leave 'em Long and Frozen
When you opt to
play safe and don't have a shot to snooker you opponent, see if you can
leave a long shot with the cue ball frozen near the center of one of the
end rails. Shooting a "frozen-to-the-cushion" cue ball is very
difficult, especially a long shot. The shooter is forced to hit close to
the top of the cue ball which requires an exact center hit. The least
bit of right or left english will cause the cue ball to deflect or
"squirt" from its intended path.
Intentional Foul?
PLAYER ASKS: "Is there ever a time when one would
commit a foul on purpose?" Someone told me I should have taken an
Intentional Foul during league play last week."
ANSWER: Definitely. If no logical shot is available, don't try to invent
something that just isn't there. Since it looks like you will be giving
up the table and ball in hand anyway, make sure you leave it as
difficult as possible for the incoming player. Use your foul to tie up
several balls into clusters or hit balls into positions that will make a
run out by your opponent very difficult.
Billiard Supplies & More!From pool cues and cases to clothing and
furniture, CueSight
has everything you could want or need. Shop online today, or call
toll-free 1-800-660-2572 for a catalog.
FORUM: Your Views!
Instructional Videos
Read
Back Issues
Play 99: Rules
1-Pocket Ring Game
