Newbie:playing 14.1 correctly

acousticsguru

player/instructor
Silver Member
I agree with this, center ball is more elusive than widely recognized. Good advice as always David - do they play one pocket or 3 - cushion billiards in Switzerland?

Hi Danny! Could use a Straight Pool practice partner like yourself, can't put into words how much I would love that… (No one in my neck of the woods who'll play any at all, at least not outside of tournaments, and there's no such thing as a Straight Pool league.)

One Pocket is an impossibly rare sight, there may never have been a tournament (none that I know of in the last three decades), and if I get to play any, then because I taught some of my students how to play. 3-Cushion is more common (with National Championships being held every year, same as for the 4 common pool disciplines).

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti
 
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pocketsplitter

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Are jumps allowed in 14.1? I just started playing a in a 14.1 league, and last week my opponent tried to safe me behind the rack, and I asked if I can jump and he said "sure, but you'd be crazy." I proceeded to making the jump shot and he was shocked. Do 14.1 players not watch 8 ball?
 

Dan White

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Are jumps allowed in 14.1? I just started playing a in a 14.1 league, and last week my opponent tried to safe me behind the rack, and I asked if I can jump and he said "sure, but you'd be crazy." I proceeded to making the jump shot and he was shocked. Do 14.1 players not watch 8 ball?

Sure, you can use a jump cue in straight pool, much the same way a golfer can wear plaid pants. It's legal, but nobody wants to see it. :p

Seriously, though, straight pool is all about controlling the location of the cue ball, and it is impossible to do that with much precision when jumping. If you are playing anybody who can run more than a rack of balls, it's too much risk that you'll leave an open shot.

That being said, it's kind of like banking a ball. You rarely see it in straight pool, but if there is a bank or jump you absolutely know you won't miss, and it gets you out of a pickle, then I don't see anything wrong with it. Sometimes people will jump the cue ball just a little, like 1/4 or 1/2 inch to avoid an interfering ball while pocketing another.

Can you describe the jump shot you made to get out of the safety play? What was the end result?
 

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Are jumps allowed in 14.1? I just started playing a in a 14.1 league, and last week my opponent tried to safe me behind the rack, and I asked if I can jump and he said "sure, but you'd be crazy." I proceeded to making the jump shot and he was shocked. Do 14.1 players not watch 8 ball?
Some 14.1 tournaments require any jump shots to be played with the normal cue stick. The leagues where I play do not allow jump cues.
 

pocketsplitter

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Sure, you can use a jump cue in straight pool, much the same way a golfer can wear plaid pants. It's legal, but nobody wants to see it. :p

Seriously, though, straight pool is all about controlling the location of the cue ball, and it is impossible to do that with much precision when jumping. If you are playing anybody who can run more than a rack of balls, it's too much risk that you'll leave an open shot.

That being said, it's kind of like banking a ball. You rarely see it in straight pool, but if there is a bank or jump you absolutely know you won't miss, and it gets you out of a pickle, then I don't see anything wrong with it. Sometimes people will jump the cue ball just a little, like 1/4 or 1/2 inch to avoid an interfering ball while pocketing another.

Can you describe the jump shot you made to get out of the safety play? What was the end result?

Yes I definitely agree that jumping is risky when the opponent can punish a miss (my opponent's high run that match was 30+ I think). We had played some safeties before so there were a couple balls out of the rack and one ball pretty much over the top corner pocket. He put me a few inches behind the rack so I couldn't directly hit any of the balls out of the rack. I jumped and made the ball and had options after that due to the other loose balls.
 

MalibuMike

Banned
Took a Full Day Seminar With John Schmidt

Took a Full Day Seminar With John Schmidt, at Cory Harpers Crown City Billiards. Learned a ton of stuff that day! The problem is finding other who want to play Straight Pool and get into it enough to try and get better.
Tried starting a Straight Pool Club/League in So. Cal, no soap! I would have gotten a better response offering free barium enema's! People aren't interested anymore.
 

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Dan Harriman

One of the best in 14.1
Silver Member
Took a Full Day Seminar With John Schmidt, at Cory Harpers Crown City Billiards. Learned a ton of stuff that day! The problem is finding other who want to play Straight Pool and get into it enough to try and get better.
Tried starting a Straight Pool Club/League in So. Cal, no soap! I would have gotten a better response offering free barium enema's! People aren't interested anymore.

Who is the feller in the blue shirt?
 
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