The Ghost
- Thread starter Antfarm
- Start date
I could be wrong, but from what I know the ghost is basically a "perfect player" who'll give you the breaks and BIH immediately after the break. There are no safeties when you play the ghost. You break, then you get BIH for the shot following that (regardless of dry/sewer) and you try to get out. If you run out, you win the rack and if you miss/play safe then the ghost wins.
Rack up the balls. 9ball usually.
Break
Take ball in hand
Run em out in order
If you run out, you win. If you don't run out, you lose.
Note: It doesn't have to be a 9ball rack. You could use any number of balls you want. 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, and 10 balls rack nicely.
You can also play the ghost 8ball.
Rack the balls
Break
Take ball in hand
Run out your group and the 8.
You can handicap this game by removing balls from the table. Remove 4 solids and try to run the stripes out.
You can play the ghost some one-pocket too.
Toss some balls on the table. Take ball in hand. Run em out into your hole.
Break
Take ball in hand
Run em out in order
If you run out, you win. If you don't run out, you lose.
Note: It doesn't have to be a 9ball rack. You could use any number of balls you want. 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, and 10 balls rack nicely.
You can also play the ghost 8ball.
Rack the balls
Break
Take ball in hand
Run out your group and the 8.
You can handicap this game by removing balls from the table. Remove 4 solids and try to run the stripes out.
You can play the ghost some one-pocket too.
Toss some balls on the table. Take ball in hand. Run em out into your hole.
I sometimes go with the shot I'm left with if it's ok rather than BIH,
probably really doesn't matter since the Ghost is still the heavy favorite.
probably really doesn't matter since the Ghost is still the heavy favorite.
There are many ways to play the ghost. There are ways you can score it differently by taking BIH or not.
I read a post here last week (sorry don't remember where or who) that said when playing the ghost, he breaks, and if he takes the shot he has he gets a game. If he takes BIH and runs out, he only gets 1/2 a game. If he does not run out, the ghost still gets a game.
This is a very extreme version that I believe it would take a very strong player to beat. I don't think I could get there this way. You would have to beat the ghost 20-9 in a race to ten with BIH.
The point is there are many ways to do it. The important thing is to challenge yourself and by adding or taking away balls, you have a way to measure your progress.
The way I used to play - I started out with the 3 ball ghost and played a 5 ahead. When I got 5 ahead, I moved to the 4 ball ghost. If the ghost got 5 ahead, I moved back down a ball. I can beat the 9 ball ghost in a race, but haven't done it in an ahead yet (haven't tried in a while). Either way, it is a fun way to play and gives you a pretty good idea of what your actual skill level is as you will probably find that one level is beatable but the next kicks your ass.
^^^^ I like this. Haven't practiced the five ahead, but this sounds like a great drill to really find your average run out and then improve on it.
There are a lot of great ways to practice offensive games and track your improvements - Bowlliards, 9 ball Ghost, Fargo, etc. Here is a link from Dr. Dave's site to a few - Practice drills and Games.
Playing the ghost
I play the bastard 14.1 daily, and get my fanny kicked each and every time: break shot with CB in hand, and run as many as you can; miss and you start over again. A few years ago, an ideal session of this for me would have included a run of 50 or more; sad to say, I've set the bar slightly lower these days. But I don't play anything else, except for 3-C. GF
I play the bastard 14.1 daily, and get my fanny kicked each and every time: break shot with CB in hand, and run as many as you can; miss and you start over again. A few years ago, an ideal session of this for me would have included a run of 50 or more; sad to say, I've set the bar slightly lower these days. But I don't play anything else, except for 3-C. GF
In nine-ball ghost, balls generally stay down on break. Games like Fargo and Bowlliards, they spot. Lots of variances. Bottom line - do what works for you to make practive fun and progressive.
Speaking of progressive, Mike Page from Fargo Billiards describes a progressive nine ball drill in this Youtube video link - starts around 3:00 minutes in. Just tossing balls out eliminates all racking and the making balls on break as you describe.
No one in my area plays 14.1, so this is the only straight pool practice that I ever get.
Shaky, you can do it many different ways. If I was playing something small, say 3, 4, or maybe 5, I would either spot the made balls or just roll the balls out on the table and play them where they land. As a tip, if you are spotting balls, don't necessarily spot them all on the foot spot. Spot the first ball on the foot spot, the second one on the head spot, and if there are three the last would go on the center spot.
Once I get to higher ball counts (7, 9, 10, etc) I leave the made balls down. You can also play that you leave the made balls unless you scratch, then they come back up.
Many different ways to do it. Some are more difficult than others. Have fun.
-Brandon
Mr. Fels - your book "Mastering Pool" is what really got me into 14.1 years ago in my late teens. Masterful. Thank you! :thumbup:
Bet you hear this all the time!! :grin:
Benefits of playing the ghost
Whether you practice with 3 balls or 15 the following will help you learn.
Spot all balls made on the break. Foot spot, head spot then center spot. It's practice right?
Break each rack. The benefits to this are as follows.
First you may learn that harder is not necessarily better. A certain speed will give you a better spread and thus make the win easier. This teaches break speed control.
How you hit the head ball will also determine the resulting spread. Again to your benefit or detriment.
Last but not least you will learn about pattern racking and how it can affect the game.
Keep practicing !!
Whether you practice with 3 balls or 15 the following will help you learn.
