The Kiss said:See here is where the rubber meets the road...We have 2 bonafide pros and another NYC player telling you the only way to win is to run balls..Well at the A level or higher that is Absolutely correct
But where the game of pool is played in the trenches in most rooms across the country the Level of play is not fantastic....So better defense and overall smarter play is what is going to seperate 1 player from another..
I say to get better master the Defense as well as pocket balls and play the smart paterns....The overall game is complex it is a chess match...
8 to 6 is a winning rack not your goal.....This board is generally weak on real pool.....Somreone finally posts a good question and you get drummed out of here by the experts...Someone even had the balls to call me Fast Larry..
Whatever....
Who ever the origanal poster was try to Defense it will improve your game...
Noone is disputing that, however - IN POOL - defense is utilized in response to defense or it is utilized after you made an error in judgment, therefore bringing your offense to a halt.
Pool as well as learning depend upon your attitude. If you have an open mind, you will learn. If you close off your mind and believe that you cannot learn from others you are in for a long life. The choice is yours. Steve Lipsky and I play the game of 14.1 continuous very differently yet we learn from each other every time the subject comes up. Its about respecting the views and knowledge of others and being willing to learn something new every day. You will notice that the better players never stop learning. Its a great habit to mimic.