What's your focus on when you practice? It seems to me that most of the time players practicing are focused on pocketing balls, but you would think that if they put more effort into positional play it would make the game a whole lot easier.
Pocketing or Positional
- Thread starter Philthepockets
- Start date
Depends on my drill. The first drills are mostly potting balls and then I progress into position drills.
Logic: Potting balls allows me to focus on my mechanics and practice those shots difficult for me. Later on I can worry about position.
Potting first and cue ball speed second.
Many of the drills focus on both, unless it's tossing a single ball out and shooting it in. Although the drills are mainly for position to get to the next ball in the setup you still need to pocket the balls, and sometimes you get out of shape and need to make a hard shot to get back in line.
When I practice, it's usually with 1 or 2 balls and I try different variations of a single shot many times to see the cueball reaction and how to hit it to pocket the ball and to get shape on the second ball in different areas of the table. So I'd line up the same shot and then use speed and spin to play shape for different pockets.
When I practice, it's usually with 1 or 2 balls and I try different variations of a single shot many times to see the cueball reaction and how to hit it to pocket the ball and to get shape on the second ball in different areas of the table. So I'd line up the same shot and then use speed and spin to play shape for different pockets.
I agree, knowing and doing are two different things. I like to work on getting from a-b especially the trickier common lies you find in 9-ball ie from one end rail to the other or side rail to side rail just missing the middle pocket. I just don't see these routines from many other players
How do you get where you want to go,? I imagine in my minds eye a spot on the table and then rely on my vast experience to get me there
How do you get where you want to go,? I imagine in my minds eye a spot on the table and then rely on my vast experience to get me there
gotta focus on pocketing the ball. if you get shape but miss the ball you leave the table. if you make the ball and miss the shape at least you get to stay at the table and decide how to play safe from there
I only do positional. Pocketing experience happens whether you want it to or not, but position experience doesn't have to happen automatically. Certain routes should be burned into your arm muscles (easy shot in the corner, go 2 rails to get straight in on the side... sounds familiar?) but while the shot might come up all the time, that specific route may not come up much.
I always felt one of Bert K.'s most useful tapes was one where you just did common 1 and 2 rail position routes over and over.
I always felt one of Bert K.'s most useful tapes was one where you just did common 1 and 2 rail position routes over and over.
If your in a match I wholly agree but the point of my original post was that positional shots and or routes get less attention during practice routines than pocketing balls.
Even during the short warm ups and tourneys it may be more helpful to learn the speed of the table rather than just banging balls in the hole.
You can only control one ball on the table
You can only control one ball on the table, the cue ball. How well you control it determines if you pocket another ball, scratch, get shape, or miss shape. You could spend almost all of your practice time focusing on controlling the cue ball and be a world class player. You can't say the same about focusing on potting balls and turning the cue ball loose.
All things on the table, good or bad, pass through the cue ball first. Own the cue ball and you own the table.
Hu
You can only control one ball on the table, the cue ball. How well you control it determines if you pocket another ball, scratch, get shape, or miss shape. You could spend almost all of your practice time focusing on controlling the cue ball and be a world class player. You can't say the same about focusing on potting balls and turning the cue ball loose.
All things on the table, good or bad, pass through the cue ball first. Own the cue ball and you own the table.
Hu
The first and most important part of position play is accurately knowing where the CB will go naturally. Then it's about knowing how to change it's natural course, and developing the skill to make it happen.
But back to the 'knowing' part. Always pay attention the where the CB makes first rail contact after initial contact with the OB. Learning where it's going to make that first rail contact can eliminate suprises and "What the hells?"
dave
But back to the 'knowing' part. Always pay attention the where the CB makes first rail contact after initial contact with the OB. Learning where it's going to make that first rail contact can eliminate suprises and "What the hells?"
dave