Spot all balls made on the break. Foot spot, head spot then center spot. It's practice right?
Break each rack. The benefits to this are as follows.
First you may learn that harder is not necessarily better. A certain speed will give you a better spread and thus make the win easier. This teaches break speed control.
How you hit the head ball will also determine the resulting spread. Again to your benefit or detriment.
Last but not least you will learn about pattern racking and how it can affect the game.
Keep practicing !!
Do not do it this way.
The worst advice ever.
Your table may become haunted.
I kid.
Basically, the idea is to rack a number of balls (e.g. 9 or 10), break, take ball-in-hand on the lowest-numbered ball on the table, and run out what's remaining in rotation (or, playing the "Ghost", until one has won or lost a game, then re-rack and start over).
The "Ghost" wins each time one doesn't run out. Scratch on the break playing the "Ghost" is an automatic loss of game. Do this as a race to e.g. 10 games. Once one starts beating the "Ghost" consistently, do this without taking ball in hand.
An alternative exercise that allows a somewhat more fair comparison to others is to do the same starting with a rack of 9-Ball or 10-Ball, and for e.g. 10 straight innings, again with ball-in-hand, run as many balls as possible until a miss, and count (= for a maximum of 90 or 100 balls pocketed). Note there is no "game ball" in this scenario! Try to equal or do better than one's average, as well as possibly break one's record, or for advanced players, play a perfect 10 innings in a row.
Advanced in this context means, starting with a 10-Ball rack, to score 70 and over. Championship calibre players should be able to score 70 even on a bad day, and average 85 and over. As I usually (jokingly!) tell students: aim at scoring at least 90 or go to bed supperless…
Additional "rules" I recommend is to spot all pocketed balls if the cue ball scratches on the opening break (= basically a penalty and reminder to never ever scratch on the break). Also, for advanced players, I recommend doing the same without ball-in-hand after the break.
As an add-on to the latter (without BIH), when one has no shot, play a safety. If the player successfully manages to hide the cue ball from the lowest-numbered object ball on the table, he or she "buys" him- or herself another break (one more inning). Or course, advanced players would be wise to judge the quality of the safety: if the kick or jump is better than even money, forget about it. Practice is useless unless one is honest with oneself.
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
The "Ghost" wins each time one doesn't run out. Scratch on the break playing the "Ghost" is an automatic loss of game. Do this as a race to e.g. 10 games. Once one starts beating the "Ghost" consistently, do this without taking ball in hand.
An alternative exercise that allows a somewhat more fair comparison to others is to do the same starting with a rack of 9-Ball or 10-Ball, and for e.g. 10 straight innings, again with ball-in-hand, run as many balls as possible until a miss, and count (= for a maximum of 90 or 100 balls pocketed). Note there is no "game ball" in this scenario! Try to equal or do better than one's average, as well as possibly break one's record, or for advanced players, play a perfect 10 innings in a row.
Advanced in this context means, starting with a 10-Ball rack, to score 70 and over. Championship calibre players should be able to score 70 even on a bad day, and average 85 and over. As I usually (jokingly!) tell students: aim at scoring at least 90 or go to bed supperless…
Additional "rules" I recommend is to spot all pocketed balls if the cue ball scratches on the opening break (= basically a penalty and reminder to never ever scratch on the break). Also, for advanced players, I recommend doing the same without ball-in-hand after the break.
As an add-on to the latter (without BIH), when one has no shot, play a safety. If the player successfully manages to hide the cue ball from the lowest-numbered object ball on the table, he or she "buys" him- or herself another break (one more inning). Or course, advanced players would be wise to judge the quality of the safety: if the kick or jump is better than even money, forget about it. Practice is useless unless one is honest with oneself.
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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I have always played full rack (nine ball) ghost. Maybe at my level it would
be more productive to start with a 5 ball run, just a thought. I'm in the process of getting a "new" table and since I really don't know it's history I certainly hope it isn't haunted.
be more productive to start with a 5 ball run, just a thought. I'm in the process of getting a "new" table and since I really don't know it's history I certainly hope it isn't haunted.
Try pool300. It is a way of playing the ghost with set rules and a way of keeping track of your progress. www.pool300
.. :thumbup:
Thanks guys. I think I get it now and I'm ready to get my keister handed to me by the ghost!
I got humiliated in league tonight by one of the bottom five players in a 350 person league. She beat me twice!!!
Looks like I need to work on the basics again.
R,
Greg
I got humiliated in league tonight by one of the bottom five players in a 350 person league. She beat me twice!!!
Looks like I need to work on the basics again.
R,
Greg
A couple notes on how I like to do it. Pretty much the same as above. Thanks to Ray T. for giving me this drill.
-I don't break, I just throw balls out on the table.
-I play a lot of 8-ball so I will always have the 8 on the table and shoot it last. The others I shoot in rotation in advance. Gives me a lot of practice shooting at that black ball.
-I start with 4 balls, and play the ghost in a race to 5. If I win, I move on to 5 balls race to 5, etc.
-I don't break, I just throw balls out on the table.
-I play a lot of 8-ball so I will always have the 8 on the table and shoot it last. The others I shoot in rotation in advance. Gives me a lot of practice shooting at that black ball.
-I start with 4 balls, and play the ghost in a race to 5. If I win, I move on to 5 balls race to 5, etc.