Pro player Louis Ulrich (I'm not him) posted these back in 2007.
They're excellent examples of super common 9 ball shots that should be practiced until they're automatic.
Unfortunately the wei table diagrams broke so the pictures of the shots aren't visible.
Someone was hoping to get a look at them. So I checked out the code for the diagrams
and redid them all as images. Hopefully these diagrams will stick around.
I'm reposting his original text below, plus the diagrams.
==========================
Over the past few weeks I have had many players asking what it is that I have been doing on the practice table to produce so many high finishes in tournaments. Although my basic answer is practice, I haven't been able to actually show anyone my full practice routine simply because it would probably take more than a week to go through the whole thing. One thing that I can share that won't take too long to discuss is the importance of Routine Shots.
Routine shots, for me anyway, are the shots that come up at least every other game, if not every game. These routine shots can be found in almost every instructional book, and are taught by all the instructors. Knowing and being able to execute routine shots is in my opinion the key to getting out when you are supposed to. You'll hear this line said all the time in the pool room. "If I'd just get out when I'm supposed to..." Well, I feel the biggest reason that players don't get out when they are supposed to is they are out of practice with the routine shots. Many players (myself included) have spent time practicing a shot until they get it, then they just assume it will be there whenever they need it, and forget to practice it.
In this thread, I'm going to put several of the routine shots that I practice on the cue table with a brief explanation of the shot execution. If anyone would like to add shots that they feel are valuable, please do so. Also if anyone needs more guidance in how to properly execute the shot, feel free to ask.
The first shot that I'm sharing is a simple stop shot, straight in, and up the rail. It may seem silly that this shot would need to be practiced but I see them rattle all the time!
I shoot this ball with a tip and a half to two tips below center, depending on distance. My goal in practice is to be able to shoot the cue ball as slowly as possible to get it to stop.
I also want to mention that you can turn this shot into an entire practice session if you want to. Start with stopping the cue ball dead, then draw the ball back two feet, then back to the end rail, so on and so forth. You could also practice stunning the cue ball forward a few inches, or rolling the cue ball forward a foot or so. Varying object ball distance to the pocket and cue ball distance to the object ball will create different levels of difficulty.
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This next shot shows a simple cut up the rail with reverse english. The cue balls A and B show examples of different angles that you should set up to practice. I practice different degrees of english and speed to get the cue ball in different position points on the table. As with any other shot, setting up varying degrees of difficulty is important.
Note: Anything that you pracitce on the left side of the table should be given equal attention on the right side of the table.
sidenote from CreeDo: I think the original author meant to draw the above diagram
with a little more angle... the shot is nearly straight in, in the diagram.
Don't sweat it, if you can't replicate this shot on the table from the original cue ball position.
I think he wanted to show an angle a little closer to "A" and just drew the diagram a little off.
They're excellent examples of super common 9 ball shots that should be practiced until they're automatic.
Unfortunately the wei table diagrams broke so the pictures of the shots aren't visible.
Someone was hoping to get a look at them. So I checked out the code for the diagrams
and redid them all as images. Hopefully these diagrams will stick around.
I'm reposting his original text below, plus the diagrams.
==========================
Over the past few weeks I have had many players asking what it is that I have been doing on the practice table to produce so many high finishes in tournaments. Although my basic answer is practice, I haven't been able to actually show anyone my full practice routine simply because it would probably take more than a week to go through the whole thing. One thing that I can share that won't take too long to discuss is the importance of Routine Shots.
Routine shots, for me anyway, are the shots that come up at least every other game, if not every game. These routine shots can be found in almost every instructional book, and are taught by all the instructors. Knowing and being able to execute routine shots is in my opinion the key to getting out when you are supposed to. You'll hear this line said all the time in the pool room. "If I'd just get out when I'm supposed to..." Well, I feel the biggest reason that players don't get out when they are supposed to is they are out of practice with the routine shots. Many players (myself included) have spent time practicing a shot until they get it, then they just assume it will be there whenever they need it, and forget to practice it.
In this thread, I'm going to put several of the routine shots that I practice on the cue table with a brief explanation of the shot execution. If anyone would like to add shots that they feel are valuable, please do so. Also if anyone needs more guidance in how to properly execute the shot, feel free to ask.
The first shot that I'm sharing is a simple stop shot, straight in, and up the rail. It may seem silly that this shot would need to be practiced but I see them rattle all the time!
I shoot this ball with a tip and a half to two tips below center, depending on distance. My goal in practice is to be able to shoot the cue ball as slowly as possible to get it to stop.
I also want to mention that you can turn this shot into an entire practice session if you want to. Start with stopping the cue ball dead, then draw the ball back two feet, then back to the end rail, so on and so forth. You could also practice stunning the cue ball forward a few inches, or rolling the cue ball forward a foot or so. Varying object ball distance to the pocket and cue ball distance to the object ball will create different levels of difficulty.
----
This next shot shows a simple cut up the rail with reverse english. The cue balls A and B show examples of different angles that you should set up to practice. I practice different degrees of english and speed to get the cue ball in different position points on the table. As with any other shot, setting up varying degrees of difficulty is important.
Note: Anything that you pracitce on the left side of the table should be given equal attention on the right side of the table.
sidenote from CreeDo: I think the original author meant to draw the above diagram
with a little more angle... the shot is nearly straight in, in the diagram.
Don't sweat it, if you can't replicate this shot on the table from the original cue ball position.
I think he wanted to show an angle a little closer to "A" and just drew the diagram a little off.
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